D200- IR filter for built-in commander flash?

Paul_Shambroom · #1 03-22-2006, 02:38 PM

I'm experimenting with wireless remote using a handheld SB-600 on my new D200. The on-camera flash creates unwanted reflections and casts a shadow from the hoods on my wide lenses. I've tried filtering the on-camera flash with a piece of no.87 IR Kodak gel filter. I'm getting mixed results- it does fire the SB600, but the photos are mostly underexposed and the IR filter gets distorted from the flash heat fairly quickly (not surprising, it's absorbing all the visible light energy.) I see Nikon sells an IR filter for this purpose, the SG-3IR, but it is an ungainly looking contraption inserted in the camera shoe. Maybe this is because of the heat issue? Just wondering if any one else has played around with improvised IR filters for this purpose?

Robert_Johnson · #2 03-22-2006, 06:51 PM

I recently purchased a SU-4 which is a slave that can be used on older Nikon strobes. I can use my SB-800, SB-600 and SB-28 or SB-27 (on the SU-4) all at the same time. The SU-4 came with a gizmo like you discribed, it mounts on the hot shoe and a flip down screen goes in front of the on board flash. It is white, so I don't know if it is an IR filter, it looks more like a diffuser, But it cuts the light down enough that I don't get much light from the pop up strobe and it trips all of the other strobes. I just started playing around with this today, I was all ready to buy the SU-800 when I discovered some interesting things about the D200 and the pop up flash as a commander. Just found out that you can use high speed flash sync with the pop up flash even though the instruction manual says you can't. In the menu>flash settings>commander mode> you have 3 choices for the pop up as a commander. With the pop commander set a TTL, or M you can only sync up to 1/250 but there is another setting which is -- when set at -- you can sync wireless at any shutter speed with the SB-600 or SB-800

Robert_Johnson · #3 03-22-2006, 08:14 PM

I found the IR filter that you mentioned, it is not the same one that I have. Here is a link to it at amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E1G...ce&n=172282 same design, different filter. The one that I have is white opaque

Paul_Shambroom · #4 03-24-2006, 12:38 PM

I just found the simple answer, there's no need for the IR filter. The built-in flash can be set in "comander mode" to ONLY fire pre-flashes, with the remote wireless flash providing all the illumination. Set-up is in custom menu.

DouglasUrner · #5 03-24-2006, 12:54 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I just found the simple answer, there's no need for the IR filter. The built-in flash can be set in "comander mode" to ONLY fire pre-flashes, with the remote wireless flash providing all the illumination. Set-up is in custom menu.

[/ QUOTE ]

This works as long as the subject is not reflective. With glass or other reflective subjects you will have a small hot spot because the flash tube is still glowing when then the exposure happens. For these situations an IR filter would help. I don't have one, so I just put a white card in front of the flash -- usually there is enough light scattered around for everything to still work just fine. You could also use a piece of unexposed slide processed slide file as an IR filter.

Doug