D100/SB80/Z220

Hi Guys,

I am currently running a D100 (subal D10) with the SB80 strobe using DTTL with a 70-180 lens - very happy with this setup.

I have just purchased a pair of Z220s for medium to WA work.

Now for my question,

Can I operate both the SB80 and one Z220 wired in the DTTL mode? I would like to use the focus light on the Z220 at the same time.

After having a play I noticed that with the SB80 and Z220 connected the SB80 did not recognize DTTL.

Both sockets on the D10 set to DTTL.

Thanks for any advice.

regards

ron

Hi Ron,

I do not know specifically about the Z220, but I'll have a go at answering your question from my experience with other strobes.

1) If you wire in the SB80 and use the Z220 on slave then it will fire with the pre-flashes and miss the actual exposure. Won't work.

2) If you wire both to the camera with 5 pins. The Z220 signal will stop the D100 from taking a picture and the camera will lock up. Which is what you have experienced.

3) If you wire the SB80DX in with 5 pins and the Z220 in with 2 or 3 pins on the other synch socket - quite a few housings will work like this - then both will fire for the main exposure. The problem is that the SB80DX does its DTTL metering on the pre-flashes - determines the flash output then and sticks with it. Then for the main exposure you are adding light from another strobe, the Z220, which in addition to the correct amount of light from the SB80DX will cause an over exposure (unless you back the light from the Z220 right back. And if you are doing this then you might as well shoot 2 manual guns.

It is very difficult to get a reliable lighting system with one SB80DX and one other strobe. I have heard people say that they have used two housed SB80DXs with success, but I have no experience of this myself.

Alex

I am using an SB80DX in Sealux housing and an SB-105 both on TTL with my S2 pro in Subal housing. Both cables using the five pins on both strobes and I am quite happy with the TTL lighting.

Hi Guys,

according to Subal, the D100 can only handle one dTTL strobe.

The S2pro uses TTL, not dTTL and works with any TTL strobe.

If you want to use dTTL the only working way seems the way Alex mentioned above.

You could try to "control" the extra strobe with the +/- strobe correction of your D100. This will reduce the power coming from the SB80...

I guess you'll end up with two Z220s on manual.

Cheers Torben

Hi Guys,

 

I am currently running a D100 (subal D10) with the SB80 strobe using DTTL with a 70-180 lens - very happy with this setup.

I have just purchased a pair of Z220s for medium to WA work.

 

Now for my question,

Can I operate both the SB80 and one Z220 wired in the DTTL mode? I would like to use the focus light on the Z220 at the same time.

 

After having a play I noticed that with the SB80 and Z220 connected the SB80 did not recognize DTTL.

 

Both sockets on the D10 set to DTTL.

 

Thanks for any advice.

 

regards

ron

Hi Ron.

As Alex has correctly pointed out the Z220 won't work with the SB80, as I found out last week in Vanuatu. It fires on the preflash which makes the picture underexposed.

I have successfully used a Sea and Sea YS90DX (set as a manual slave) wired with a 3 pin sync cord for macro.

I don't reckon the Z220 will work at all for this sort of thing. I'm going to sell mine. Pity, it's nice and small for travel.

Hi again,

I think the Z200 will fire at the same time as the SB80 as long as only the middle pin and ground are connected.

This Pin transmits the signal for the shutter, not the preflash when I'm not mistaken. I don't have a Z200 available to try it...

Cheers Torben