Nikon SB 14 User Manual

Nikon

Speedlight

I NS T RU CT I O N MA N UA L

NOMENCLATURE

® Wide-Flash Adapter SW-5

@ Flash head ® Shooting mode selector

® Sensor Unit SU-2

® Sensor socket ® Sync/multiple flash sockets

@ Sync Cord SC-11

® Bracket mounting adapter ® Bracket mounting pin @ Tripod/light stand socket ® Attachment screw slots

Bracket SK-5

@ Tripod socket

f/stop indicators with wide-flash adapter

(thin color-coded lines) @

CON T E NT S

NOMENCLATURE FOREWORD

BASIC OPERATION

CONTROLS IN DETAIL....................................10—20

Bracket SK-5 Bracket Mounting Adapter

Shutter Speed Dial................................................11

Exposure Calculator Dial

Sensor Unit SU-2..................................................15

Ready-Light..........................................................16

Open-Flash Button................................................17

Flash Head Sync/Multiple Flash Sockets Wide-Flash Adapter SW-5

TIPS ON AUTOMATIC FLASH SHOOTING

ACCESSORIES...................................................22—23

DCUnitSD-7

TTL Sensor Cord SC-12.......................................23

Sensor Remote Cord SC-13

Sync Cord SC-15..................................................23

"RED EYE" 24 OPTIMUM BATTERY PERFORMANCE

SPECinCATIONS........................................................26

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2—3 5—9

12—14

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10 10

18 19 20 21

22 23

FOREWORD

The Nikon SpeedlJght SB-14 is a compact and light weight electronic flash unit having a host of useful fea tures.

With coverage matching that of a 28mm wideangle lens, this unit uses a silicon-controlled rectifier and series circuitry to provide automatic control of the flash ex

posure to match the camera-to-subject distance. In

addition, the SB-14 is able to conserve its excess energy

for the next shot when shooting subjects at close range,

thus reducing recycling time and increasing the number of flashes per battery set. When the optional TTL Sensor Cord SC-12 is used in conjunction with the Nikon F3 or F3

High-Eyepoint camera, the SB-14 provides automatic

through-the-lens control of flash exposure.

Moreover, the SB-14 allows complete creative control ot bounce flash with its movable flash head which can be tilted back 120° and rotated 120° to the right and 120°

to the left; click-stops are provided at 30°, 60°, 90°, and

120° intervals for both the tilting and rotating move ments. Even though the SB-14 is extremely easy to use, you should familiarize yourself with the unit's basic operation as presented in the first section. For more detailed in formation, please refer to "Controls in Detail." A few minutes wisely invested now will pay off later in years of rewarding photographic experiences.

BASIC OPERATION

2 Attach the bracket @ to

* the camera.

Screw the bracket's attachment screw @ into the camera's tripod socket to secure the two units together tightly. (For details, refer to page

10.)

2 Attach the bracket to the

* flash unit.

Insert the bracket mounting pin @ into the hole in the bracket mounting adapter (s) with the two white dots @ aligned; rotate the camera forward until it click-locks into place.

0^ Plug in the sensor©.

With the “Nikon" name facing toward the flash head®, align the protrud ing portion of the Sensor Unit SU-2 with the notched portion inside the SB-14's sensor socket®; then push the sensor into the socket until it click-locks into place.

BASIC OPERATION - continued

4, Attach the sync cord ©.

Screw one end of the Sync Cord SC-

11 into either of the flash unit's sync/ multiple flash sockets ® and screw the other end into the camera's sync terminal.

Nofe; Some cameras do not have the threaded

sync terminal.

Check the position of the

''•flash head.

Make sure that the flash head is in the normal shooting position.

0^ Connect the power

• supply.

Plug the cord from the power supply into the flash unit's external power terminal®.

Note: The SB-14 is powered by only an external

power supply.

Set the camera's shutter speed for proper syn chronization.

Set the shutter speed dial to the prop er synchronization speed for elec tronic flash (e.g., set the F3 to the “X" setting). For details, refer to the chart on page 11.

Q Set the exposure calcu-

*lator dial®.

Turn the dial until the ASA/ISO film speed index ® is opposite the number for the speed of the film in use. The three thick color-coded lines @ above the f/stop scale ® indicate the three usable f/stops for automatic operation and the distance scales @ below the usable f/stop scales give you the range of flash-to-subject dis tance. For example, if you're using ASA/ISO 100 film, the usable f/stops are f/4, below the orange line, f/5.6, below the yellow, and f/8, below the blue. The range of flash-to-subject distance for each f/stop is 0.6m to 8m (2 to 26 ft.), 0.6m to 5.6m (2 to

18 ft.), and 0.6m to 4m (2 to 13 ft.), respectively. (For more information on selecting the f/stop, refer to "Ex posure Calculator Dial" on page 12.)

—BASIC OPERATION—continued*

0^ Set the lens' aperture ring

to an appropriate f / number.

In the example, f/4 is selected.

10. Set the shooting mode

selector

Turn the ring on the front of the sen sor unit until the white index is op posite the color corresponding to that of the f/stop selected. (Orange is selected in this example). This sets

the flash unit for automatic operation.

11. Turn on the power

* supply.

12. Watch the ready-light

As soon- as the LED ready-light comes on, the flash unit is ready to fire.

1 ' t

13. Take the picture.

When the shutter is tripped, the flash unit fires and the picture is taken. Soon, the ready-light will light up to tell you the flash unit is recycled and ready to fire again.

14. Turn off the power

* supply.

To conserve battery power between shooting sessions, slide the power switch of the power supply to the OFF position.

CX>NTROLS IN DETAIL

Nikon FE/FM2/FM Motor Drive MD-4

Motor Drive MD-11/MD-12/MD-14 EM/F2,

-----

— Nikon F3/F3 High-Eyepoint/FG/

Motor Drive MD-2/MD-3/MD-E, Cordless Battery Pack MB-l/MB-2

Bracket SK-5@

The Speedlight SB-14's bracket can be attached to various camera and/or motor drive combinations. To change the attachment screw from one slot (n) to another, slide it to the threaded end of the slot and unscrew it; then screw it back into the threaded end of the other slot. Once screwed in, the attachment screw can be moved freely to any position along the slot. The diagram indicates the recommended position of the attachment screw for Nikon SLR cameras and motor drives.

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