SB600/800 to Control Old JunkerFlash?

[PHeller]

I've got this old flash off my Minolta, that works occasionally on my D50, but it works manually and doesn't yield good results.

I'm going to be taking some pictures at a ballroom dancing competition and I want a better flash, so I'm looking into an "SB".

I really enjoy portrait photography as well.

Could the SB600 or SB800 control my old junker flash? Wether it be with a hotshoe or however?

[LR Max]

I've got this old flash off my Minolta, that works occasionally on my D50, but it works manually and doesn't yield good results.

I'm going to be taking some pictures at a ballroom dancing competition and I want a better flash, so I'm looking into an "SB".

I really enjoy portrait photography as well.

Could the SB600 or SB800 control my old junker flash? Wether it be with a hotshoe or however?

So, what are you wanting to do? Have two flashes? One remote and one mounted to the camera? If so, this cannot be done. The old junker flash probably doesn't have the remote capabilities nor the flash sync capabilities.

For this, you'd need an SB800 on your camera and either a SB600 or the SB800 remotely mounted. Only the SB800 has the commander mode built in.

[Prospero]

It is possible to trigger your Junker flash with any flash, even the onboard flash, but it is definitly not easy.

To do this you need a device which detects light of another flash and which then triggers the flash. Hama makes such a device, http://www.rm.com/Secondary/Products/Product.asp?cref=PD735629, but there must be many more manufacturers making it. With that thing you can trigger your Junkers flash. However, you will have to set the strength of the flash and the width of the beam (focal length) manually.

With that device and a SB800, you can even create a three flash set-up. You can trigger both the SB800 (as it has a light sensor built in) and the Junker with the device attached using the onboard flash of your camera.