Pixiq

The Nikon R1C1 Close-up Speedlight Commander kit is a part of Nikon’s Creative Lighting System (CLS) employing iTTL (intelligent through–the-lens) control. With it I have made over 12,000 exposures in just over two years — enough for any working assessment.

The Commander Kit comes in a large black case with assorted goodies and will set you back in the US by around $714.95 + and UK £589.95 + (yes, that’s right — the equivalent of $938 + that pricing rip-off European photographers often face). The kit price offers a considerable saving on the component parts such as: 2 x SB-R200 wireless remote speedlights and the SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander unit and the substantial black, fitted case with a host of accessories: the flash ring, adapters for various lens filter diameters (52/62/67/72/77 mm), stands for the SB-200 units, clamp, filters, diffusers for the flash guns and a diffuser sheet plus two close-up adaptors.

The simpler R1 Wireless Remote Speedlight has the two SB-R200 flash guns, adapter rings, etc., but no commander unit since it utilizes the internal electronics of those Nikon FX and DX digital cameras that support the Creative Lighting System (CLS).

In short, the R1C1 Speedlight Commander Kit provides a flash system that copes with virtually anything you can throw at it — in a close-up and macro sense, that is. It is not a casual purchase — no commercial macroflash system is — but it is light, compact, free of cables and works superbly time and again.

Exposure is commendably precise in a range of conditions, and any modifications can be quickly made via the commander unit. However, in general I set the Commander unit to give a + 2/3 stop (0.7 EV ) lift to the overall exposure, having first set the lighting ratios (1:2 or 1:3) between units A and B... pushing the histogram that bit more to the right.

Failures have usually been attributable to me:

a. inadvertently switching the channel on the commander unit so it is different from the guns and they do not work...

b. fumbling on the front of the D300 and managing to switch on ‘bracketing’ so that subsequent exposures are over or under…

c. Not noting one of the cells has run out of juice...

NB. With complicated DLSRs it is essential to know how to reset your system and save time.

The SU 800 Wireless Speedlight Commander unit is simple to use with a clear reverse display, and from it you can control multiple flash guns in three groups (A, B and C) using one of 4 radio channels. If others nearby have the same unit you can change channels — on the commander unit and each gun. It has a range of 20m with larger guns such as the SB-900, SB-800 and SB-600 and around 4m with the SB-R200 units.

A small switch in the battery compartment lets you choose between display modes, and you can adjust the lighting of each group separately. The display takes two forms: a. close-up mode where you can adjust the lighting ratio of the guns and then increase/decrease the total brightness by simply pressing a switch. Here, TTL control is available for groups A and B and manual for C. In b. commander mode all three groups are shown and lighting is adjusted in EV rather than ratios.

The commander unit allows much more than macro lighting by permitting controlling over multiple units in three groups for a full indoor or outdoor studio set up. There is a repeat flash mode that allows stroboscopic photography with several images on the same frame as long as you use a gun that recycles fast enough (the more powerful SB 900, 800, 600 units but not the SB-R200 heads).

Nikon’s Flash FP Mode

The SB-R200 flash units in this system will work with the FP (focal plane) mode built into many Nikon DSLRs. This permits shutter speeds faster than the maximum sync speed of 1/250^th sec by effectively lengthening the flash pulse so that the subject is illuminated for the full time that the shutter curtains are traveling across the sensor. The flash intensity is reduced but more than adequate for ‘grab’ shots of insects in flight.

The trouble is, as with all modern digital equipment, there is so much that can be adjusted that it is easy to make small errors at first. You learn by mistakes.

Specs For the SB-R200 flash unit:

Guide Number:

@ ISO 100 = 10m/33ft

@ ISO 200 = 14m/46ft

recycling time to full 6 sec

max flash duration 600μsec (0.6 millisec or 1/1600^th sec)

power: 3 volt CR123A Lithium battery for each SB-R200 flash head and the SU-800 commander. Weight is reduced compared with two AA type cells, but they are more expensive. There are re-chargeable cells available (Uniross) — I have kitted out with six of these and two chargers that can be plugged into a car cigarette lighter socket.

In the Field and the studio... some observations

Practising with this lighting unit, you quickly achieve that ‘point-and-shoot capability’ where you can relax, wander and capture images consistently. When you want to change aperture to control depth of field, the system compensates, and you can do this without lifting your head from the viewfinder.

As mentioned in part 1 of this post I have a preference for balanced ambient light/flash which the Nikon iTTL system manages better than I ever could with a flash meter and yards of Fujichrome Velvia.

I don’t always use a tripod — in fact seldom with insects. I tend to work with a shutter speed of 1/250^th sec and rest the unit on the top of my rucksack or use the Novoflex Minipod or a beanbag, log or stone… and even hand hold.

The small stands that come with the kit let you set up the guns close to a subject for high magnification work at home on a table top and not worry about where the cables go…

The Commander kit works with macro lenses from 50mm to 200mm, and adapters are provided. Even with 200mm lenses these units are positioned far enough off axis to give some relief… if not, you just unclip one of the guns and hold it.

I have also (my usual experimenting) been able to adapt this kit to become effective with ultra-wide lenses — click to get the detail. In fact, with wide-angle work you can use the macroflash kit as it comes (I hold the flash ring around the lens) or put on the diffusers for going close and more or less eliminate hot spots.

Essential item or not?

The honest answer is a qualified “no” — in the sense that I could probably do most of my photography with a simpler system. I would lose out with repeat accuracy and level of control, but I would get there… eventually: so yes, I really would miss it like hell since it is so convenient.

For occasional use you can do a great deal with a normal gun used off-camera with a diffuser, but if macro work is an important part of what you do (and you want to concentrate on subject and forget gadgetry), then I would unhesitatingly recommend this item or an equivalent for other system: it has served me very well in two years of almost daily use.

So would I like/need any more functionality? Nope. It does all I ask and more, though come to think of it, maybe a selective pheromone detector (built-in micro gas chromatograph) for picking up the trail of rare insects hiding from me (I jest… honest!)

So, anything to dislike? Yes. I like things to feel they have ‘quality’ when I have paid a high price. Nikon could have specified a better-quality plastic at little extra cost — unfortunately, this is too often the great let-down of Chinese-manufactured photographic accessories. Some parts of this kit have a rather flimsy feel, and the plastic ring to which the guns are fixed has loosened over time even though the unit has proved reliable under heavy use. 

And the price of extra SB-R200 units… slightly excessive?

Check out Part 1 here 

and Part 3 here