Question about D700 flash commander mode..

[photoforfun]

I've been using the pop up flash in commander mode often for macro together with my SB-800. I diffuse the built-in flash and get good results...
I want to try some portraits of people using the commander mode but I don't want the built-in flash to fire, only command the SB-800... How can I do that, the manual isn't very clear about that (at least to me)...I tried the setting for pop-up flash to "--" but it keeps firing...
Thanks in advance for your input.

[aclphoto]

I shoot a D3 and 300 so this may not be perfect but you can get to where you need to go if you know the 700s menu

You need to go into your custom settings menu.... Bracketing and Flash menu... built in flash.... commander mode... somewhere in there is the ability to change the settings of your groups/channels...
All you need to do is change the built in (main) flash to "--" in order to turn it off.

Hope this helps.

[aclphoto]

OHHH sorry I just reread your post and saw that you already knew what I just posted...

The flash will still fire but it fires a milli second before the shutter fires... thus communicating to the remote flashes. BUT In some cases (mostly macro) the pop up can still expose in your image... the best way to avoid this is to put a difuser over the pop up... this will prevent the bleed over of light... however with subjects at a distance this should not happen.

But the NCLS uses "pre flash pulses" to communicate the exposure information to the remotes and tells them to trigger... the only way to COMPLETELY eliminate this problem is to use the SU-800 which uses IR not preflash to communicate. But it's got a hefty price tag on it.

Again sorry about the previous post!

[Guy Van Hooveld]

normally the preflashes you see do not contribute to the lighting. The ultimate solution is to use an SU-800, communicating by infrared.