Nikon SB600 Flash Problem

[Paul in OKC]

I am using a Nikon D90 and SB600 Speedlight. The speedlight has started giving three "mini-flashes" before firing the main flash. This delay is causing me problems (starting to take the camera down from my eye before the main flash goes off). Flash setting wrong? Camera setting wrong? What? I do not recall the flash ever doing this before. Very frustrating. Very difficult to get any "quick" flash photos. Any advice?

[Grandpaw]

Turn your camera on. Next look for the flash button on the camera just to the left side of the pop up flash and hold it down,(it has a lightning bold symbol on it). Now look in the top window of your camera while holding down the flash button and rotate the thumb wheel on the back of your camera and rotate through the different flash settings. The reason you are getting the pre flashes is because you have the camera in red eye reduction mode. When you turn the thumb dial to any of the other settings that do not have a little picture of an eye in the window the pre flash will not fire and you will get a single flash. The red eye reduction mode is what is giving you the pre flashes, Jeff

NOTE...... You will only get the pre flashes on the external flash and not on the built in flash so you may want to have it on your camera and have it turned on so you can see the pre flashes and then turn off the red eye reduction and verify your problem is gone.

[Paul in OKC]

Thanks Grandpaw! I did as you instructed, and that cured my "problem". I really do appreciate your help. This reminds me of when I asked my son to help me with a faulty electric plug. He simply reset the GFI button, and that cured it. Very simple if you know what you're doing. Thanks again for your patience.

[Grandpaw]

Thanks Grandpaw! I did as you instructed, and that cured my "problem". I really do appreciate your help. This reminds me of when I asked my son to help me with a faulty electric plug. He simply reset the GFI button, and that cured it. Very simple if you know what you're doing. Thanks again for your patience.

Glad we could help you out, Jeff