Nikon Speedlight SB-16 User manual

Nikon Speedlight
INSTRUCTION MANUAL

-NOMENCLATURE------------
Wide-Flash Adapter SW -7
Main flash head
®Main flash unit
(J) Light sensor
® nn . nn/~ln,oo'" knob
2

Zoom scale
@Shooling mode indicator
LEO s
@TTL multiple flash terminal 3

CONTENTS-------------
NOMENCLATURE .... .. .. .. .. ........ .... .. .. 2rv3
PHOTOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUES ........... ... 48 rv 62
ATTENTION!. .. . ......... .... . ... . .. .... . .. .. .... .5 Synchro-Sunlight Fill-In Flash
FOREWORD .. ..... ........ .. . ......... . ...... ... 6 Photography
..... .. .. .. .. . ............ 48rv53
BASIC OPERATION .. .... . .... . ......... ... .. 7rv19
In the manual mode . . ....... . .. .. . . ... . .... . . . 50
CONTROLS IN DETAIL .. ...... ........... . ... 20rv47
In the TTL-automatic mode ...... . . . . . . . . .. . ... . 51
Flash Unit Couplers AS-8 and AS-9 .. .... . .... 20
In the non-TTL automatic mode . ............ .. ... 51
Synchronization Speed ... . ..... . .. .. . ........ 21
Synchronization with slow shutter speeds .. . .. . 52 rv 53
Zoom Head ....... . ..... . ..... . ... ..... ..... .22
Diffusing the light . . . . ....... .. .. ... .. .. 54 rv 57
Shooting Mode Selector ... . ... . .. .. .. . ... 23 rv 24
Bo unce flash photography .. . . . . ...... . ..... 54 rv 56
TTL (through-the-lens automatic operation) . ... .... 23 Using a diffuser ... .... . ..... ....... ... .. . . ... 57
A (non-TTL automatic operation) . .. .... . .. . .... . . 23 Multiple Flash Photography. ..... . . ..... . 58 rv 62
M (manual operation) .. . . . . ..... . .............. 23 TTL multiple flash photography .. . .. . . . ...... 59 rv 61
MD (synchronization with motor dr i ve ) .. . . . . ....... 24 Manual multiple
fl ash photography ............... . 62
Exposure
Calculator Dial. . . .. ...... . ..... 24rv 35
ACCESSORIES .. .... . ..... .. .... ... .... .. .. 63 rv 65
Set the film speed. . .. .. .. . .... . ... . ... ... . .. .. 24 Sync Cords SC-10,
11, and 15 .. . . .......... .. 63
Set the zoom setting knob ...... . ........ . . . . .. . 25 TTL Remote Cord SC-14 . .. . .. . .. ... .... 63
Determine theexposure . .. . ... . ... .. .... . .. 25rv 32
TTL Remote Cord SC-17 .......... ... . ...... . 63
Exposure compensation .... . .. .. . .. .. .. . . .. 33rv35 TTL Multi-Flash Sync Cords
Ready-light ...... ...... ................. 36 rv 41
Warning functions. ....... .. ... ... . ... . ... . 37 ~ 41
SC-18 and SC-19 .......................... 64
TTL Multi-Flash Adaptor AS-10 .. . .. ... ..... . .64
Open-Flash
Button . . .. .. . .. . ...... . .. . .. 42 rv 43
Flash Tripod Adaptor AS-11 . .. . .. . ..... . ..... 64
Tilting/Rotating Flash Head . . .... . .. .. . ..... .44 Flash Unit Couplers AS-1,
4, 5, 6, and 7 . . .. ... 64
Secondary Flash Head
.... .. .... . . . . ...... . .. 45
Soft Flash Unit Case SS-16 .. ..... . .. . ....... 65
Wide-Flash Adapter SW-7 .... .. . ....... .. .. . .46
"RED EyE" .. .... ... .. .... ... ......... ... ....... 65
TTL Multiple Flash Terminal .. ... . . .... . ..... .47
TIPS ON SPEEDlIGHT CARE ... . .. ........ .. .. 66 rv 67
Sync/Multiple Flash Terminal . . . .. . . .... .. . ... 47
OPTIMUM BATTERY PERFORMANCE .. .. .. ... .. .. . 68
SPECIFICATIONS ....... . ........ . .... .. .... 69rv 70
4

