jwbryson1
TPF Noob!
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2011
- Messages
- 4,280
- Reaction score
- 949
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos OK to edit
Yesterday I solved a dilemma I was having with my Nikon D90 and SB-700 and I thought I would share it here in case others have a similar issue and might be able to take away something from this post. Those of you who are "old school" and already know this stuff, please feel free to offer comments that you think are helpful. ("JW, you are an idiot"---eh, not so helpful. :mrgreen
My issue was that I could not figure out how to get my SB-700 to fire off camera in full manual ("M") mode. I was able to get it to work in i-TTL but manual eluded me. I read the flash manual but I did not find it helpful. Now that I have figured it out (thanks primarily to Dave "Mr. Speedlight" on Strobist.com (pause here for wild applause)), it makes perfect sense.
Anyhow, the manual adjustments to the SB-700 when the speedlight is off camera are not made on the flash itself--they are made in the body of the camera. Duh! Under custom setting "e2" if you go down to Commander Mode (at the bottom--you are probably currently in i-TTL mode), and then navigate to Group "A" (or whichever group the SB-700 is part of) and "button down" until "M" appears, you are now in manual mode. (Manual flash mode, that is.) You can continue to "button down" to i-TTL or A-B, etc., but in my case, I wanted manual flash. If you then go to the right one step under the "power" column, THIS is where you make changes to the power of the flash (e.g., 1/10, 1/6.4, 1/128, etc.). So if you shoot a photo on 1/16 and the shot is underexposed, you can adjust the flash power ON THE CAMERA ITSELF (not on the off-camera flash unit), and the wireless signal from the camera to the flash will make the flash respond accordingly.
Now, I know this is basic stuff to those on this board with a lot of flash and lighting experience, but it was not basic to me. Nonetheless, I am very happy to have picked this up because now I don't have to fuss with i-TTL and I can shoot manual and make all the custom changes I want.
I feel so liberated! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
My issue was that I could not figure out how to get my SB-700 to fire off camera in full manual ("M") mode. I was able to get it to work in i-TTL but manual eluded me. I read the flash manual but I did not find it helpful. Now that I have figured it out (thanks primarily to Dave "Mr. Speedlight" on Strobist.com (pause here for wild applause)), it makes perfect sense.
Anyhow, the manual adjustments to the SB-700 when the speedlight is off camera are not made on the flash itself--they are made in the body of the camera. Duh! Under custom setting "e2" if you go down to Commander Mode (at the bottom--you are probably currently in i-TTL mode), and then navigate to Group "A" (or whichever group the SB-700 is part of) and "button down" until "M" appears, you are now in manual mode. (Manual flash mode, that is.) You can continue to "button down" to i-TTL or A-B, etc., but in my case, I wanted manual flash. If you then go to the right one step under the "power" column, THIS is where you make changes to the power of the flash (e.g., 1/10, 1/6.4, 1/128, etc.). So if you shoot a photo on 1/16 and the shot is underexposed, you can adjust the flash power ON THE CAMERA ITSELF (not on the off-camera flash unit), and the wireless signal from the camera to the flash will make the flash respond accordingly.
Now, I know this is basic stuff to those on this board with a lot of flash and lighting experience, but it was not basic to me. Nonetheless, I am very happy to have picked this up because now I don't have to fuss with i-TTL and I can shoot manual and make all the custom changes I want.
I feel so liberated! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: