Using Sunpak Flash on a D200

[GB1]

I've owned a Nikon D-200 for about 9 months or so now; it has a built-in flash though rather a weak one, a guide number (GN) of I believe 39 ft at full burst. I also have a high-powered Sunpak 433 AF flash that I've always used on my F100. The Sunpak's GN is I believe 105.

Well, looks like the Sunpak flash isn't working on my D200. I apparently never tried it till now. I just get a blinking flash icon, which apparently means that the flash won't communicate properly with the camera (the manual doesn't specifically address what a blinking flash sign means). Does anyone have any info on this?? I wonder if I'm just doing something wrong...... it won't work in any mode - TTL, Auto, Manual. It still works on the F100. I also have an older Nikon SB-15 that I just tried - it works in Manual and Auto but not in TTL.

It will stink if I have to buy a completely new flash for the D200.

Gb

[dhyravy]

You won't get TTL with any flash that doesn't support iTTL. Basically, the SB400, 600, or 800. I personally don't care for TTL but many like and use it regularly. This might be a good time to learn off-camera flash techniques and manual lighting which will expand your creative abilities tremendously.

[GB1]

Dan - So TLL ain't backward compatible with older flashes at all. That isn't good.

But ... don't know if I made it clear that the flash will not fire at all on the D200, in any mode. Yikes. It's pretty much out of action with the D200. I wonder if I'm doing something wrong?!?

G

[another view]

You might want to check to see what flash mode the camera is in. If it's set for iTTL remote flash, it won't fire an on-camera flash (so I hear, I'm new to the D200 and just ordered an SB800). About halfway down this page will show you how to put the camera in remote flash mode, but you want to do the opposite of this. It'll tell you how to get there, anyway.

I have an SB28 and can use it in non-TTL A mode (auto). This gives barely passable results (as far as consistency).

[GB1]

You might want to check to see what flash mode the camera is in. If it's set for iTTL remote flash, it won't fire an on-camera flash (so I hear, I'm new to the D200 and just ordered an SB800). About halfway down this page will show you how to put the camera in remote flash mode, but you want to do the opposite of this. It'll tell you how to get there, anyway.

I have an SB28 and can use it in non-TTL A mode (auto). This gives barely passable results (as far as consistency).

AnotherView - As far as I can tell, you cannot directly set the camera to tell the external flash what mode to be in. You can only set this on the Flash itself. I just dorked with this for the last 10 minutes... arggg, the menu / user interface on this camera is a pain. Here's some info on it's capabilities:

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PROD.../D200FLASH.HTM

As you notice here, they only talk about older Nikon speedlights. They make no claims on third-party flashes. The camera shutter button refuses to fire on any of my Sunpak's settings - TTL, Auto, or manual.

I'll read this page in depth [Edit - the http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/ittlslave.htm page], but from a quick glance it's really discussing the use of your external flash as a slave flash. This is more cumbersome for general photography, though great for certain applications.

Gb

[MJS]

I just went and bought the SB 800 and am using my older sunpacks as slaves when I need a quick multilight portrait kit.

[GB1]

I also bought the SB-800. It seems like a powerful flash, though the menu controls are somewhat annoying (much like the D-200). It does the wireless remote flash thing in Commander mode.

[Squidward]

For the most part, Nikon film flashes do not work with digital cameras and Nikon digital flashes do not work with film cameras with the exceptions of the F6, SB-600, and SB-800. The F6 will work with the SB-400 and the SB-600/800 are designed to work with all Nikon cameras so long as they have a hotshoe or an adapter to add a hotshoe to an existing camera (AS-1 on a Nikon F2, for example). If your Sunpak worked with your F100 film camera then it should not work with your D200 except in Auto mode on the flash at least that's how it works on my D70.