ATTENTIONI--------------
The Nikon Speedlight S8-16 consists of two parts: the
main flash unit and the flash unit coupler having the
mounting foot. Depending
on which type is attached, the
flash unit
is identified as the Speedlight S8- 16A or S8-168.
The S8- 16A 's Flash Unit Coupler AS-B· has a special
mounting foot for the accessory shoe of Nikon
F3 series
camera, while the S8-168's Flash Unit Coupler AS-9 fea-
tures a standard ISO-type mounting foot.
Flash unit · Camera Mounting
F3 -series Direct
FA , FE2, F-501/N2020', F- 301/N2000' , Via AS-6
58-16A FG, FM
2, FG-20, EM , FE , FM
(with AS-S)
F2-8eries Via AS-5
As shown in the table, the S8-16A and S8-168 can be
mounted
on any type of Nikon camera either directly
or with the use of another Nikon Flash Unit Coupler.
Usable shooting modes, however, are limited according
to the combination of the flash unit and camera. Please
reconfirm that the flash unit you purchased
is suitable for
your camera, referring
to the following table.
Usable shooting mode
A M
TTL
(automatic) (manual)
MD
• • • •
-• • •
-• • •
Nikonos-V Via V:rype Sync Cord and AS-6 -• • .
..
F3-series Via AS-4 orAS-7 -• • •
(except F3AF)'"
FA, FE2, F- 501/N2020' , F-301/N2000·. Direct • • • •
58 -168
FG
(wlthAS - 9)
FM2, FG -20, EM, FE , FM Direct -• • •
F 2- se ries·H•
ViaAS- 1 -• • •
Nlkonos-V Via V-Type Sync Cord • • • .
..
• The Nlkon N2020 and N2000 are sold exclusively in U.S.A. and Canadian markets.
"Motor drive is not available for the Nikonos-V camera.
'''The SB-16B cannot be used with the Nikon F3AF or other F3 -series cameras with the AF Finder OX-I , Action Finder OA -2, Waist-Level Finder OW -3 or 6X
Magnification Finder OW-4 attached.
····The SB - 16B cannot be mounted on the Nikon F2-series cameras with the Action Finder OA -l, Waist-Level Finder OW-lor 6X Focusing Finder OW -2 attached.
Hot.: For more detailed information about shooting modes, refer to page 23.
5

FOREWORD--------------------------
The Nikon Speedlight SB-16 is a direct-mounting elec-
tronic flash unit, providing automatic through-the-Iens
(TTL) control of the flash exposure when used with Nikon
cameras havi
ng TTL flash capability.Through the use of
an interchangeable mounting foot, the SB - 16 can be at-
tached to the special accessory shoe of all Nikon
F3 -
series camera
s, as well as the standard ISO -type shoe
of the Nikon
FA, FE2 , F-501/N2020, F-301/N2000 and FG
camera,or the V-type Sync Cord for the Nikonos-V. Because
light
is measured through the picture-taking lens, you are
assured of just the
right exposure with avariety of lenses and
accessory attachments at any aperture from f/2 to f/22.
Programmed TIL auto flash photography can be performed
by using the SB-16 with the Nikon F-501/N2020 or
F-301/N2000 via the
AS -g. In programmed TIL auto flash
photography, the proper aperture is automatically set for
correct exposure according to the film speed
in use . It is not
necessary to change the lens setting from the minimum
aperture used for non-flash programmed shooti
ng.
Thanks to the incorporation of a front-mounted light
sensor, the
SB-16 is also compatible with all other Nikon
camer
as for automatic, but not through-the-Iens, flash
output control.
In the non-TTL automatic mode, you have
a choice of two apertures.With a silicon-controlled rect
i-
fier and series circuitry, the SB-16 is able to conserve
energy when shooting subjects at close range; thus
re -
cycling times are shorter and the number of flashes per
battery set
is greater.
6
For truly cr ea t ive bou n ce flash photography, the Ni kon
Sp ee dli gh t SB-16 h as two separate fl ash heads-a
combinati on of til ti ng and ro ta ti ng main flash head with
zooming capability and a sma
ll er secondary fl as h head
w
hi ch faces straight ahead to fi ll in the shadows in the
eye sockets a nd pr ovi de a sma ll ca t ch l igh t for t he eyes.
Moreover, a speci
al MD setting al lows the SB- 16 to
sy nc hr o ni ze with a mo tor-driven camera fir in g at 4
fram
es per second for shooting 8 pictures in series.
E
ve n though the SB-16 is extremely easy to use, you
should
fa miliarize yo u rse lf with its "B as ic Opera ti on" as
prese nt ed in the fi rs t section. For more detailed infor-
mation,
pl ea se re fer to "Controls in Deta il " a nd "P ho t o-
gra ph ic Techn iq u es. " A few minutes wisely invested now
wi ll p ayoff later in years of rewarding photographic
ex per ie nces.
To insure proper service, make sure the Nikon Warra
nt y
Ca rd is enclos ed in th e sp ee dlight bo x.

