master When using multiple Speedlights in
a wireless flash configuration, the master
flash unit is the one mounted on the cam-
era. It controls the flash output of all remote
units. The built-in Speedlights of some cam-
era models can also act as a master flash.
The master flash unit is also sometimes
called a commander. See also remote.
metering Measuring the amount of light
utilizing the camera’s internal light meter.
For most flash uses, Speedlights emit a pre-
flash for the camera’s light meter in order to
achieve a properly exposed photo.
minimum recycling time The shortest
amount of time a Speedlight needs to be
able to properly fire a flash after a previous
flash was fired. Speedlights are powered by
batteries, and the minimum recycling time
is a specification used to indicate how long
it takes your Speedlight to recharge
between photos.
Mode button The button on the Speedlight
that changes the setting for operation.
modeling light A secondary light, usually
tungsten or halogen, built into a studio
strobe in order visualize what the flash will
look like. Some Nikon Speedlights, such as
the SB-800 have a modeling illuminator fea-
ture that fires a short burst of rapid flashes
that allow you to see what the flash will
look like. The SB-600 can use the modeling
illuminator feature when used with certain
camera bodies such as the D200.
mounting foot lock lever The lever
located on the rear side of the Speedlight
that when moved to the right, locks the
Speedlight to the camera’s hot shoe.
multiple flash Using multiple Speedlights,
wired or wirelessly in conjunction to illumi-
nate a subject. Allows the photographer to
create natural-looking photographs by cre-
atively placing multiple flashes in different
positions (and flash output) to achieve the
desired lighting results.
Nikon autofocus Speedlight Refers to any
Nikon model Speedlight that automatically
adjusts the zoom range to match the focal
length of the lens. The SB-800 and SB-600
are autofocus Speedlights, while the SBR-
200 is not.
Nikon camera groups Nikon SLR cameras
are divided into different camera groups,
each with its own TTL, i-TTL, and Creative
Lighting System compatibilities. The Creative
Lighting System is new, and many older
film and digital SLR models are not fully
compatible. For an updated list of CLS
compatible Nikon SLRs, refer to http://
nikonusa.com.
Nikon D-TTL mode An older Nikon
through-the-lens metering system used on
the D1 series cameras and the D100 DSLR.
non-CPU lenses Older lenses that do not
communicate electronically with the cam-
era. These lenses are not compatible with
wireless lighting systems; however, these
lenses can be used in other Manual mode
configurations.
On/Off button The button located on the
rear panel of the Speedlight that when
turned on, powers up the Speedlight.
power zoom function When using com-
patible cameras and Speedlights, the ability
for the Speedlights flash head to automati-
cally zoom to the focused subject.
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