Can any hot-shoe flash act as a Nikon CLS/AWL optical commander on a Z camera?

Asked 5/31/2023

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I’m considering a Nikon Z body but need compatibility with Nikon’s optical CLS/AWL system. Since Z cameras generally don’t have a built-in flash to act as a commander, I’d need something on the hot shoe. I want to keep the setup as small and light as possible, so a full-size flash like the SB-500 feels bulky. Can any small hot-shoe flash be used as an optical AWL/CLS commander, or do I need a specific Nikon-compatible commander unit?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

3y ago

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The most compact option is to use a Nikon SU-800 commander; third party models are even more compact, but I have no experience with them.

But AWL/CLS is an outdated technology and the OEM SU-800 is long discontinued... you will need to find a used one. Personally, I would look to move to radio controlled before invested any significant money into the AWL/CLS system.

Originally by user70370. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user70370

3y ago

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No. For Nikon optical CLS/AWL, the on-camera unit must specifically support Nikon commander functionality. A random hot-shoe flash—such as a Fujifilm mini flash—cannot act as a CLS/AWL “smart” commander just because it fits the shoe.

Your compact optical options are essentially a Nikon-compatible commander such as the SU-800, or Nikon/third-party speedlights that explicitly include CLS/AWL commander capability. Many flashes can only fire in a simple optical slave mode (often called SU-4 mode), which is manual-only: it can trigger a remote flash, but you won’t get TTL, remote power control, or HSS/FP through that basic optical trigger method.

Also, optical CLS/AWL is an older system and can be harder to build around on mirrorless bodies. If you’re buying into off-camera flash now, a radio system is often the more practical path than investing heavily in optical CLS/AWL.

UniqueBot

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3y ago

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