BASIC OPERATION------------
1 Set the openl closed knob
• ® on the flash unit coupler
to the OPEN position.
2 Attach the flash unit
. coupler to the flash unit.
Position the flash unit and flash unit
coupler,
so that the secondary flash
head ®
on the flash unit and the sen-
sor
(J) on the flash unit coupler face
the same direction. Insert the posi-
tioning claw ® into the slot ®
on the
flash unit.
Then, while applying pressure to the
open/closed knob, push the fl
ash
unit coupler into the flash unit until it
clicks into place.
Note: If batteries have already been installed in
the battery chamber. make su re the ON/O FF
switch ® is at the "off" position to avoid acci-
dental firing.
7

-BASIC OPERATION-confinued----------
3 lock the flash unit
. coupler.
Turn the open/clos ed knob to the
"c lo s ed " po sition (indicated by a
dot)
to lock the flash unit coupler;
make sure the flash unit and flash
unit coupler fit tightly together.
8
Note: To remove the flash unit coupler. set the
knob to the OPEN position. and while applying
press
ur e to the kn ob. gentlypull the coupler off .
4 Remove the Battery
. Holder MS·5 @.
Open the battery chamber lid @ by
sliding it in the direction of the arrow
and remove the battery holder.
Note: You may feel slight tension when re -
moving
or replacing the holder. This tension.
however. can be ignored.

5 Load the batteries into
. the holder.
Load four 1.5V AA -type penlight
alkaline-manganese cells or 1.
2V
rechargeable NiCd batteries into the
holder, making sure that the positive
and negative
(+ and -) terminals
match the diagrams
on the holder.
Notes:
1) Use of manganese batteries is not recom-
mended because their power is insufficient
for operating the S8-
16 at full capacity.
2) Do not mix brands or types of batteries. Also,
avoid mixing new and old batteries since
properperformance will not be obtained.
6. Replace the holder.
First,make sure the power switch
@ of the flash unit is at the "off"
positi
on ; then put the holder back
into the chamber, so that the slots at
both sides of the holder are aligned
with the guide rails inside the battery
chamber.
7. Close the lid.
While applying pressure to the
battery holder with your finger, slide
the lid
as far as it will go until it clicks
into place.
9

-BASIC OPERATION-confinued----------
8 Attach the flash unit to
. the camera's accessory
shoe.
Notes:
1) If you are using an F3-series camera, make
sure that the ASAIISO film speed is already
set on the camera before attaching the flash
unit, as the camera's ASAIISO dial cannot
be changed after the flash is attached to the
accessoryshoe.
2) For the Nikonos-Vcamera, an optional
V- Type
Sync Cord is required. For details about flash
unit attachment to the Nikonos-V, refer to the
Sync Cord's instruction manual.
10
With the 5B· 16A , turn the locking
ring @ around the mounting foot @
counterclockwise until the AS-8 's
foot
is uncovered (fig. 1) . Then slide
the mounting foot onto the camera's
accessory shoe
as far as it will go
(fig. 2) . Finally, tighten the locking
ring to prevent the unit from acci-
dentally slipping off (fig.
3) .
With the 5B· 16B , turn the locking
nut
@) on the mounting foot ® coun-
terclockwise until
it reaches its upper
limit (fig.
1) . Then slide the mounting
foot forward into the shoe
as far as it
wil l go (fig. 2) . Finally, tighten the
locking nut to prevent the unit from
accidentally slipping off(fig.
3) .

11

-BASIC OPERATION-confinued----------
9 Tilt the flash head ® to
. the normal shooting
position.
Tilt the flash head 90°, so that it
faces straight ahead,
12
10. Set ASAIISO film speed.
Turn the ASA/ISO film speed
setting ring @ around the exposure
calculator dial
@, until the ASAIISO
index @
is opposite the speed of the
film loaded
in your camera.Also con-
firm that the film speed
is properly
set
on the camera.
Note: For TTL operation with the F3-series, FA ,
FE2,
FG or Nikonos-Vcameras, the usable film
speedrange is from
ASA IISO 25 to 400(with no
exposure compensation). With F-5011N2020 and
F-3011N2ooo, the usable film speed range for
TTL operation is ASAIISO 25 to 1000,
11 . Set the zoom head (j]) •
Pu ll out or pu sh In the zoom
head until the number indicated with
an orange background matches the
focal length of the lens
on your cam-
era, For lenses longer than 85mm,
use the 85mm sett ing , For a 24 mm
lens, attach the Wide-Flash Adapter
CD with the zoom head set at Wl, To
prevent light falloff at the edges of
the picture,
do not use lenses wider
than 24mm,
In the example, the
zoom head
is set at 35 opposite the
letter
N,
Note: When the subiect is closer than 1 meter,
it
is recommended that you use a loom setting
which
is one step less than the lens toeaI length
(e ,g. use the 35mm setting with a 50mm lens),

