Nikon SB-18 User manual

;ff::FOREWORD
The NikonSpeedlightSB-1&isa compact,direct-mountingelectronic
flash unit which orovidesautomaticthrough{he-lens(TTL)control of
tre flash}xposurewhen usedwith the NikonFG, FE2,or FA. Because
light is measuredthrough the actual picture{akinglens, you are
aisured of just the right exposure with a variety of lenses and
accessoryattachmentsal any aperturetromt12to f/16'
Throughthe use of a silicon-controlledrectifierand seriescircuitt'y,the
SB-18is able to conserve energy when shootingsubjects at close
 range;thus recyclingtimesare Shorterand the numberof flashesper
 batteryset is greater.
The SB-18iS also compatiblewith most Nikon cameras for manual
operation.In addition,the sB-18 couples with the flash ready-light
 in'sidethe viewfindersof currentNikoncameras.As soonas the flash is
 r.eadyto fire,the LEDcomeson.
 For best results,read this instructionmanual from cover to cover
 beforeactuallyusingthe unit. A few minuteswisely investednow will
 pay off in yearsof rewardingphotographicexperiences.





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NOTEl{CLATURE





O Flashhead        @ Lockingwheel
@ Mountingfoot       @ Ready-lightcontact
@ Apertureselection/auto  @ Flashcontact
    shootlngrangetable   @ Powerswitch/shootingmode selector
O Ready-light       @ TTL flashautostop signalcontact
@ Batterychambertid    @ Monitorcontact

1. Loadthe batteries.
   Openthe batteryqhamberlid @ by slidingit in the directionof the
arrow.Thenloadfour 1.5VAA-typepenlightbatteriesintothe chamber,
makingsure the positiveand negative(+ and -) terminalsmatch the
diagramsinsidethe chamber.To close the chamber,slidethe battery
chamberlidbackuntilit clicksintoplace.
Alkaline-manganesebatteriesare recommended;manganeseor NiCd
batteriescan alsobe used,but the performancewill be lower.
lf the batteriesare not installedcorrectly,the flash unit will not work
properlyand theremay be batteryleakage.





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2. Attachthe flashunit to the camera.
   Turnthe lockingwheel@ on the SB-18'smountingfoot @ counter-
clockwiseuntilit reachesthe top.Thenslidethe mountingfoot forward
intothe camera'saccessoryshoe as far as it will go. Tightenthe lock-
ing wheel to preventthe SB-18from accidentallyslippingout of the
accessoryshoe.
o WithNikonF3-seriescameras,the NikonFlashUnit@uplerAS-4or AS-7must
  firstbe attachedto theaccessory shoebeforemountingthe SB-18.

3. Setthe shutterspeed.
   Proper shutter speed for flash photographydepends on the
camerain use.Referto the followingtablefor the shutterspeedswhich
are usablewith your camera.With the Nikon FG, FE2, FA, F3-series,
EM, or FE set for automaticexposureoperationor at certain manual
shutterspeeds,the correctshutterspeedis automaticallyset by simply
turning on the SB{8. However,with all other Nikon cameras, lhe
correctsynchronizationspeedmust be set manually.





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* Withthe NikonFG,the viewfinderindicationsvary
     according to the settings: two adjacent LEDs
     indicating1/90 sec. appearat P, A, or 1/125sec.
     or faster,one LED indicatingshutterspeedas set
      at 1/60or slower,while no indicationappearsat B
     or M90.
   * * With the NikonFA,the LCD indicationin the view-
     finder varies according to the settings: 250
    appears in the P, S, and A automatic exposure
    modes, M250 appears at a manual setting of
     1/500or faster,M and the shutterspeedset (e.9.,
    M125) appears at a manual setting of 1 l25Oor
     slower,while no indicationappearsat M250 and
     B.
 * * * With NikonF3-seriescameras,the LCD indication
      in the viewfindervariesaccordingto the settings:
    80 appearson A, il80 appears at X or 11125or
      faster,the shutter speed set (e.9., 1t160)appears
      at a manual settingof 1/60 or slower;while M'
    appearsat B and T.
t t t t When the shutterspeed dial setting is improper
      for flashsynchronization,the camera's readyJight
     blinksas a warning.





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4.  Select an aperture from
    the table @ and set  it on
the lens.
For TTL  operallon  with  the
Nikon FG, FE2, or FA, you must
select an appropriate shooting
apertureby referringto the aper-
ture selection/autoshootingrange
tableon the back of the SB-18.The
left side of the table shows the
aperturesettingsfor variousfilm
speeds,whilethe rightside shows
the automaticshootingranges-if
a subject is located within the
range, you can get correct ex-
posure.As you can see from the
table,the largerthe aperture(the
smallerthe f-number)you select,
the greaterthe maximumshooting
distance,whereasthe smallerthe
aperture(the largerthe f-number),
the less the maximum shooting
distance.lt's also true that the
larger the aperture,the less the
depth of field and the shorterthe
recyclingtime betweenshots.On
the other hand, the smaller the

