SB800 and Better Beamer

[Bob G]

I spent an inordinate amount of time last night googling the web to establish settings for use of the Better Beamer. There is a host of confusing information (not well written) and nowhere can I find it all in a self contained blog/ thread with simple language.

So I started amalgamating it all together and tried to weed out the crap and refine it a bit.

I would like the experienced birders to review what I have so far and make any comments appropriate to improving either the information or its understandability (is that a word)

I want to put it all in a self contained logical way and if you wouldn't mind checking the details through and commenting I would really appreciate it.
Any input from others also greatly appreciated.

SETUP FOR USE OF BETTER BEAMER FOR BIRDING (incl. BIF)
(When using lenses with focal length 300mm or greater)
Assembling the Kit
- Set up Camera on Tripod with Wimberley Head (or whatever you use)
- Attach SB 800 using flash bracket and SC-28/29 cord ( on camera if you don't have a bracket )
- Fit Better Beamer to Flash
- Align the aim of flash with some controlled practice shots at likely shooting distance
Making the appropriate settings
Camera
(Set up the camera as though you were shooting in ambient light with no flash including any exposure compensation that subject necessitates).
- With camera exposure mode in M (you can also use A) set appropriate aperture, shutter speed, ISO & exp. comp. + or -
- Set in camera Flash synch. speed to 1/250 s (Auto FP) (if light and subject movement allow 1/250s or lower is possible/preferable)
SB 800
- Set mode in flash to TTL (not TTL-BL) display should read TTL FP (picks up on FP setting in camera)
- Adjust flash zoom manually to show 50mm
- Adjust exposure compensation to -1.7 as a starting point
Shoot
- Check histogram and for any blinkies and adjust SB 800 exposure compensation up or down as required

[blacknstormy]

Bob - I've found the most important thing about the better beamer is DO NOT under any circumstances let it face the sun - the beamer acts like a magnifying glass, and will concentrate the suns rays back onto your flash- I've seen a very nasty burn on a SB from a BB. If you are going to walk around with the bb attached, cover it with some dark material, like a hood, or better still, remove it until you need it - burns can occur when you least expect it, and if you are wandering around, you won't be looking at your flash and the angle of the sun etc. And when shooting, same thing, don't take a shot into the sun.
Burns are nasty, but even nastier when they are on your flash

[Bob G]

Thanks Rel

I was well aware of that but there may be others who read this post that it might save from a disaster