Nikon flash

[ajohnw]

Unless I am missing something it seems to be impossible to get a D7000 to use the built in flash for the bulk of an exposure in any mode other than auto. Can anyone shed any light on this?

The sort of thing I expect to be able to do is set a speed within the flash range and an aperture and be in a situation where the flash makes up light levels - if it has enough power. I it hasn't well really it should just under expose which is what it does in any mode I can set the flash too in P,A,M etc.

I'm pretty sure that the D7000 won't do this so is there a small flash gun that allows the camera to work like this?

Lastly which Nikon if any cameras use TTL flash the way it should be used?

I sat in a chair in the living room and focused on another around 3m away. Auto, no choice of aperture, gave a perfect exposure. All flash settings in the manual modes all under exposed. Looked like a variable power fill flash fired. No where near the level of the auto output.

John
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[Polar01]

Have you tried pushing the flash button on the left side of the camera to pop the flash up to use as fill lighting?

Cheers: Allan

[Mike Buckley]

To add to Allan's post, configure setting e3 to accomplish your goal, at least what I think is your goal.

[pnodrog]

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/D7000/D7000FLASH.HTM

Above is a link to a review by Imaging Resource on the D7000 flash and the test indicated in some modes a +0.7 or +1 flash exposure compensation gave better exposure. Overall they felt the flash performance was good.

[ajohnw]

In order to get anything out of it I have to press the button. Also press the same button to get the different modes. All fills.

It seems to work if cmd mode is set with built in flash set to comp 3 and the others 0.

The manual doesn't seem to mention this only that out of auto only variations in fill modes are available.

Hard to tell if it is working correctly like this.

John
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[PhotomanJohn]

John,

Not quite sure exactly what is going on but the D7000 controls the flash in the same way that all of their pro-sumer camera's do including the D800. See if any of the comments below help.

1. Menu e3 is used to set the internal flash mode. In your case you want it set to TTL. Manual would allow you to set the flash output directly if you wanted.
2. The metering mode sets whether the flash is used to balance the background (fill) or as the primary light source. You want the metering set to spot for the flash to be the primary light source and ignore the ambient light.
3. With the camera set to manual mode (including ISO) and the flash set to TTL it will perform as you wanted meaning that it will adjust its power to properly expose the subject up to the point it is at full output.
4. The internal flash does not support high speed sync so shutter speed should be 1/250 or longer with the camera in manual.

Hope this helps.

John

[ajohnw]

Going on the camera manual full flash control is only available in full auto which is pretty disgusting really. While built in flash generally isn't well regarded people forget about ISO yet they use high iso when flash isn't needed or even to avoid using it. Basically they can reduce exposure by several EV.

Can't understand why there is any confusion on what I expect it to do so.

Say I set an exposure at flash sync speed and some aperture and the exposure shows several stops of under exposure. The idea of TTL flash is that it should make up the difference if it can. I need to do some checks but I suspect it's not using TTL at all - no pre flash but I may not have noticed it.

John
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[ajohnw]

John,

Not quite sure exactly what is going on but the D7000 controls the flash in the same way that all of their pro-sumer camera's do including the D800. See if any of the comments below help.

1. Menu e3 is used to set the internal flash mode. In your case you want it set to TTL. Manual would allow you to set the flash output directly if you wanted.
2. The metering mode sets whether the flash is used to balance the background (fill) or as the primary light source. You want the metering set to spot for the flash to be the primary light source and ignore the ambient light.
3. With the camera set to manual mode (including ISO) and the flash set to TTL it will perform as you wanted meaning that it will adjust its power to properly expose the subject up to the point it is at full output.
4. The internal flash does not support high speed sync so shutter speed should be 1/250 or longer with the camera in manual.

Hope this helps.

John

Looks like the last camera to behave like that using the built in flash was the D70S. The manual isn't very clear about what the D5100 types do. Curious. I can't remember having a problem like this with Canons.

There is a chance that changing metering mode may allow full auto flash. Perhaps even manual flash power may have some effect on exposure readings but no sign of either in the manual. External flash guns don't look promising either - why iTTL and iTTL fill in on the same line. iTTL fill in isn't a problem with the one in the camera. It would be a bit odd if it wasn't available with an external Nikon unit. Some other manuals show these 2 separately.



John
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[PhotomanJohn]

John - All that I can say is that what you have stated is absolutely incorrect.

John

[ajohnw]

All I can say is this is what the camera does - apart from when in command mode where I need to check that the exposures are correct.

This is what the manual has to say on the subject.



And this is what Nikon say in the camera specs on it's web page.



The camera behaves as per the manual entry. Last hope is firmware. That shows A 1.03, B 1.04, L 1.009

John
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[ajohnw]

Turns out that I had dialled in -3 2/3 exposure compensation and didn't notice.

Worse still I took a few shots to try a new lens out in crap weather this afternoon and I as I use P mode can't recollect dialling it out - must have as there is no longer any compensation so when I tried the flash modes again all was ok.

What really threw me is the manual only mentioning fill in. I thought they had found some bizarre way to automate that.

John
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[pnodrog]

Turns out that I had dialled in -3 2/3 exposure compensation and didn't notice.

Worse still I took a few shots to try a new lens out in crap weather this afternoon and I as I use P mode can't recollect dialling it out - must have as there is no longer any compensation so when I tried the flash modes again all was ok.


What really threw me is the manual only mentioning fill in. I thought they had found some bizarre way to automate that.

John
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Happens to the best of us ...... not me of course (I have a very selective memory)....

However you are right regarding what the manual seems to indicate. I suppose by fill they mean adding whatever amount of flash illumination is required to achieve a balanced exposure at the focus distance or if TTL a predetermined(+1?) increase in lighting. You should find using P or A once the exposure has dropped to the lowest shutter speed set for normal flash (this is adjustable on my camera) it will increase flash output to as high as needed to achieve a correct exposure. The manual does seem a bit vague unless it is covered more fully on another page.

The good thing is you can now get on and take some photographs with a bit more confidence in the flash.

[ajohnw]

I'm pleased as no need to buy an SB-xxx. I have a hammer head with separate fill in that is just about usable on digital if I need more flash power. No TTL true but they did work on film and there is a calculator on the side of it. One interesting aspect of these is that the expensive ones have way too much power on digital. There are some decent cheaper ones that might have needed 400 ISO on film.

Fill in to me is controlled removal of shadows in decent ambient light levels. It will be interesting to try it in P mode, a selected setting with shutter speed at or below 1/250 with from 0 to +1 EV flash dialled in. That should just be a fill in and might be useful at times - if it works. I'd guess that might work out well to a decent distance at 400 maybe 800 iS0.

No - a thorough look at the manual didn't given any more info other than if in one mode and bulb pops up select manual. There are lost of pages though.

John

[Colin Southern]

I have a hammer head with separate fill in that is just about usable on digital if I need more flash power.

Hammer heads are very useful things ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKR6dDHXEqE

[ajohnw]

Hammer heads are very useful things ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKR6dDHXEqE

Only pussies fly model heli's with full gyro's. Go on turn em off.

John
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[pnodrog]

Colin as interesting as it was I the tiniest little suspicion that may not be the type of hammer head John was referring to...

I would not mount a camera (well maybe a borrowed one) on that helicopter.

[Colin Southern]

Only pussies fly model heli's with full gyro's. Go on turn em off.

John
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Trust me, they're hard enough to fly even with the gyros!