aperture,the greaterthe depth of
 field,but the longerthe recycling
time. Therefore,in choosing an
aperture, all  three  factors-
maximum  shooting  distance,
depthof field,and flash recycling
time-should be taken into con-
sideration.
For example, if you are using
ASA/ISO100 film and want to     5. Turnon the SB-18/
shoot a subject 5m (16 ft) away,       set the modeselector@.
you can use f/2, t12.8,or tl4 in the     Slide the power switch/shooting
TTLautomaticmode.            mode  selector  to  the  TTL
For manual operation wlth any     (through-the-lens)or M (manual)
Nikon camora, you can  de-     position. Remember that TTL
terminethe shootingaperturefor     automatic shooting is possible
the  f lash-tesubject distance by     only when the SB-18ls mounted
referringto the maximumshooting    on the FG, FEz, or FA. The
distance(the number on the far     usablefilm speed rangefor TTL
right) in the aperture selection/    photography is ASA/ISO 25-
auto shooting range table. For     400.
example,with ASA/ISO 100 film
and a subject 5m away, the cor-
rect aperture is only f/4. You can
also determine the aperture by
using the guide number (refer to
theGUIDENUMBERsection.)

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6. Waitfor the ready-light@ to comeon.
   As soonas the SB-18'sready-lightlightsup, the flash unit is ready
to fire.The ready-lightol currentNikoncamerasalso comeson, so you
don't have to take your eye away from the vieMinder. Note that the
camera's meter must first be turned on to activate the viewfinder
ready-light.(Referto the table on the other side of the sheetfor more
details.)
o Theready-lightwill light up when the 58-18is recycledto approx.80o/ofull
 capacity.Therefore,it is recommendedthat you wait for a few moreseconds
 whenshootingsuby'ectslocatedat thefar limitof theauto shootingrange.
o Withalkaline-manganesebatteries,if theready-lighttakesmorethan30 sec.to
  lightup,you shouldreplacethe batterieswitha freshset Mth NiCdbatteries,
 youshouldrechargethe batteries,if theready-lighttakesmorethan /0 seconds
  to comeon.

7. Takethe picture.           8. Turnoff tlfe flash unit.
   When you depressthe shut-      To conserve batterY Power
ter release button, the SB-18   betweenshootingsessions,slide
fires for flash shooting.After a     the power switch to the  off
shortwhile,the ready-lightlights    position.
up again to indicatethe flash is
readyfor the nextshot.

A flash unit's guide numberindicatesthe power of the unit. Without
referringto the apertureselection/autoshootingrange table,you can
determinethe correct f/stopwhen shootingon manualwith the follow-
ing equation:

                 f/stop=                                                    n.,
For example,with ASA/ISO100 film and meters,the SB-18'sguide
numberis 20. lf the subject is 5m away,divide20 by 5 to get f/4. With
ASA/ISO25 film and feet, the guide number is 33. Therefore,if the
subjectis 16 ft away,divide33 by 16 to get approx.ll2.
Guidenumberat yariousfilm speeds
 ASA/tso flm rpcd    1000800 640 500 400 320 250 2N 160 125 10080 64 50 40 32 25
 Guldc     numbu  63  57 50 45  40 36 32 28 25 22 n  18 16 14 13 11 10 h rnftr3
 Oildo     numbcr 207 187 164 148 131 1 1 8 105 92 82 72 66 59 52 46 43 36 sl h bct





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r

       \r
Whenshootingin the TTL automaticmodewith the NikonFG, FE2,or
FA, you can use the camera'sexposurecompensationdial (or the
exposurecompensationbuttonin caseof the FG)to makeintentionally
over-or underexposedphotographs.Turnthe dial in the + directionto
makean overexposedpictureand turn it in the oppositedirection(-) to
makean underexposedone.(Referto the camera'sinstructionmanual
for more details.)The TTL auto shootingrangechangesaccordingto
the amountof exposurecompensation.
Forexample,if you are usingASA/ISO100film with the exposurecom-
pensationdial set at +2 (overexposure),select an aperturein the
apertureselection/autoshootingrangetableby referringto the f/stops
in thecolumnfor ASA/ISO25,as shownat right.

t | ; l
                       + 2    + 1     0       -1      -2  Fllm speed In use    \
  (ASAflSO)                       \
          25                          25     50   100
          50                   25     50    100   200
          100            25     50    100   200    400
         200             50    100   200    400
           400            100    200    400

o At ASAllSO 25, you cannot comrensate in the + direction:at ASA/ISO400,you
 cannot compensatein the - direction: at ASA/ISO50 only one step compensa-
  tion in the +  direction is available and at ASA/ISO 200, only one-step com-
  pnsation in the - direction.
o lf you photograph a subiect of very high reflectivity, such as when shooting
  directly intoa mirror or metallic surface, underexposurewill occur. ln this case,
  take the picture on manual.





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sc-17
TTLSensorRemoteCordSC-17,TTL Multi-FlashSync
CordsSC-18and SC-19,andTTL Multi-FlashAdaptorAS-10
Althoughthe SB-18has no terminal,the 1.5mcoiledcord SG17 enables
off-cameraoperationin which bounce flash and closeup flash pho
tography are possible.The SG17 also enables you to perform TTL
multipleflash photographywith the SB-18as a master flash unit. The
SG18and/orSG19 are used to connectthe flash units togetherin TTL
multipleflash operation;the A$10 is necessarywhen you want to use
the SB-18as a slaveflashunit.

