Nikon R1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight System

[TheFantasticG]

Review: Nikon R1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight System

The Nikon R1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight System is a wireless lighting system specifically made for close-up macro work which utilizes Nikon's great Creative Lighting System (CLS). Older systems required shoe cords to attached flashes to the camera and when running 2 or more flashes that can be pretty cumbersome to deal with. The newer R1 System is completely wireless and will integrate with other CLS flashes that Nikon offers.


Features:

• Wireless control convenience
• Comes supplied with two SB-R200 Speedlights
• The SB-R200 offers four independent channels for shooting in busy wireless environments.
• Flash compensation or flash ratio control available for desired lighting effects
• SB-900, SB-800 and/or SB-600 Speedlights can be combined and controlled for additional creative lighting
• SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander available separately provides compatibility with Nikon i-TTL
• Use with Nikon i-TTL SLRs with built-in Speedlights with Commander mode including D700, D300, D200 D90 and D80
• Up to three remote groups (A, B, and C) are available on the SB-R200
• SB-R200 Wireless Remote Speedlights can be tilted up to 60 degrees to accommodate lenses with short working distances
• SX-1 master attachment ring accommodates up to eight SB-R200 Speedlights off-camera and up to four on camera
• Auto FP High-Speed Sync available (with compatible cameras)
• Online Manual located HERE

Included Items:

• 52mm, 62mm, 67mm,72mm and 77mm mounting rings to accommodate most AF Nikkor lenses
• AS-20 Speedlight Stands
• SJ-2 Color Filter Set, SW-C1 Flexible Arm Clip
• SW-11 Extreme Close up Positioning Adapter
• SW-12 Diffusers, fitted Storage Case and more

Summary:

The R1 System comes complete with two SB-R200 Speedlights and can have up to 4 flashed on camera and up to 8 flashes mounted on the ring off camera. The Nikon SB-R200 Speedlights are available separately and are very reasonably priced at about $160 each and can be added at any time.

The R1 System also some comes with 2 Nikon SW-11 Positioning Adapters which helps soften and direct the light from the speedlights forwards towards your subject.

Function:

On the Nikon 85mm 3.5G and the Sigma 150mm 2.8! I love it so far... except for two things: the Nikon SX-1 Mounting Ring that the SB-R200's sits in is super cheap. I mean that I can tell the notches are going to wear down quicker than I'd like. I can tell its going to be the first part I replace. The replacement Nikon Sx-1 Mounting Ring can be found HERE. Secondly, the little tab on the bottom of the SB-R200 is going to wear out and need replacing.

Here is my current kit:

The Verdict:

I love being able to move the flashes around the ring. I find, though, that if I don't completely push in the buttons, and sometimes even if I do, it won't move easily and the entire ring starts turning. It's irritating.

All in all I am really glad I made the purchase.


Where To Buy:

Find the lowest price on this item in the TPF Amazon Store located here:

Nikon R1 Wireless Close-Up Speedlight System

[Abel]

Thanks a ton Garret for the review... I actually wasn't aware Nikon even had a wireless Macro lighting setup! I need to read up on Nikons more often. =)

[TheFantasticG]

No problem.

Canon has the MT-24EX system, which is the equivalent to the Nikon R1C1 kit. The only difference between the Nikon R1 and R1C1 kits, is the the R1C1 kit comes with the Nikon SU-800 commander module, which you don't need if you have a Nikon capable of being a commander, like the D300, D300s, D700, and D90.

[TheFantasticG]

Nikon R1 with D90 as commander TTL-BL samples (EXIF should be intact):

No SW-11 (just a piece of scotch tape over the gel holder)




SW-11 attached to both SB-R200s (and scotch tape over the gel holders)

[groovyone]

That thing looks killer!

[PhotoByLeal]

Originally Posted by TheFantasticG

No problem.

Canon has the MT-24EX system, which is the equivalent to the Nikon R1C1 kit. The only difference between the Nikon R1 and R1C1 kits, is the the R1C1 kit comes with the Nikon SU-800 commander module, which you don't need if you have a Nikon capable of being a commander, like the D300, D300s, D700, and D90.

If I remember correct, Canon does not make a wireless version....
I want one of these bad boys, but with 6 lights on the macro light!

[TheFantasticG]

Well, it's not wireless, but it is the equivalent to the Nikon R1C1. As in, there is a commander unit, and two small flashes.

[Shadow]

Here's the R1C1 (adding the SU-800).
The SU-800 is worth having. Works very well in general wireless flash use as well as macro.


Weapon of Mass Magnification by Shadow Hunter, on Flickr

Gotta love Nikon CLS. Some people have switched to Nikon just to use it!

[TheFantasticG]

I also must note that the SB-600 will not work as a commander, but the SB-700, SB-800, and SB-900 all have Commander settings. So the way I have it setup the Nikon R1 will not work, only the SB-600 will fire when its in the hot shoe.

[iamntxhunter]

I have a D80 and my SB 600 will fire in commander mode from the camera so would the built in flash fire the SB600 as well as the flash ring? Just curious.

[TheFantasticG]

The pop up flash will fire (because its set to be the commander) off both the SB-600 and SB-R200 units. Just depends on how you have it setup in commander.

[crazeazn]

As an added bonus, this is the setup they use for the CSI shows in their labs :)

[arlon]

I have an R1 unit but find it's such a pain to setup that I seldom use it (D90/700 in commander mode). It is too fragile (chinese plastic) and takes up way too much space for anything portable (like a hike in the park). Most of my shooting is outdoors and the R200 flashes snag more things than you can imagine (ring flash is so much nicer outside in the brush). Also be sure to have a supply of expensive CR123A batteries on hand because the R200 flashes eat them like peanuts. No cheap AA batteries here. Agree with the statement that having the whole collar rotate on the lens is very annoying. Just no way to get it tight enough without risking damage to the lens threads.

Personally I'd rate the R1 kit as one of the worst bang for the buck items I've ever purchased (I'm NOT a full time macro guy either). I tried to use the R200 as remote fill flash units with my SB800 and never liked the results there either. Was much happier with a $12 cf lamp. They do look cool, I guess that's why you see them on CSI TV shows.

If I where doing 5X macro all the time (but nikon doesn't make a 5x macro lens), maybe it would start to have more value. About 90% of the time I have plenty of distance between the camera lens and subject for the -7deg setting on the sb800 to work just fine.

If I can't get the light where I want it from the sb800, I almost always grab my old sunpac 383 with an $8 ir remote slave and simply hold the flash where I want it. With the $0 snoot I made for the sunpak I can get more light in front of the lens than the R1 units can and it works with a reversed lens.SNOOT

If I had to do all over again I'd add a little money and get a pair of SB-600s that could be used in a lot more situations. The R1s are very pricy specialized units, probably great for macro in a lab. Just another point of view on R1 kits..