Difference between revisions of "Nikon Compatibility"

Revision as of 11:15, 21 January 2011

This section contains compatibility information for the Nikon MiniTT1 and FlexTT5 ControlTL radios.

Camera Compatibility

The MiniTT1 and FlexTT5 for Nikon are compatible with these modern Nikon digital cameras capable of using Nikon's latest i-TTL / CLS protocol:

• D3x, D3s, D3, D2x
• D700, D300, D300s, D200
• D90, D80, D40x, D40
• D7000, D5000, D3000

The Nikon D3100 has initial feature compatibility built into the firmware and will function well in normal sync modes however a future firmware update will be released to improve timing capabilities with Rear Curtain Sync and add other compatibility improvements.

The MiniTT1 & FlexTT5 for Nikon are currently NOT compatible with these Nikon cameras:

• D1, D1x, D1h, D2h, D2hs
• D100
• D70, D70s
• Coolpix
• Film-based cameras

BASIC TRIGGER MODE: Almost all cameras and flashes are compatible with the MiniTT1 and FlexTT5 when the radios are configured for Basic Trigger Mode. Basic Trigger Mode disables all flash power control and TTL functions of the radios.

Speedlight Compatibility

The MiniTT1 & FlexTT5 for Nikon are compatible with the following modern Nikon Speedlights as Remote flashes and Nikon On-Camera Master flashes: (Other flashes may work in Basic Trigger Mode without CLS / i-TTL.)

Nikon Speedlights as Remotes

• SB-900
• SB-800
• SB-700
• SB-600
• SB-400

Nikon Speedlights as On-Camera Master Flashes

• SB-900
• SB-800
• SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander

The Nikon SB-700 flash as a MASTER is currently being researched, and may be addressed in a future firmware update.

The MiniTT1 & FlexTT5 for Nikon are currently NOT compatible with the following Nikon Speedlights as Master or Remote Units:

Any older generation Nikon Flashes as Remote Units Such as:

• SB-80DX
• SB-80
• SB-28DX
• SB-28
• SB-50
• any other Speedlight not listed above

BASIC TRIGGER MODE: Almost all cameras and flashes are compatible with the MiniTT1 and FlexTT5 when the radios are configured for Basic Trigger Mode. Basic Trigger Mode disables all flash power control and TTL functions of the radios.

Operational Notes

Flash Exposure Compensation

Flash exposure compensation is controlled as part of the camera’s exposure compensation, set via the exposure compensation button near the shutter release. This compensation works in all shooting modes, including Manual. When in Manual mode, the exposure compensation will only affect the flash exposure, as the camera exposure is controlled by the settings you’ve selected manually. Note that the D2x and D3 series cameras do not have Flash Exposure Compensation on the camera body, as they don’t have a built-in flash.

Vibration Reduction (VR) Mode Auto-Detection

When using VR Lenses, switching the VR Mode on or off results in the transmitting radio taking a calibration shot to adjust for the resulting flash timing shift. This may result in a single missed frame after toggling the VR mode on or off. In rare cases, when shooting above your camera’s x-sync speed (1/250th or faster on most cameras), this calibration shot may fail, and continued dark frames may occur. If this happens, take a test shot at a shutter speed below 1/200th of a second, and then move back to your desired shutter speed. In the interest of simplicity, we recommend leaving VR-mode either on or off for the duration of your shooting session.

Pre-Flash Boost controls

Modern TTL (Through The Lens) metering systems are based on a pre-flash fired an instant before the camera’s shutter opens, allowing the camera to calculate the amount of light output required for a proper exposure. Pre-Flash Boost is a feature which increases this metering pre-flash’s light output, which helps to make more accurate TTL exposure calculations at the longer distances our ControlTL radios can achieve. It also helps compensate for light lost when using a light modifier like an umbrella or soft box. By default, this feature adds approximately 2 stops of light output to these metering flashes. This light output can be controlled by the EV controls on the back of the remote flash. The amount of pre-flash boost compensation set on the remote flashes will not affect the final exposure. This allows you to increase the pre-flash boost beyond the default value for subjects farther away, and decrease the pre-flash boost for subjects very close to the flash.

