 Kathleen Thayne |
Faster Flash Help? Dear All, I have a Nikon D50 and a Nikon SB-800 AF Speedlight. I notice that when I take continuous photos, the flash cannot keep up. I need to be sure to give the flash a few seconds in between pictures to ensure it will actually fire. My question is: Is this an issue with my SB-800 or the Nikon D50? How can I resolve this issue? Would buying a different camera but keeping the Speedlight solve the problem? What are your suggestions? Thank you so much. Sincerely,
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Debby A. Tabb |
Kathleen, The flash needs to refill ( as in light heads as well) The SB-800 Minimum recycling time: Approx. 2.7 seconds (manual, w/R6 (AA) - size Ni-Cd or Ni-MH batteries, With Quick Recycle Battery Pack SD-800), Approx. 6 sec. (manual w/FR6 (AA - size Lithium batteries) The Quick Recycle Battery Pack (SD-800) was included in the original purchase of the unit from factory. Thre only suggestion during flash photography using the SB-800 would be to slow down a bit. I hope this helps, Debby by the way, I use the same flash, it is worth every cent I spent.
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Christopher A. Vedros |
Kathleen, This isn't an issue with your flash or your camera - it's an issue with ALL flashes. All flashes take some amount of time to recycle between shots. The power source that you use is one of the biggest factors affecting recycle time. Standard Alkaline batteries are the worst choice. They lose their charge at a linear rate, which means their voltage will drop off gradually, and the recycle time will get longer, and longer, and longer with each flash. They will also give the fewest total number of flashes per set. Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMh) or Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries are a much better choice. They are more expensive than alkalines at first, but if you buy a charger and 2 or 3 sets of batteries, you can use them and recharge them hundreds of times. In the long run, they will be much cheaper than alkalines. They also perform better than alkalines. These rechargeables will maintain a more constant voltage level throughout their charge, so your recycle time will be faster and more consistent. When the recycle starts to take longer, it means that the batteries are almost dead and it's time to change. They will give more total flashes per charge than a set of alkalines will give. The most expensive option is a rechargeable battery pack, like the Quantum Turbo. It will also give you the very best performance. This is a powerful battery pack that either plugs into a socket on the flash, or uses an adapter in place of the flash's batteries. It will give you the most flashes per charge, and the fastest, most consistent recycle that the flash is capable of. All that said, I'm sorry to have to burst your bubble, but no flash will keep up with continuous shooting, no matter what power source you use. Your camera can shoot up to 2.5 frames per second. Nikon says that the SB-800 will recycle in 2-3 seconds with NiMh batteries. The Quantum Turbo will probably shorten that to 1-2 seconds. But no flash will fire 2.5 times per second. Chris A. Vedros
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