Exposure metering with flash.(Another Newbie question)

[matrosov]

Ok here comes another newbie question. I have Nikon D5100 body Nikon SB700 flash. Mount flash on the camera turn it on set it to TTL set my shutter speed set aperture get ready to shoot a picture look at exposure metering in the viewfinder and it is all the way to the left(underexposed), I've set + and - on camera to normal - left + right. Take the shot anyway it comes out just fine.

Isn't camera suppose to sense mounted flash and give me flash adjusted metering information or is it something that I need to specifically turn on?

 

[tirediron]

The camera doesn't actually meter until a split second before the exposure.

 

[matrosov]

The camera doesn't actually meter until a split second before the exposure.

So what is that scale in viewfinder called the one that you supposed to get to zero or close to it to get proper exposure? That one shows beyond two stops under exposure. Isn't it suppose to sense flash on board and adjust itself?

 

[table1349]

This series might help

Nikon Flash Primer | DPanswers

 

[Bebulamar]

The camera doesn't actually meter until a split second before the exposure.

So what is that scale in viewfinder called the one that you supposed to get to zero or close to it to get proper exposure? That one shows beyond two stops under exposure. Isn't it suppose to sense flash on board and adjust itself?

Older Nikon cameras turned that bar off when you mounted the flash and the flash is ready to fire. On newer cameras Nikon left the bar on and it measure the ambient light so that you would know how dark the scene is. Flash metering is done with preflash and never display in the viewfinder.