Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS) in the mountains

Let me start by admitting I am a photo-gear geek. Before I take any piece of photo hardware for an assignment, especially high-profile one, I very carefully test it and try to explore its features.

During our last assignment in the lovely Cogne, Italy, we had a chance to test and use extensively Nikon Creative Light System. Our system consisted of 3 x NIKON SB910 flash units controlled by NIKON SU-800 wireless commander, all triggered with Nikon D4. All our flash units were powered by Eneloop XX batteries, which in our hands performed flawlessly even in -20C. Please watch the video below! It is a very general, non-technical introduction to the latest Nikon CLS.

 

As I have mentioned in the video, the beauty and the biggest strength of Nikon CLS solution is an amazing power / weight ratio. Another, critical feature, which is so important in my style of photography is the ability to affect the flash power remotely, using a very simple and readily accessible menu, offered by SU-800 unit. Below, you can find few shots from an improvised session in Lillaz, Aosta, Italy. My final thoughts on CLS? Simply amazing! Obvously, as you will see and hear very soon, I am still a devoted user of Elinchrom solutions, yet I am pretty sure most of our commercial climbing assingments will be shot using Nikon CLS.

Lumi, as seen during the approach to Cascate di Lillaz icefall. Nikon CLS unit with very weak fill flash -3.0 EV

Lumi, folding her Redged tripod. Photo snapped at 1/250 sec. with -0.7EV FEC setting

An example of light placement. Photograph snapped 300m from the centre of Lillaz, Cogne, Italy

Lumi, filming with Nikon D800. Nikon CLS providing extra light on her LHS with FEC set to +0.3EV

Lumi, scaling a fragile ice curtain at the foothills of Cascate di Lillaz, Cogne Italy. Nikon CLS placed below and on the RHS with FEC set to +1.0EV

Lumi, throwing a rope for the rappel on the first cascade of Lillaz icefall. Nikon CLS placed on the LHS with FEC set to -0.7EV