D60 f/1.8 35mm - Low lighting noob help.

setting the flash to Minus 2.7 stops, or to manual flash and as little as 1/16 power.

On the D60 w/ SB400. I can set the flash compensation between -3 and +1. Can someone relate those numbers to into stops? EDIT <-- Dumb question. Those are stops.

One last question for the night.


Is flash compensation and flash power that Derrel spoke about the same thing? I'm shooting in Aperture mode and lowering the flash comp to -2 just makes the picture darker. I'm not sure it's actually changing the power of the flash output.
 
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Flash compensation is set by dialing in a + or a - amount ,usually by pressing a small button that has the flash symbol and a lightning bolt and "+/-" on the button--it varies with each camera. Some cameras have the flash comp in a menu.

Flash "power" as I am talking about it is more of a manual level thing, found on Nikon d-slrs in a menu under FLASH, with options like TTL and then Manual-Full power, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16.

In TTL flash mode, or Auto Aperture mode flash, TTL-BL (Balanced Lighting) with Nikon cameras, using flash compensation would always give either + or - compensation, either adding or subtracting more light than than the automation would indicate. In a manual mode, if you set the flash to 1/4 power, it will always emit a 1/4 power flash burst, no matter the subject distance or other settings.

EDIT--whoa,whoa,whoa....shooting flash in Aperture priority automatic is a horrible way to do it. That might be a clue as to why your results are less than reliable. I guess I assumed too much--flash photography should almost never,ever be done in as automaic exposure mode like Aperture priority automatic. I guess I assumed that...using Minus flash compensation in shooting aperture priority automatic *will* make the pictures darker. Indoor photography needs to be done with a set shutter speed and a set aperture that is the *right* combination for the situation. Aperture priority automatic and flash is a potentially disastrous combo. Same with Shutter priority flash shooting.

I hate to go on at too much length,since it's late here, but flash needs to be balanced to the situation. Flash needs manual control over ISO, shutter speed, and lens f/stop. The "ambient light" exposue is one YOU need to set, manually.

Let me give a quick example: here's how to shoot an indoor shot of your friends playing computer games: set ISO to 400. Set lens f/stop to f/8. Set shutter speed to 1/20 second. f/8 at 1/20 second at ISO 400 is about right for most TV images. ALL OF THIS must be done in manual exposure mode. Then, use the flash to illuminate the room. If the flash is too bright, use Negative comp; if the flash is too dim, use positive compensation, like + 1.0. or + 1.5. [Keep in mind, if the flash is firing at its full capability, adding + exposure compensation will NOT have any impact if the picture is too dark, so with lower-powered flashes, you would have to boost ISO or open the lens aperture to a larger-diameter aperture if you need a brighter exposure; a flash can never output more that its full capability.]

The computer screen will look decent at 1/20 second at f/8 at ISO 400. But the room, at night inside a house, will be too dark. So you need to somehow, either with +/- comp, or with a manual power setting, deliver the right balance of a flash exposure, to go with the ambient light exposure.

Indoors, summertime, balancing flash with the window light coming in. ISO 200, f/9.5 at 1/200 second, flash at 3/4 to Full power, bounced. Usually looks good. f/9.5 at 1/200 is good for outdoor light; indoors will be lit by the flash only.

In your original sample at ISO 1600, the ambient light exposure is not "generous" enough...it needed a much slower shutter speed. FLash really works best in manual mode. I never shoot Aperture priority flash. Never have. Never will. So my thinking is sometimes not even that anybody would shoot flash shots in Aperture priority automatic mode, since it's far too variable to be really predictable.

If you're experienced with good breath control and proper trigger techniques, shooting a camera at slow speeds ought to be relatively easy for you to master. Have fun with it!
 
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Flash compensation is set by dialing in a + or a - amount ,usually by pressing a small button that has the flash symbol and a lightning bolt and "+/-" on the button--it varies with each camera. Some cameras have the flash comp in a menu.

Flash "power" as I am talking about it is more of a manual level thing, found on Nikon d-slrs in a menu under FLASH, with options like TTL and then Manual-Full power, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16.

In TTL flash mode, or Auto Aperture mode flash, TTL-BL (Balanced Lighting) with Nikon cameras, using flash compensation would always give either + or - compensation, either adding or subtracting more light than than the automation would indicate. In a manual mode, if you set the flash to 1/4 power, it will always emit a 1/4 power flash burst, no matter the subject distance or other settings.

EDIT--whoa,whoa,whoa....shooting flash in Aperture priority automatic is a horrible way to do it. That might be a clue as to why your results are less than reliable. I guess I assumed too much--flash photography should almost never,ever be done in as automaic exposure mode like Aperture priority automatic. I guess I assumed that...using Minus flash compensation in shooting aperture priority automatic *will* make the pictures darker. Indoor photography needs to be done with a set shutter speed and a set aperture that is the *right* combination for the situation. Aperture priority automatic and flash is a potentially disastrous combo. Same with Shutter priority flash shooting.

I hate to go on at too much length,since it's late here, but flash needs to be balanced to the situation. Flash needs manual control over ISO, shutter speed, and lens f/stop. The "ambient light" exposue is one YOU need to set, manually.

Let me give a quick example: here's how to shoot an indoor shot of your friends playing computer games: set ISO to 400. Set lens f/stop to f/8. Set shutter speed to 1/20 second. f/8 at 1/20 second at ISO 400 is about right for most TV images. ALL OF THIS must be done in manual exposure mode. Then, use the flash to illuminate the room. If the flash is too bright, use Negative comp; if the flash is too dim, use positive compensation, like + 1.0. or + 1.5. [Keep in mind, if the flash is firing at its full capability, adding + exposure compensation will NOT have any impact if the picture is too dark, so with lower-powered flashes, you would have to boost ISO or open the lens aperture to a larger-diameter aperture if you need a brighter exposure; a flash can never output more that its full capability.]

The computer screen will look decent at 1/20 second at f/8 at ISO 400. But the room, at night inside a house, will be too dark. So you need to somehow, either with +/- comp, or with a manual power setting, deliver the right balance of a flash exposure, to go with the ambient light exposure.

Indoors, summertime, balancing flash with the window light coming in. ISO 200, f/9.5 at 1/200 second, flash at 3/4 to Full power, bounced. Usually looks good. f/9.5 at 1/200 is good for outdoor light; indoors will be lit by the flash only.

In your original sample at ISO 1600, the ambient light exposure is not "generous" enough...it needed a much slower shutter speed. FLash really works best in manual mode. I never shoot Aperture priority flash. Never have. Never will. So my thinking is sometimes not even that anybody would shoot flash shots in Aperture priority automatic mode, since it's far too variable to be really predictable.

If you're experienced with good breath control and proper trigger techniques, shooting a camera at slow speeds ought to be relatively easy for you to master. Have fun with it!

Wow. That's really wonderful information! With my D60/SB400 combo I don't have flash level, only compensation. I'll be getting an SB600 in the next month or so, and find some middle orange gels to keep things natural looking. I really appreciate the time and effort to explain this. :thumbup:
 

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