The Nikon CP950 external flash and my solution.
Tim Osburn
My experiences with the Nikon CP950 & flash.
I found that using the SK-E900 flash bracket that it puts the
flash unit a little too close still to the camera. So what I did was
remove the hot shoe from the SK-E900 and mount the base of a Stroboframe
bracket to the bottom side of the SK-E900. This gives me a nice foam
handle to hang on too as well moves the flash unit further away from the
lens. I then replaced the flash mounting clamps on the Stroboframe with a
Nikon AS-10 multi-flash adapter, and then using a SC-18 cord (which was a
little too long, but what are ya gonna do) connect the AS-10 to the Nikon
TTL plug. This allows me to use my Speedlight SB-28 with the Nikon CP950
and further reduce the possible "red-eye" effect from the majority of the
photos I take. I have been doing quite a few night club photos with this
set up. You can see the difference of using the built in flash (August
Saturday the 14th pics) VS. using the external flash mounted further away
from the camera in the (August Friday the 20th pics) Also the little side
bar on the SK-E900 bracket makes a nice little place that the Nikon SD-8A
(for powering the flash) battery pack can mount instead of hanging off my
waist of which the external camera batteries (DPS4000) already are. If I
use the Energizer L91 lithium cylindrical AA batteries that the flash unit
lasted the whole time on those one set of batteries (about 300 flashes
that I took the second night) and I still have not swapped out the
batteries yet since they are still holding up extremely well.
Pics of my mounting bracket and how I have it setup:
http://www.osburn.com/nikonCP950
Pics of the night club I shoot at with the pics from August
Saturday the 14th being the ones using the internal flash and the pics
from August Friday the 20th being the ones using the external flash. All
photos taken with the Nikon CP950.
As a side note I use/carry with me 3 - 80 MB compact-flash cards
made by Lexar Media for holding all my pics that I take. I have not had
any problems using those flash cards.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
On a side note, has anyone got the external flash to work in M-REC mode?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The equipment list:
SK-E900 Multi-Flash Bracket Unit
Quick Flip 350 Stroboframe Bracket
SC-18 TTL Multi-Flash sync cord
SB-28 Speedlight flash
AS-10 Multi-Flash adapter
SD-8A High Performance Batter Pack (holds 6 AA batteries) (for flash)
DPS4000 Power Pack 6v Ni-MH Battery Packs (1200MAH) (for camera)
-- Tim Osburn
zdiver
the CP950. I didn't go so far as to move it - but I have been able to
get it to work with the m-rec mode, and I use that exclusively. I think
the red-eye and alien-eye problems are caused by the hallucinogens,
barbituates, and other psychadelics that the patrons are using. This
causes an extreme dilation of the pupil and gives you those nasty
reflections. Some hotties there - I envy your position on those extreme
closeups of the womens!
Z
Josh Carter
> SK-E900 Multi-Flash Bracket Unit
> Quick Flip 350 Stroboframe Bracket
> SC-18 TTL Multi-Flash sync cord
> SB-28 Speedlight flash
> AS-10 Multi-Flash adapter
FYI, you don't need the AS-10 with this setup -- you can plug the SC-18
cable directly into the side of the SB-28. This saves $50 or so, and works
just the same. This page has a picture of my very similar setup:
http://multipart-mixed.com/photo/external_flash.html
The mounting on the Stroboframe is not very solid, and one of these days
I'll make an adapter so it will work better, or convince Stroboframe to
make one. (Send them an email encouraging it: SAUN...@aol.com is their
address.) Your solution of mating the two brackets is very clever, with
the only drawback being that the flash isn't directly over the lens,
thereby casting shadows to the side. It's still _much_ better than using
the SK-E900 alone, however.
> On a side note, has anyone got the external flash
> to work in M-REC mode?
Works fine for me -- this is how I always use the camera. Be sure to go to
the controls setup, however, and disable the internal flash so only the
external one will fire.
Best regards,
Josh
Chuck Ross
cord and an anti-twist plate to mount the SB-28 with. The SC-18 cable
is pretty long. I have also trashed the Sk-E900 bracket but use the
ES-900 cable from it.
I tried finding some thin cork gasket material to raise the camera a
bit higher from the mounting plate, but the stuff I got was too thick
and the tripod mounting screw won't reach to the camera tripod socket
well. I'll have to look for some thinner gasket material. As it is,
it's _almost_ a perfect fit.
Here's a photo of my setup:
http://www.enteract.com/~ckross/sframe.jpg
I use this constantly in my job with the Village of South Holland, shooting
various events.
Some samples of photos taken with it are here:
http://www.enteract.com/~ckross/carshow/
and here:
http://www.enteract.com/~ckross/digicam/superjock.htm
Chuck Ross
http://www.enteract.com/~ckross/
Digital and Film-Based Photography
remove "MYPANTS" to reply
In article <josh-12099...@192.168.0.3>, jo...@spies.com (Josh
David
Stroboframe until I read about the weak mounting on the Stroboframe; how
serious a problem is it?
David
Cal Poly
In article <josh-12099...@192.168.0.3>, jo...@spies.com says...
Josh Carter
> As it is, it's _almost_ a perfect fit...
>
> http://www.enteract.com/~ckross/sframe.jpg
I checked out your photo, but there's one part I don't understand: when
you mount the camera on the frame, how does the flash connector cord
(coming from the 950) get past the bracket? Here's a photo of my problem:
http://multipart-mixed.com/photo/images/950_bracket_bottom.jpg
The cable connector is too long and placed in the perfectly wrong
position, so I'd need to machine a slot in the bracket for the cable to go
through, but I don't have the tools for that. How does this work on your
setup?
Thanks!
-Josh
Chuck Ross
Carter) wrote:
Well, your photo may exaggerate the problem a bit; my 950 is level and
the cable connector does contact the bracket, but not to the degree that
yours seems to. Unfortunately, I don't have a way of showing it to you
since I only have one digital camera.
Well, wait a minute...maybe if I use a mirror....
Yeah, that'll work.
http://www.enteract.com/~ckross/mirror2.jpg
The cable connector does impinge on the bracket somewhat, but it still
works out to be level in all directions.
--
Richard P. Talley
how you get the camera far enough forward for the flash connector to
clear the frame.
On September 13 1999, ckr...@MYPANTSenteract.com (Chuck Ross) wrote:
>
> Here's a photo of my setup:
>
> http://www.enteract.com/~ckross/sframe.jpg
Chuck Ross
does barely touch the frame, but doesn't really interfere with anything.
Someone else took a Dremel tool to the frame to excavate a little groove
and that helped him quite a lot.
You also might try adding a THIN piece of cork gasket material to the
existing one where the camera mounts. It could be just enough to do the
job for you, but I didn't find it necessary. The standard mounting hole
in the Strobo is used.
Here's another photo with the camera actually mounted, self-portrait
shot in a mirror:
http://www.enteract.com/~ckross/mirror1.jpg
In article <09990821083128....@my-Deja.com>,
elfo...@my-Deja.com wrote:
--