How can I trigger Nikon speedlights off-camera with a Sony NEX-6?
Asked 12/14/2013
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I have a Sony NEX-6 and Nikon speedlights, including an SB-800. What options do I have to fire them wirelessly off-camera? I’d like to know whether I can use the NEX-6’s built-in flash, optical slave modes, or radio triggers, and whether I need adapters or sync cables.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
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If your Nikon speedlights have SU-4 mode in them (the SB-600 doesn't), you could use SU-4 mode on the speedlights, and the pop-up flash on the NEX6 in manual mode to trigger the lights.
If you get manual radio triggers that are transceiver units (i.e., can be used as either a transmitter (Tx) or receiver (Tx)), it must have some way of switching between Tx/Rx modes. Or you need to get separate dedicated Tx/Rx units (this is why the Cactus V, RF-602, and RF-603 II triggers work on NEX/Fuji X/micro four-thirds, but the RF-603 triggers won't). The Rx/Tx switching on the RF-603 is done using a TTL signal that doesn't occur on the same pin (or at all) on the mirrorless hotshoes, as it does on Canon/Nikon hotshoes.
Originally by user27440. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user27440
12y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—your NEX-6 can trigger Nikon speedlights off-camera, but the method depends on the flash.
Simplest option: use the NEX-6’s built-in flash to trigger a speedlight in optical slave mode. On flashes that support it, this can work well indoors. The SB-800 has a built-in optical slave mode, and flashes with SU-4 mode can also be triggered this way. Limits: optical triggering needs line of sight and can be unreliable in bright ambient light.
If the flash does not support optical slave/SU-4, or you want more reliable triggering, use manual radio triggers. The transmitter goes on the camera hot shoe, and each flash needs a receiver. If your flash has a sync port, connect the receiver with the appropriate sync cable. If it does not, use a hot-shoe adapter that adds a sync connection.
One caveat: some radio trigger models designed around Canon/Nikon hot-shoe signaling may not work correctly on the NEX-6. Choose triggers known to work with mirrorless/manual hot shoes, or use dedicated transmitter/receiver units rather than models that rely on automatic Tx/Rx switching.
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