NIkon sc29 vs sc 28

[Reschsmooth]

Guys, can anyone describe the benefits (for all of $30 from Poon) of the 29 over the 28?

My understanding of either is that it provides full TTL flash off camera without worrying about wireless problems. Is that correct?

Cheers

P

[the foto fanatic]

SC-29 has an AF-assist lamp on the end that fixes to your camera. It supposedly (I haven't tested this) gives better low-light AF results than the lamp on the camera.

[PiroStitch]

Yes and the additional $30 provides you the option of where you want the AF Assist light to be lit from - camera or from the flash unit. With the SC28, I believe you only have one option and that's the camera. In a low light environment, it helps to know where you're pointing the flash so having the AF assist lit from the flash unit helps out - but it takes some getting used to.

Trevor - the assist is from the flash unit, not the sc29 itself. at the flash end, there's a switch which lets you choose.

[radar]

Patrick,

Guys, can anyone describe the benefits (for all of $30 from Poon) of the 29 over the 28?

The SC-29 provides the exta feature of having an AF assist lamp (LED) that sits in the hot shoe of the camera, so depending on the type of lighting conditions you shoot in, you may or may not need this.

My understanding of either is that it provides full TTL flash off camera without worrying about wireless problems. Is that correct?

The SC-28 TTL Remote Cord is comes with two multiple flash terminals, making off-camera TTL flash control easy

correct, that's my understanding as well, above also applies to SC-29

cheers,

André

[Reschsmooth]

What took you guys so long

Seriously, thanks for the rapid response. I guess an extra $30 isn't that much for the AF assist. However, isn't the AF assist light obsolete with the SB800?

Cheers

P

[Yi-P]

What took you guys so long

Seriously, thanks for the rapid response. I guess an extra $30 isn't that much for the AF assist.

Cheers

P

Dont overlook the extra AF Assist. When you are under very dim lights, you usually get to work on with your SB800 on top of the camera, the SB800 has its own AF Assist light and is deadly accurate with that.

Without the SC29's AF assist, your SB800 will fire off the AF assist light from itself and your actual light is off centred and from an angle, making focus inaccurate or not happening at all.

If you dont really shoot much under dim light, then the SC-29 will not be much an advantage, but it is great to just have it there.

[Greg B]

If you dont really shoot much under dim light, then the SC-29 will not be much an advantage, but it is great to just have it there.

Although dim light is a great time to use your flash



I have the SC-29, very handy bit of gear. Agree with everything above.

Plus it looks really cool.

[Reschsmooth]

Plus it looks really cool.

And, it has been about 3 weeks since I bought any new gear!

[Oz_Beachside]

I havent read the tech specs, but the SC29, "should" also measure distance to subject (with reference to the camera) and adjust the flash accordingly. For TTL, metering through the lens, would be out of line, if you hand hold the flash an arms length in from of the lens.

Not sure if it does this, but it "should".

[the foto fanatic]

Trevor - the assist is from the flash unit, not the sc29 itself. at the flash end, there's a switch which lets you choose.

Not the way it is explained here:

The SC-29 Off Camera AF TTL Cord, which mounts to the camera's hot shoe, enables an attached SB-800 flash to accurately autofocus in low light when placed on a flash bracket, for beautiful shadowless lighting.
The cord in corporates a new AF Illuminator at the mounting point that overrides the SB-800's AF Illuminator, completely eliminating any possibility of autofocus discrepancies when using the SB-800 off camera.
In addition, the SC-29 Off-Camera AF TTL Cord and the SB-800 Quick Recycling Battery Pack can be used as an off camera master controller in a Multi-Flash Set-up

[Laurie]

does anyone have an nice high res photos of the sc29?
from different angels.
not the one from the Nikon site

you'd think a camera manufacturer would have nice photos of their own equipment on their site!

