SD-8A & SB800 Flash not much difference

[ed_eng]

Hi
Anyone using the SD-8A & SB800 Flash I just purchased the SD-8A battery. I did not find much difference in the recycle speed. Also not sure why you need the sync plug to plug into the flash head. Seems to work without it plug into the SB800.
Ed

[larry_angier]

I've used the combo for years and can shoot all day with fairly fast recycling. Seems like it takes about 3-4 seconds for a full recharge of the capacitors with five batteries in the SB-800 and six in the SD-8A.

I used to use alkaline batteries when I shot film and now just NiMH and that seems to be one of the tricks to keeping things recycling quickly.

The sync plug helps to signal the pack that it is time to charge the flash. I've run it with and without the sync at times and sometimes the 8A looses track that it needs to fire up without the cable, from what I remember.

If you plug the pack into the flash and run a test and the pack's red light doesn't glow, you need to make sure you've plugged in the sync cable to get in coordinated.

[ed_eng]

Thanks Larry for the info but I found that with or without the 8A the recycle was about the same I was hoping for a faster recycle with the 8A about 3-4 sec full power. I was told that it should be much faster. Am I doing something wrong using NMH batteries.
Ed

[larry_angier]

I'm using all 2000 mAh batteries with a fresh charge and the 5th battery in the flash.

I always test the rigging before usage by putting the flash on manual, charging till the light is on then dumping the charge and counting the seconds. Without the SD-8a, I'm getting 3-4 seconds with five batteries on a flash I had used a bit yesterday and 2-3 seconds with the 8A attached.

Checking the 8A, I have slightly used alkaline batteries inside.

With a set of NiMH in a second 8A, I get a very fast 2 second recycle.

Some of my cells are maybe 3-4 years old, the newest are at least a year. Out of several dozen cells, I have had several go bad and have pulled them out of the mix since they dragged down the rest from working properly.

If it is taking a long time to charge up your flash in general, I would tend to think that one of the cells may be bad. Try a set of fresh alkaline cells. If you get a slow charge with time, it could be the flash. If it charges quickly, check your NiMH for a bad cell.

[MichaelMoenning]

The batteries in the flash and the SD-8A need to be the same kind and type. I use PowerEx 2700 mAh batteries in both units and recycle time is practically instant when using on-camera flash in TTL BL mode. The flash can keep up with my D3 most of the time ;-)

So, yes, there is something wrong with your setup. With an SB800 and an SD-8A on Manual with full 1/1 output my recycle time is about 1 sec. Without the battery pack the recycle time is about 3.5 sec.

The batteries inside the flash are being used along with the SD-8A, so if everything isn't fully charged your performance will suffer.

When I use an SD-8A with an on-camera flash (TTL BL mode) the recycle time is so quick I don't even look for the little red lightning bolt in the viewfinder, I just fire away and know it will keep up.

Write back with questions. I hope that helps!

M

[David_Buzzard]

From what I understand, the Nikon battery pack doesn't really speed up recycling that much, especially when compared to a Quantum or DCB set ups. I use the Digital Camera Battery with the pro Nikon module, and it will recharge the flash from a full power output in about 2.5 seconds, or about 1.5 seconds faster than the five battery set-up. The downside to the DCB is that it's almost a $600.00 set-up, and is big, heavy, and awkward to use.

[Bruce_Stenman]

The SD-8A makes a big difference when both it and the SB800 have fully charged batteries. With 10 batteries the odds increase for having a defective battery and simple voltage testing will not show if there is a problem.

I often shoot a burst of shots, and without the SD-8a the flash cannot begin to keep up. With the SD-8a I can shoot a burst of 3 shots in a second and have the 3rd shot exposed within 95% of the first shot.

Big difference of course with full capacitor dumps if shooting at small apertures, large distances, or with a low ISO setting for the conditions. The SB800 and similar output strobes are best suited for fill flash use where much of the light if not most of the light is provided by the other light sources.

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