Fotomacher Loc: Toronto

I had two camera bodies a while ago, a D300s and a D700. I had a SB-800 for each body and used them quite often. In January 2016, I sold both bodies and bought a near new D810. Obviously, I only need one external flash unit. But, I have been asked to take some group shots for a local NPO and thought that two light sources would be a good idea. So tonight I Googled “Best remote trigger for SB-800”. Imagine my surprise when I learned that the SB-800 has a built in slave! I had NO IDEA. I found this on “Stobist” and I am very happy to pass this on

How To Slave an SB-800
1. First, turn on your flash.
2. Now get into the submenu by pressing and holding the "sel" button for 2 seconds.
3. Arrow right (the "single tree" button) to get the upper right quadrant highlighted.
4. Push the select button again.
5. Scoll down ("-" button) until "SU-4" is highlighted.
6. Push "sel" again to select.
7. Push and hold "sel" for 2 seconds to get out of the submenu.
8. Your flash will now say "REMOTE."

You are now in SU-4 mode, a legacy, wireless, quasi-TTL mode for which the SB-800 is backward compatible. But you are not going to use it for TTL. By pressing the "mode" button you can toggle between automatic and manual. Choose manual.

By pressing the "+" or "-" buttons, you can change power in 1/3-stop increments all the way to 1/128 power.

You now have a flash that'll slave to any other flash. You want to use both in the manual mode, so they will not influence each other's output.

The "eye" of the slave is the circular optical port on the left side of the flash if you are facing the front of the flash. So you will want to rotate the flash body so the window faces the master flash.
If you use on-camera flash as the Master, make sure you set the SB-800 on manual and avoid TTL preflashes. The pickup is sensitive enough to fire from those little winks.

To exit SU-4 mode, do the following: Go into the submenu the same way as above, and scroll up to "off" from "SU-4." Hit "sel" to choose it. Press and hold "sel" for two seconds and you are back to normal.

Every SB-800 owner should know about this feature. If a flash costs as much as a car payment, you should know everything it'll do. So please help to spread the word.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

Sincerely interesting to know. Appreciated the detail in your post. (... and I don’t even use Nikon gear)
In any case, thanks! — Ralph

Jamers Loc: Michigan

Thank you..very good to know

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

One of the best features of the SB-900/910 was the elimination of all that menu searching just to get into remote mode. In the later units, it's right on the power switch as an extra selection. Best of luck.

Julian Loc: Sarasota, FL

Thank you. I love my SB-800 but I never knew about this feature; I have been using it as a slave, attached to the external Nikon SU-4 trigger which I purchased years ago not knowing about the internal unit. Thanks again.

dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

I have two SB-910's and an SB-800. Ever since I got the 2 SB-910's, I have kept the SB-800 set up as slave. It is still (and I purchased it with the SB-800 was still new on the market) a great strobe. My only issue (and the SB-910's resolved this) is that it's setup/menu system is difficult to maneuver and correctly set. This is why I leave it in slave mode. The two SB-910's are very easy to switch modes and setups, though slightly less powerful. I often use the pop-up strobe on the camera either as a trigger or as front strobe and have it trigger the other 3. One word of warning on the SB-800 is that it is more powerful than the 910 primarily because the SB-910 has some power/heating safeguards built-in to it that were a result of the SB-800 overheating. I don't have any external triggers because neither the SB-800 nor SB-910s need them.

Bill_de Loc: US

There are two lessons learned here. One is obvious.

The second lesson (which should have been learned long ago) is to read the manual that came with your equipment.

Nikon already spread the word.

--

dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

EXACTLY!!!
That's the FIRST thing that I do, anytime I purchase (or obtain) any item... RTFM!!! and understand it. I also carry all of the manuals (in pdf form) on my phone, on my laptop and in my desktop. Ironically it's in a folder titled "MANUALS"

warrenvon Loc: Ellicott City, MD

Maybe I'm wrong, but we didn't you use the command function that is built into your on-camera flash unit to control your remote strobe(s)?
I'll bet it's because the D800 series of bodies do not have built-in strobes. I may have just answered my own question.

Julian Loc: Sarasota, FL

Perhaps not all of us are experts in the English lexicon as you are, but considering that most manuals are the result of a translation from other foreign languages, my experience is that the written word can lead to misinterpretation based on timing and context. My understanding of the SU-4 mode was that by selecting it, you will have to use the external Nikon SU-4 module which I happened to own; I was wrong, mea culpa, mea culpa...

wrangler5 Loc: Missouri

I think the remote strobe control has been part of Nikon cameras and strobes for quite a while. It was available in my D70s, for example, and I believe in the earlier D70, which came out in 2004.

Julian Loc: Sarasota, FL

I believe by 'strobe control' you are referring to Nikon's Creative Lighting; I have used that feature for years but never attempted to use the built-in SU-4 module. I believe earlier D70's did not have Creative Lighting.

dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

My D70s which was shortly after the release, supported creative lighting.. HOWEVER, my only strobe at the time was the built-in flash on the camera and the Nikon SU-800... So I used the SU-800 for fill and the on camera for main... After I got the D7100 camera, I also got 2 SU-910's and I would set them on tripods (semi-behind pillars) in large rooms to "extend the range of the strobes. I could bathe a large room, like a church cathedral in light and shoot from the rear of the room. I had to (of course) be careful because of dark areas, etc. but it is/was a luxury and I only attempt in in special instances. but it's nice to have. I do like to bathe a subject in light and it's nice to be able to put colored film over a strobe to add color or interest to a shot... (say, simulate candle light or use a blue film to make the image cooler. It's nice to have options.