[PiroStitch]

Trevor, the mounting point it mentions means at the camera end not the flash end - obviously a bit of ambiguity there. The sc-29 is probably one of the most valuable items in my kit bag

[Reschsmooth]

The sc-29 is probably one of the most valuable items in my kit bag

You obviously haven't got any of those bungee balls yet

[PiroStitch]

i don't have an extra sb800 to trigger it wirelessly no the D2 doesn't have an onboard flash

[Manta]

Don't forget also that the AF capabilities of the SC29 only work when the camera AF system is set to AF-S, NOT AF-C.

[the foto fanatic]

Trevor, the mounting point it mentions means at the camera end not the flash end

Wasn't that what I said?

The sc-29 is probably one of the most valuable items in my kit bag

Me too. In fact I'm looking at mine now. It's mounted on the camera. The AF-assist lamp is on the end of the cord that attaches to the camera's hot shoe.

Trevor - the assist is from the flash unit, not the sc29 itself. at the flash end, there's a switch which lets you choose.

The assist is NOT from the flash. The AF-assist lamp there is disabled by the SC-29. The assist is actually from the SC-29!

What am I missing here?

if anything!

[Yi-P]

does anyone have an nice high res photos of the sc29?
from different angels.
not the one from the Nikon site

Here is one quick snapshot of what it looks like when attached to a camera:

[Laurie]

Thanks Yi-P thats a great image and exactly what i was after.
i am thinking of getting one of these and am stupid i didnt add it to the recent order i just made.

[Reschsmooth]

Thanks guys - looks like it is something I should add to the wish list (saving for a baby means that a $110 item is still a luxury!).

Question - how far does the coiled lead stretch without causing too much tension on the flash unit (assuming it is free standing as per Yi-P's pic)?

P

[the foto fanatic]

Question - how far does the coiled lead stretch without causing too much tension on the flash unit (assuming it is free standing as per Yi-P's pic)?

P

About 1.2 metres.

[Heath Bennett]

Don't forget also that the AF capabilities of the SC29 only work when the camera AF system is set to AF-S, NOT AF-C.

That is simply bloody useful information which I feel a little silly that I didn't know. But when you think about it, it is obvious!

[Yi-P]

Let me add a little side note.

The power for the Flash Assist LED on the SC29 comes from the SB800. If you look close to your SB800 mount, right in the front above the mount are 2 small electronic contacts, that is the power source for the SC29 AF-ILL.

No, you cannot simply buy a SC29 and have benefit of superb AF-ILL, Nikon's own marketing game...

[PiroStitch]

Sorry Trev didn't mean to cause you too much grief - what I meant to say was the SC29 allows you to pick whether you want the assist from the IR at the camera end, or from the flash end using the SB800's assist.

[the foto fanatic]

Sorry Trev didn't mean to cause you too much grief - what I meant to say was the SC29 allows you to pick whether you want the assist from the IR at the camera end, or from the flash end using the SB800's assist.

No probs

I leave mine on, but some people say that it drains the batteries in the flash too quickly. I guess I haven't had shooting sessions that are too long because I haven't noticed that.

[Reschsmooth]

Well, after playing around with the SB800 off camera (in remote mode) and the Metz triggered by a very cheap slave, I can safely say that I will be needing the SC29 very soon.

One question (with explanation first): I can currently fire the SB800 from the hot-shoe and plug the Metz into the pc synch socket of the camera, firing both simultaneously. If I have the SB800 off camera via the SC29, can I still plug the Metz into the pc synch socket? (Use of the on-board flash to fire the SB800 remotely seems to disable the pc-synch socket).

Cheers

P

[Yi-P]

I believe that the camera detects the SB800 on top of the camera when the SC28/29 is attached. It will not detect that a syn cable is in place.

[Bluey]

Thanks for the photo 'Yi-P'.
It really does shows the physical difference between it and the SC-28.
I bought the SC-28 a while ago and whilst it works well, I'm now thinking of getting an SC- 29.

[Mr Darcy]

I have both an SC28 and a 29. I sometimes use both for that extra reach. Of course, you lose any benefit from the assist lamp on the SC29 when you do that.