Nauticam flash trigger only works sometimes in continues shooting...

[Johan Sundelin]

I have such a weird problem that I desperately need some advice on. Leaving on a trip in two days and my brand new equipment is not working. Any advise would be HUGELY appreciated!

 

The problem shows it self when taking flash pictures in continues mode. If I have the flashes dialed into the lowest output I can visually see the flashes firing for every shot I take. However, when reviewing the images only the first frame is being lit by the flash, all others have zero flash light on them. This is irrespective of if I shoot 1 or 10 frames per second. 

 

The really troubling part is that the problem comes and goes seemingly in a random manor. If the camera sits for an hour then suddenly it works perfectly and I can take as many as 20 frames per second and every frame is lit by the flash. If I then wait some hours or a day, suddenly the problem is back even though no connection or camera adjustments have been made. I have tried many ways but still have not been able to force the error. 

 

- Nikon z8 camera with 24-50 mm lens, Inon z330 flash with Inon cable. Camera is set at M mode at about 1/125th of a sec, f6,7 and ISO 200, flash sync speed 1/200 sec (not FP), flash sync speed is 1/60. The flash is in manual mode, lowest flash output and the ACC button is pressed and locked into place. 

- It is the same problem with both the Inon z330 flashes and a Sea&Sea YD-D1 flash. 

- Also identical problem when changing fiber optic cable from Inon to Sea&Sea. 

- Both these flash brands also all works perfectly with a Nikon D850 in a Sea&Sea D850 house with Sea&Sea flash trigger. 

- I have even connected the Nikon Z8 to the Sea&Sea house and its built in optical flash trigger and then everything works. When then moving the Z8 camera back to the Nauticam house without any camera adjustments the problem comes back. 

- The Z8 also works perfectly with a Nikon flash attached to the hot shoe. This is the argument that Nikon customer service uses to claim the camera functions as it should. The camera is also updated to the latest firmware.

- Total reset of all camera settings does not solve the problem either.

- I have received a new manual flash trigger from Nauticam but the problem is the same.

- Everything works perfectly when I connect the Z8 via a sea&sea electric cable instead of fiber optic cable (see picture). I do however not have any way of fitting the cable into the Nauticam "house holes".

 

Sorry for the long post but I have tried sooo many things without success and neither Nauticam nor Nikon have managed to help so far. Please, any idea on how to fix this??

[Dave_Hicks]

This is likely a Flash Sync issue with the nauticam flash trigger. I have had variations of this problem both D850 and Z8 cameras and the nauticam trigger but with the Backscatter MF1 strobe. I resolved it by working with Backscatter who got Nauticam to send me an adjusted trigger that disabled PreFlash Learning logic.

 

Before you get in to all of that, be very careful to take a SINGLE shot when you first turn on the strobe. If you take more than one in quick sucssession some strobes strobe may incorrectly learn the wrong sync pattern. The Inon should follow the PreFlash setting of the control knob, which should be DOWN in your case. Make sure that is so.

 

Barring that, you may need to swap out the nauticam flash trigger. Perhaps you can get the S&S one to fit in the nauticam with a little creativity? (And some Sugru moldable rubber)

[Chris Ross]

A Nauticam manual flash trigger should just work from the x-sync contacts, this is why they allow for example the olympus cameras to sync at higher than rated shutter speed.  Does the Z8 recognise the trigger as a flash - that is to say does it show any of the flash functions in the menus?   When working with fibre optics both the camera/trigger and the flash need to be set correctly. 

 

If I recall correctly the Z8 doesn't have a shutter so may not have classic x-sync contacts, but check if the camera recognizes a flash as being connected,  If it doesn't the fault seems like it must lie in the trigger.  If it is recognised by the camera then maybe some adjustments in the camera might help?