High Speed / FP-Sync Speed Selection

In order to use High Speed/FP-Sync on cameras that support it, your camera must be set to use Auto FP mode via the Custom Settings Menu. On most cameras, this is Custom Setting “e1 – Flash Sync Speed”. All cameras that support HSS/FP-Sync operation have the option for 1/250th (Auto FP), which is the recommended menu setting.

Some cameras such as the D300, D300s and D700 have a 1/320th (Auto FP) menu option, which is not recommended for use, as it can cause sync timing issues specifically at the 1/320th shutter speed.

SB-900 Light Pattern

The SB-900 has a special Light Pattern Menu, which allows you to set a slightly different light output pattern. Of the three options in this menu, “STD” for Standard output must be selected. Selecting either “CW” for Center-Weighted or “EVEN” for Even output is not supported and may result in exposure errors.

ControlTL Transmit Priority at X-sync

ControlTL radios transmit on both ControlTL and Standard PocketWizard channels, and have a very small delay between sending these two signals. Standard Channels are used by remote Plus II, MultiMAX or remoteFlexTT5 radios configured to use them. By default, the ControlTL channel is transmitted first, then the Standard Channel. At the camera’s x-sync speed (1/250th on most cameras), there is a very limited time window to send both signals, and in some cases the second signal may be too late to allow sync with the camera’s shutter. This checkbox in the PocketWizard Utility, accessed only by enabling the utility’s “Advanced Mode”, controls which signal is sent first at the camera’s x-sync speed, to prioritize which signal is more important for your shooting scenario. Note that this caveat only applies at the camera’s x-sync speed shutter speed – all other shutter speeds above and below X-sync are unaffected

Rear Curtain Sync

Rear Curtain Sync works for all shutter speeds under x-sync down to 8”. Below 8” (including bulb mode), synchronization errors will occur. Front-curtain (normal) sync is unaffected at these longer speeds, including bulb-mode. Note that Rear-Curtain sync can be left enabled when above your camera’s x-sync speed – it just will not have any effect.

Modes Not Supported

• Mirror Up mode is not fully supported at this time – test with your specific configuration before using.
• Exposure Delay mode (set via in-camera menu) is not currently supported.
• Repeater/RPT mode is not currently supported.
• Using in-camera “Flash Control for Built In Flash” menu to control remote zones is not currently supported.
• ControlTL radios disable ALL infra-red/optical communication pulses used in Nikon’s native i-TTL system, and as such will not trigger remote flashes configured to receive these pulses. A PocketWizard radio is required for each remote flash you want to trigger.
• The SB-900 flash’s local Manual mode cannot currently be triggered by a remote FlexTT5 – it must be in TTL mode (or Master mode when on-camera) to operate on ControlTL radios. Recommend work-around is to instead put the SB-900 into TTL mode, and control the flash’s power from the camera with a Master flash or SU-800 unit.

Differences from Canon MiniTT1/FlexTT5 Firmware Version 5.200

For customers in a mixed Canon / Nikon ControlTL environment, these are the main differences between using Nikon ControlTL radios in comparison to the Canon units.

• Rear Curtain Sync is enabled and disabled on the camera body in the Nikon system, and is controlled by the camera. Canon ControlTL’s Rear Curtain Sync in comparison is set via the PocketWizard Utility.
• ControlTL for Nikon does not have Force TTL Master Mode. Instead, when using an on-camera SB-800 or SB-900, the Master setting of the on-camera flash determines if remote flashes will fire. When either of these flashes are in non-master mode, only the on camera flash will fire. When the on-camera flash is set to Master mode, the remote flashes will fire according to the zone configurations set on the back of the Master on-camera flash.
• HyperSync offsets have been specifically optimized for each compatible camera, and should provide a better out-of-the-box HyperSync experience. The HyperSync offset in the PocketWizard Utility now has a default setting of “0”, with the full range of timing adjustments being -2000us, and +200us. This allows for adjustment in both directions if current optimizations do not perfectly match the characteristics of your specific camera’s shutter.
• Pre-Flash Boost is controlled locally at the flash via its Flash Exposure Compensation controls, instead of via the PocketWizard Utility settings in the Canon system.
• The wake/sleep operation of Nikon cameras is significantly different from the Canon system, and as such affects the Nikon MiniTT1’s battery life. A CR2450 coin cell in the Nikon MiniTT1 should yield about 30-50 hours of camera-awake time.