Nikon SB-800 Fill Flash???

[cottoncandydesigns]

Hi everyone, I purchased an SB-800 flash for my Nikon D70s.
I haven't yet learned how to use use it even in the most basic way.

I really want to know how to use it as "Fill Flash"

I want to get rid of "racoon eyes" heavy shadows under the eyes shooting outside.

Do I set my flash to fill flash and aperture priority? the flash is still complex to me even reading through my manual.
I set my flash to fill flash once and adjusted my aperture but everything still was all washed out and overly bright.

Can anyone give me beginner advise on this topic? thanks a bunch

 

[K_Pugh]

hmm. I use mine on aperture priority and keep my flash (SB-600) on TTL BL and usually set the exposure compensation about -1.0 or there abouts, bounce the flash off a white ceiling or wall if i can and i generally get decent, consistent results.

Sometimes if i've got a little time to mess around i'll put the camera on manual and use the meter to expose about 1/2 stop under for the ambient light and adjust the flash compensation, usually a good balance..

At first i didn't understand it at all but i just messed around for a few hours using all sorts of different modes, trying to mix the balance of ambient and flash light.. it'll come to you fairly quickly afterwards.

 

[Sandspur]

1. tilt it
2. diffuse it
3. learn to regulate the flash output

As far as the flash effect is concerned it doesn't matter what mode you're shooting in. In the case you described, I'd probably try Program mode, flash in TTL, tilt and diffuse the flash as suggested, and use the flash output control to reduce output of the SB 800.

 

[kundalini]

Most of the time I have it set to Manual and off camera. Chimp and adjust. Sooner than later, you will get a feel for what works.

Oh... and bounce that sucker.

If I'm right on the subject with flash on hotshoe, I will reverse flash... meaning to turn the flash head opposite my subject. Still illuminates, but doesn't blow out subject either.

Example here and here.

 

[cottoncandydesigns]

Thanks for everyones response.

hmm. I use mine on aperture priority and keep my flash (SB-600) on TTL BL and usually set the exposure compensation about -1.0 or there abouts, bounce the flash off a white ceiling or wall if i can and i generally get decent, consistent results.

what is exposure compensation? and how do I set it? sorry for my ignorance I am fairly new at all of this!

 

[cottoncandydesigns]

Thanks kundalini for the demonstration I set my flash to TTL BL and aperture
priority and adjusted my flash towards me and it was a nice result I didn't even think of tilting it that way!

I have a question for you though (kundalini) in the first picture, your holding the flash to the side, how do you get the flash to be insinc with the camera? Is it what you call "slave flash"?


*** Question

Fill flash is only used when you have enough ambient light?
because I tried using the above setting in dim light and my shutter was too slow.

** Also how do I know what ISO to set using fill flash? should I keep only in mind what ambient light I have to set ISO.

hope I didn't ask too many questions... I might start a new thread for some of them...

 

[kundalini]

For Off-Camera Flash:

I don't have the D70, but I am almost positive that the D70 has the Commander mode for flash. Look through your manual to find the menu. In camera, I set my built-in flash to [--] and set the SB (Group A or B) to [M] and adjust power to suit. You can always set to TTL and let the camera/flash set for you.

On flash, hold down center button for ~3 seconds, first block on right high-lighted <select>. Scroll down to REMOTE and hold center button down for 3 seconds.

Yer set. Now all you have to remember is to pop up your built-in flash to trigger the SB. It is an optical trigger. By setting (in camera) to [--], it does not illuminate the scene, only triggers the external flash. Unless of course, you are really close in on a reflective surface.

As a general rule, I set my flash synch speed to the fastest available i.e. 1/250 and let it rock.

I always use the lowest ISO setting I can get by with.

I'm not that smart, so I'll take a shot, chimp and adjust for fill-in flash. Also look at the histogram for information on exposure. Expose to the right. Right is white, left is black. There is more information on the right side to play with in post processing. Shoot RAW.

 

[K_Pugh]

yeah sorry.

exposure compensation on the camera will be the button with the "+/-" symbol next to the shutter release. I only backed mine down a little bit as it makes it (for me) easier not to over expose the ambient light.

compensation on the flash unit you can adjust with the + and - buttons to finely control the output of the flash.

As for the best way to go about things i don't know, i just do what works for me. Experimentation is the key!

 

[JerryPH]

Unless you are in manual and have not set your ISO, aperture and shutter settings to not overexpose AS PER the meter in the camera, it won't (should not normally) over expose, especially the ambient, which is 99% of the time less powerful than the flash. I rarely use the compensation settings on my camera. The only time is if the flash is on camera (giving me crap lighting anyway) and I am lightly over exposing whatever the flash is lighting. The object has to be very specular (reflective) for this to happen.


I strongly agree with getting that light off the camera and on to a stand with an umbrella. If you have not done this before, you are in for a major treat as the quality of light, especially as a fill light, changes drastically.

Feel free to visit www.strobist.com and spend a lot of time on lighting 101 and 102.