12. Se
k tb
the
zooh m setting @
no on t e exposure
calculator dial.
Turn the zoom setting knob at the
center
on the dial until the zoom set-
ting index @
is opposite the same
letter
as you selected in step 11 .
Note: The W, setting on the dial is used when
the wide·flash adapter
is attached to the flash
unit with the zoom headset at Wi .
13. Set the shutter speed on
the camera.
The proper shutter s peed setting for
flash synchronization
of each cam-
era
is listed on page 21 .
For example, se t the shutter sp ee d
dial of F3-se
rie s cameras or the FE 2
to A or set the shutter speed/mode
selector
of the FG to Por A.
Note: For TTL operation with a Nikon F3 ·series
camera, the camera's backup mechanical
release lever cannot be used with the shutter
speed dial set at T (time).
With the Nikon FA ,
FE2 , FG or Nikonos- V, a mechanical shutter
speed
!i .e ., M250, M90 or B) cannot be used for
TTL operation.
Steps 14 through 17 are divid-
ed into three sections accor-
ding to the shooting mode
selected. Section A is for TTL
automatic operation (with
an
F3-series, FA, FE2, F-501/N2020,
F-301/N2000,
FG, or Nikonos-V
camera), section B is for non.:rTL
automatic operation, and section
C is for progammed TTL auto
operation (with the F-501/N2020
or F-301/N2000 camera set at a
programmed exposure mede).
Formanual operation and syn-
chronization with motordrive,
see pages
23 and 24.
13

-BASIC OPERATION-continued---------- -
A-14 Set the S8·16's mode
. selector (45) to TTL
Slide the mode selector to the right
as far as it will go, so that the index
on the selector is opposite the square
mark for automatic through-the-Iens
(TTL) flash exposure control.
With the F-501/N2020 or F-301/N2000
camera , set the camera's ex-
posure/shooting mode selector to A or
a manual setting.
14
A-15. Choose an flstop
from the exposure
calculator dial.
Depending on how far away your
subject
is from the camera,you must
se lect an appropriate working aper-
ture
by referring to the calculator
di
al . You ' ll notice that each IIstop
(from
112 to f/22) has its own color-
coded
lin e @ above the white dis-
tance scale @ indicat
in g the range
of distances
at which you can shoot.
For example, if you are us ing ASA /
I
SO 1 00 film with the zoom head s et
at N (35mm) and want to shoot s ub -
jects
up to 4 meters (13 ft.) away, you
can se lect 118 , 114 , 112.8 or 112 . At f/4 ,
the automatic shooting range indi-
cates
you can shoot any subject
between 1
.4 and 8.0 meters (46 and
26 ft.) away

A-16 Set the lens aperture
. ring to the appro·
priate fI stop.
If you decide to shoot at f/4, then you
must s et the aperture ring on the
lens to f/4 .
8-14. Choose an f/stop
from the exposure
calculator dial.
For non-TTL automatic operation,
the exposure calculator dial provides
a choice of two f/stops. The blue and
orange lines @ at the bottom of the
dial show the usable f/stop
s. For
example, with ASAIISO
100 film, you
can choose f/8 or f/4. The auto
shooting rangeswith the zoom setting
at N (tor a
35mm lens ), are 0.6 to 4
meters
(20 to 31 ft.) and 0.6 to 8
meters (20 to 26 ft) , respectively.
Note: The closest shooting distance for non-
TTL automatic operation is always 0. 6m 12 .0 It.!
regardless
01 the film speed and aperture you
select. With the zoom head set at T. however,
the closest distance
is o.8m 12 .6 It .!.
15

-BASIC OPERATION-continued----------
B -15 Set the mode selector
• @ to the blue or
orange dot for automatic
operation.
If you select 1/4 , you must se t the
selector to the orange dot, corres-
ponding to f/4
on the exposure calcu-
lator dial.
16
B-16 Set the lens aperture
. ring to the appro·
priate f/stop.
In the example, 1/4 is set on the le n s.
C-14 Set the exposure
. mode selector of the
F·501/N2020 to P DUAL, P or
PHI, or set the shooting
mode selector of the
F·301/N2000 to P or PHI.
Fo r programmed TTL auto flash
photography, use AI·S type lenses
only.

