Flash help needed!!!!

bunny99123 · Dec 31, 2012

Thank you, everyone! I wish I could have afforded the one I wanted, but bills and food come first, so got to make do with what I got. I agree using manual mode will be more dependable. I got so frustrated yesterday that I wanted to throw it out the window. Called the camera shop and even they didn't know how to use it! The dinky little manual is a joke. Sent the company a good frustrated email. Not even anyone to talk to. Don' t know what is worse frustration of not having a flash or frustration of not finding info on hoe to use it!

ratssass · Dec 31, 2012

i think once you figure it out,its just fine.......i usually just use it in manual on camera,and as a slave.When I first got it,it seemed very laggy in ttl,but now its much better (as far as lag),which leads me to question my initial settings.Granted,the manual is very brief,but I guess it provides the bare basics.Just take your time and play with it.Good luck.

bunny99123 · Dec 31, 2012

Thank you!

lucian · Jan 1, 2013

I used the 7500 with a Nikon D200 at work. It eats batteries but the light was fine. We started using them when our budget was cut. $280 for a 7500 vs $490 for a Nikon Speed light.

Here goes:

Start off with the camera on manual and the shutter speed at 1/125. Pick an f/stop, any f/stop say f/8. Power up the 7500 and using the mode button change the mode to TTL on the flash.

Ideally the flash will put out the proper amount of light for whatever subject you choose. Keep your flash to subject distance 15 feet and closer. This should get you started.

Going totally manual (camera & flash) takes a bit of practice. But it will give you more control.

I have used the combo in "P" mode. I just don't get to select my shutter speed. But it does work. Power up the camera in "P" mode then power up the 7500. If it's like my combo the camera & flash will communicate on their own. Ideally all should go well with the combo deciding the proper exposure.

Village Idiot · Jan 2, 2013

bunny99123 said:
Thank you, everyone! I wish I could have afforded the one I wanted, but bills and food come first, so got to make do with what I got. I agree using manual mode will be more dependable. I got so frustrated yesterday that I wanted to throw it out the window. Called the camera shop and even they didn't know how to use it! The dinky little manual is a joke. Sent the company a good frustrated email. Not even anyone to talk to. Don' t know what is worse frustration of not having a flash or frustration of not finding info on hoe to use it!

So first of all, how are you trying to "use" it?

Second, do you have any understanding of how a flash works?

The second one is probably the most important. What mode is your camera in? Manual, aperture priority, shutter priority, etc... I'm not sure how Sony cameras work, but they should automatically limit the shutter speed to the x sync for a TTL flash in the auto modes unless a high speed sync option is enabled. Even if it does, I couldn't tell you if it will with a 3rd party TTL flash. It should, but you never know with third party flashes. That being said, your shutter speed can not exceed the camera's rated x sync in most situations and still work with the flash. This is usually 1/160-1/250. This information can be found in your camera's instruction book.

Have any photos of the failed attempts? That makes it easier to diagnose the problems.

The best use for that flash is going to be off camera flash work:
Strobist: Lighting 101

A bit of a tutorial on using a flash. There are a ton of them out there:
FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY 101 A BEGINNERS GUIDE - Canon Digital Photography Forums