AS.4
FlashUnitCouplersAS-4andAS-7
Theseaccessoriesconvert the accessoryshoe of F3-seriescameras
to the standardISO-typeaccessoryshoe, allowingdirect attachment
of the SB-18.A specialfeatureof the AS-7is that it lets you changefilm
withoutremovingthe f lashunit.

SyncCordSC-10
For use with camerasnot
providedwith a hot shoe.




                                SGlO




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TIPSON SPEEDLIGHTCARE
o To removedirt or fingerprints,wipe with a dry,soft or silicon-
 treatedcloth. Neveruse thinner,benzineor alcohol,since they
 mightdamagethe plasticparts.
o lf you do not plan to use the unit for more than two weeks, re-
 movethe batteriesto avoidpossibledamageto the circuitryby
 batteryleakage.lf leakageshouldinadvertentlyoccur,take the
 flashunitto your nearestNikonauthorizedservicefacility.
o To preventdamageto the flash unit's electroniccircuitry,keep
 the cameraawayf rom placeswherethe temperatureis likelyto
 go higherthan60oC,such as insidethe trunkof a car in the hot
 summersun; also, do not store the unit in exceptionallydamp
 places.Usethe SB-18withinthe rangeof -1OoC/v+50"C.
.  lf you havenot usedyour flashunit for a longtime,the recycling
 time may differf rom that listedin the specifications.Firethe unit
 a few timesso that it recoversits normalcondition.
o Neverattemptto disassembleor repairthe f lashyourself. These
 delicate proceduresshould be left to an authorizedservice
  facility.
o Keegthe flashunitawayf rom saltwaterand out of the rain.

rrRED      EYEtt
"Red eye" is a phenomenonin flash photographywhere the
centerportionsof the subject'seyes appearas bright red orbs in
colorphotographs(or white in black-and-whitepictures).This is a
resultof the lightfrom the flash illuminatingthe retinadirectly.lf
the subject looks straight into the lens and there is little or no
ambientlight,the pupil is wide open, makingthe retinaclearly
visiblein the picure.
To avoid "red eye," you can take any or all of the followingpre-
cautions:'1.  Ask the subject not to look directly into the lens when the
  oictureis taken.
2. Increasethe room'soverallilluminationto reducethe opening
  of the subject'spupils.





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OPTIMUM BATTERY PERFORMAI{CE
New batteries
Betweenmanufactureand first use,all batteriesexhibitsomedrain.
Therefore,care should be taken to purchase the newest (and
freshest)ones possible.To help you do this, some manufacturers
stampthe date of manufactureon the bottomof each battery.Ask
yourcameradealerfor assistancein interpretingthe codes.

Temperature
Batterylife ratingsare basedon operationat around 25"C (77"F).
At other temperatures,battery life is shortened.Spare batteries
shouldthereforebe kept availableif operationin low temperatures
is anticipated.

Continuous use
Batteriesare drainedmuch morequicklyby continuoususe than by
intermittentuse.

Battery brands
Do not mix brands of batteries.nor use batterieswith different
model numbers.Also, avoid mixing new and old batteriessince
properperformancewill not be obtainedand battery leakagemay
occur.

Dlsposal
Do not disposeof batteriesby burning.Also, for safety's sake,
neverdisassemblebatteries.

Polarity
When installingbatteries,observethe voltage polaritiescarefully.
Reversalof the positive( + )and negative(-) terminalswill resultin
leakage.lf leakageshouldoccur,cleancarefullyor take the SB-18
to yourdealer.

Nicd batteries
In comparisonwith regularbatteries,NiCd batteriesprovidefaster
recyclingtime and betterefficiencyat low temperatures.However,
notethat the recyclingtime and the numberof flashesper battery
set are dependenton the age of the batteries,how much charge
theyhave,andtheircapacities.





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Electronic construction  Automaticsilicon-controlledrectifierand
                        seriescircuitry
 Guide number         20 (ASA/ISO100and meters)or 33
                     (ASA/ISO25 and feet)
Angle of coverage      60o horizontaland 45o verticalcdvering
                         pictureangleof 35mmwideanglelens
Power source           Four 1.5VAA{ype batteries
    Battery             Number of flashes       Recycling time
                                  (at fulloutput)*           (at lull output).
   Alkaline-manganese    approx.250 times        approx.6 sec.
    Zinc-carbon            approx.100 times        approx.8 sec.
"More flashesand faster recyclinglimes are possiblein tne rrl  rnooe.
TTL auto exposure     Through-the-lensautomaticexposure
                          controlat TTL settingwith NikonFG, FE2
                     and FA cameras;film speedsfrom
                    ASA/ISO25 to 400; usabteaperture
                      range trom tl2 to f/16
Manual exposufu control  Full outputat M setting
Dimensions            Approx.113mmx 66mm x 42mm
Weight                 Approx.'1509 (withoutbatteries)
Accessories provided     Soft Case SS-18





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