C-15. S~t ,lens to the
minimum aperture
(largest f·number),
C-16. Set the 58·16'5
mode selector
to TTL.
17.
I
• r I (I l
2 MD M fffIl
.... ~
I
For TTL operation
• •
I , , ) ( I {
Al A2 MD
.o.
I I
For automatic
operation (A2)
Turn on the flash
unit.
Slide the S8-16's ON/OFF switch to
the
ri gh t. Immediately, an L ED w ill light
up (green
LED for TTL operation, or
red
A1 or A2 LED for automatic
operation).
Note: The LED may blink for a sh ort while af t er
the flash unit is turned on. This does not indicate
a malfunction.
17

-BASIC OPERATION-continued----------
18. Wait for the ready·light
@tocomeon.
As soon as the flash ready-light built
into the back of the flash unit comes
on , the 88 - 16 is ready to fire. Wi th
the excepti on of the Nikon F2 -serie s,
if your camera has an L ED ready-
light inside the viewfinder, make sure
that
it is l it up, indicating that the 88-
16 is ready to fire. Note that with the
Ni
kon FA , FE 2, F- 501 /N 2020, F-30 11
N 20 00, FG, FG-20 or N ik ono s- V, yo u
must first tu
rn on the ex po sure meter to
act
iv ate the finder re ady-li gh t.
18
Notes:
1) With the 58 - 16A and F3·series cameras
Ifboth ready·fights blink, make sure that:
a. Th e fl ash unit is securely locked in pl ace.
b.
The film speed setting on the camera is
within the usable range when the flash unit
is used in the T TL mode.
With the 58 -168 and FA , FE2, F-5011N2020,
F-301IN2000, FG or Nikonos-V
If the camera's ready·light blinks, check to
see if :
a. A mechanical setting is not used in the
T TL mode.
b. The film speed setting on the camera is
within the usable range when the flash unit
is usedin the T TL mode.
F
or more detailed information about the
ready-light warning, refer to page
37 .
2) If the ready·light does not come on , firstmake
sure the batteries are properly installed. If
they are, replace them with a fresh set.
19 Take the picture.
• When the shutter is tripped,
both the main a
nd se conda ry fl as h es
fire as th e picture is taken.

After you take the shot, watch the
ready-light inside the camera's view-
finder or the one
on the 88 - 16 . After
a short while,
it will light up again to
tell you the flash unit
is recycled and
ready to fire for the
ne xt shot.
Note: If the flash unit fired at its maximum
output,
th e ready-light blinks as a warning im -
medialely following the shot
to indicate there
still may
be underexposure. In this case. check
the combination of shooting distance and
aperture setected. and use a wider aperture or
move closer to the subject If necessary. Thi s
warning is also provided
in the viewfinder of all
Nikon cameras having a built-
in ready-light
(except F2-series cameras).
20. Turn off the flash unit.
To conserve battery power
between shooting sessions, slide the
power switch to the left.
19

-CONTROLS IN DETAIL------------
AS-8
Flash Unit Couplers AS·S @ and AS·9 ®
The detachable lower part of the SB - 16 , called the Flash
Unit Coupler AS-8 or AS-9, houses the mounting foot, the
shooting mode selector with shooting mode indication
LEDs, the ready-lightlopen-flash button, the light sensor,
the sync/multiple flash terminal
@, and the special ter-
minal @ for TTL multiple
fla sh.
The only difference
in appearance between the AS -8 and
AS -9 is the type of mounting foot. The AS-8's mounting
foot
is specially designed for use with Nikon F3-series
camera, while the
AS -9 has a standard ISO-type mount-
ing foot.
The flash unit with the AS-8 attached
is identified as the
Speedlight
SB -16A, whereas the flash unit with the AS -9
as the Speedlight SB -16B. The SB-16A and SB-16B can
be mounted on almost any type of Nikon camera* either
directly or with the use of another Nikon Flash Unit
20
Coupl er. Th e TTL automatic shoot in g mod e, however, is
av
ai la bl e only when th e SB -16A is u se d with a N ik on F3-
se ri es camera or when the SB -16 B is used with either the
Ni
kon FA , FE2 ,F-501/N2020, F-301/N2000, FG or Nikonos-
V(via
V.:rype Sync Cord). For more detailed informatin about
flash unit/camera combination s, refer to t he table on page 5.
*Even with use of the Flash Unit CouplerAS-4 or AS-7, the S8 -168cannot
be used with
F3 -series cameras with the AF Finder OX -I, Action Finder
OA - 2, Waist-Level Finder OW-3 or 6X Magnification Finder OW-4.
Note: 8ecareful not to soif or damage the contact pins @on the coupler
or the contacts ® on the main fla sh unit as this may cause poor connec-
tion andpossible malfunction.