Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

I was trying to shoot the reception the other night using my cybersync and couple of WL's, but I also wanted to use my Nikon Speedlight on my camera. Is there a way to do that?

Switch the speedlight to manual mode, and then try one (or both) of the following options:

1. Connect CSRB's to the WL's, and connect the CST to the PC Sync connector on the flash. Check with FlashZebra if you need a cable. This is the best solution when shooting outdoors, and the "only" solution if the WL's are hidden behind modifiers.
2. Forget the CST's & CSRB's, and let the WL's auto-fire when they see the flash output from the speedlight. This works pretty well indoors as long as the "eye(s)" on the WL's aren't hidden by modifiers. Any pre-flash coming from the speedlight would kill this option.

Ideal solution, plug the CST into the camera's PC terminal, if available. Have a CS receiver on each light. You can keep the flash in TTL, but only if the camera is in manual and the WL's are creating an overall base exposure (probably bounced off a ceiling if possible, and set your camera's exposure to these lights). At this point, the TTL flash will only fill shadows on nearby subjects. Be aware mixing TTL and manual flash can get tricky, so experiment and dial in -EV if necessary.

Some SB's have an "auto" mode that operates off the sensor on the front-old school style auto flash. This will only fire the speedlite once (no preflash). I have found this style of flash rather accurate, and prefer it over TTL in many cases.

If your camera does not have a PC terminal, you can use the one on the flash (if it has one), BUT the battery in the CST needs to be fairly fresh. If it drops too low, it can lock up the speedlite.

If neither has a PC terminal, not much i can think of.

Thanks a lot!!

If neither has a PC terminal you might be able to use this hotshoe adapter from flashzebra:
http://www.flashzebra.com/products/0158/index.shtml

You can use that adapter, but you will not have TTL (which is fine if you use teh AUTO function mentioned earlier). There are adapters on the market that have TTL pass-through and a PC terminal built into them. I have a Sony version, and it works well for me (though I rarely use it as my camera has a PC terminal), but i have heard mixed reviews on ISO hotshoe versions. The brand I have is Pixel, but other brands may exist. They are available on eBay.