SB-900 - CLS Wireless Remote
To set the SB-900 to wireless remote mode (CLS), press and hold the power button and rotate the switch to the 'REMOTE' position.
The LCD will now display the options for Remote mode, allowing you to select the Channel number, Group number and Zoomed head position.
Selecting the Channel
The Channel on the Remote must match the the channel number on the Master, or the Remote will not fire. Press the Ch function button to highlight the Channel box, then press the CH function button again, or rotate the command dial to select the channel number that was selected on the MASTER unit. Once the channel has been selected, press the OK button.
Selecting the Remote Group
To select the remote group press the GR function button to select the GROUP box, then press the GR button again, or rotate the command dial to select the desired group. If you select GROUP A then this remote will trigger according to the settings selected on the MASTER unit for GROUP A. GROUP B & C work in exactly the same way, operating as selected on the MASTER units for GROUP B & C respectively. Once the desired group is selected (highlighted) press the OK button.
Selecting the ZOOM position
Press the ZOOM button to select the ZOOM setting, then press the ZOOM button again, or rotate the command dial to select the desired ZOOM position for the head. Note that that with the wide angle adapter retracted, the widest angle available is 17mm. With the wide angle adapter deployed the ZOOM position is automatically set to 14mm and cannot be changed.
The ZOOM position you choose can have a big impact on how the light falls on to your subject, or how well (or poorly) the light fills an umbrella or other light modifier. Often a ZOOM position of 14mm will be required to 'fill' a large (e.g. 43") umbrella, while a zoom position of 200mm will help concentrate the light on a much smaller area, such as when using it as a hair light. You should experiment with the zoom positions until the light is falling on just the right area.
That's It !
This speedlight is now setup and ready to be used as a CLS Remote. The settings that control how this particular Remote will fire are on the Master unit (SB-900, SB-800, SU-800 or a CLS compatible Nikon Camera with Pop-Up flash acting in Commander mode).
Disabling The Sound (Beep)
The SB-900 will emit beeps to give audio feedback that it received the CLS command to fire, and to indicate that it has recycled and is now ready to fire again. If you don't like the beep, or in a particular environment need the SB-900 to remain silent, the audio can be disabled by entering the Custom Functions menu and disabling it.
SU-4 Mode
If your lighting scenario starts getting so complicated that 3 groups is not enough, and you need a little more variation, consider using the built in SU-4 mode. The advantage of SU-4 mode is that the SB-900 will now fire when ever it sees 'any' other flash fire, and does not rely on CLS commands. However, the disadvantage is that you need to physically go to the unit to make any adjustments. Also, because CLS can emit some pre-flashes in TTL mode (which could falsely trip the SU-4 mode remotes), I recommend using 'all' flashes in Manual mode when adding extra flashes in SU-4 mode.
To see how to set up a CLS Master see the following links:
Setting the SB-900 as a CLS MASTER
Setting the SB-800 as a CLS MASTER