On Camera Flash really is worthless isn't it ?

[astroNikon]

Looks like a focusing issue to me. I'e used on-camera flash as on-axis fill light, and also bounced it from the hotshoe; I think worthless is not an accurate word to describe on-camera flash. But seriously, it seems like the AF system is not "nailing" the focus on the one shot...it just does not appear focused, and the depth of field is somewhat limited too, at that f/stop at that range.

Looking at the writing on that small "cap" device, I can literally see that one shot has back-focus, the other encompasses that cap thing perfectly, and the lettering is sharp. I am wondering about the reflectivity of the target itself, if that is messing up the focusing? (My idea on this could be a hang-over from my experiences with the Konica C35 AF, one of the very first AF cameras: I owned one, and it would ALWAYS back-focus severely on silvery things, like salmon...the active AF beam it emitted would hit the silvery scales of the fish, and it would focus never in the boat and on the fisherman and his catch, but always wayyyyyyyyy behind the fish!)

Did you have the AF assit beam on? I ask because in AF-S mode, it CAN be emitted, if the system needs it.

Except this was a reoccurring theme on not just one lens, but a couple. With the same results.
I even went into AUTO mode in one test but then it went into Auto Focusing mode which threw the test awry.

Yes, the AF assit beam was ON. I looked at the camera from the side to double check.

I was thinking the same thing Derrel. That is basically polished metal ala Chrome like. Thus the on camera flash being more eye level and not diffused at all was creating the focusing issue.

both were f/6.3

 

[cowleystjames]

Must admit it beats me why they put an on board flash on the D810. At least it doesn't rattle like my D800e used to!

 

[petrochemist121 146]

I'd certainly agree that YOUR pop up flash isn't working well.
Mine are limited compared to any decent external flash, but still very useful (that's on my Pentax DSLRs, my various Panasonic CSCs & perhaps even the P&S cameras) - certainly not worthless.

 

[cynicaster]

I suppose if you're forced to use pop-up flash because it's consistently your only option, then you're going to find ways of putting it to good use.

But going from a powerful modern speedlight back to a pop-up flash, I have a really hard time resisting the urge to call the pop-up useless. It's like going from a nice, sharp chef's knife in the kitchen to using one of those flip-out pocket knives you see for $1.50 at the cash register of your hardware store, next to the Altoids.

 

[JustJazzie]

I suppose if you're forced to use pop-up flash because it's consistently your only option, then you're going to find ways of putting it to good use.

But going from a powerful modern speedlight back to a pop-up flash, I have a really hard time resisting the urge to call the pop-up useless. It's like going from a nice, sharp chef's knife in the kitchen to using one of those flip-out pocket knives you see for $1.50 at the cash register of your hardware store, next to the Altoids.

You'll be glad to have that cheep worthless knife and your chefs knife is nowhere to be found! At least you can still make dinner.

 

[Scatterbrained]

Well, the iso 6400 of the pop up shot vs the 560 for the speedlight sure isn't helping the situation. Just sayin.

 

[chuasam]

On camera flash is okay for a bit of fill light during the day or controlling the external speedlites.

 

[Derrel]

Must admit it beats me why they put an on board flash on the D810. At least it doesn't rattle like my D800e used to!

For the built-in remote flash trigger capabilities, for slave triggering, and for the occasional ned for just a tiny bit of flash fill, you know, classic on-axis fill light, the best place is as close to the lens axis as you can get the light.

See this article for a primer: Strobist: On-Axis Fill: Introduction

And for a really interesting, weird way to tape a flash right to a lens barrel to get reallllllly on-axis fill, see this doozy!!!

Strobist: On Assignment: On Camera, On Axis, On Budget

There actually are multiple reasons to put a built-in flash on an expensive camera aimed at skilled, experienced photographers who know a lot about lighting. And for people who want to ALWAYS have a way to trigger other flash units using simple optical slave technology, the on-board flash is a Godsend. That's why it's been put in...more and more people are doing more work with artificial lighting instead of just ambient light. See also http://strobist.blogspot.com/2010/07/cheap-powerful-on-axis-fill.html

PLUS, Strobist has another good entry I could not find easily about using skylighting as the main light, and the rim light being from the sun, and the on-camera flash as fill-in light for the eye sockets. The SECRET here is that using fill-flash that is physically AS CLOSE TO the lens axis is possible eliminates the under-chin shadow that a tall, 4- to 5-inch high shoe-mounted speedlight can cause!!! So...the camera makers know that an on-camera flash mounted as close to the lens height as possible, throws the least shadow, and makes the best FILL light that does NOT tend to create is own shadow. Since fill is usually at least 2 stops "under" the key light brightness, to as much as 3 stops under, that pipsqueak on-camera flash make a perfect directly on-axis fill light when another source is the key, or main light. And that is one reason the D800 and D610 and D600 and D610 and D7100 have pop-up flash units; because for those who really know how to use flash, they offer utility.

 

[Braineack]

I use the on-camera flash for fill all the time in a bind.

this for example:


Julia out of the pool by The Braineack, on Flickr

flash power was set to -2.0EV (maybe a touch too low). you can see the sun was to her right at 2:00pm.

 

[Derrel]

And there you go!!! ^^^^^ Just a tiny bit of fill light from that useless on-board pop-up flash!!

 

[Braineack]

and this illustrates the lighting without flash:

 

[runnah]

I miss mine as it was any easy way to trigger Speedlights without having to use pocket wizards.

 

[cowleystjames]

Fair enough, but if they're really that useful for pro's why aren't they on the D4,D4s and Canon 1Dx range?

 

[TCampbell]

I'm pretty much of the opinion that using the on-camera flash as a "fill" is one of the few things it is good for. Distance is limited... but I tend to dial the flash exposure compensation down to around -1 when using a flash as a "fill" light anyway. That is... at least I did back when I owned a camera that had on camera flash. The full-frame bodies tend to not have them.

I'm guessing the blurry vs. not blurry were the result of the external flash's focus-assist beam.

 

[Braineack]

While I was using my SB700, here's the difference a little on camera fill can give. I'm sure if I didn't have my speedlight handy I would have achieved the same results.

This was with a D5100 and a 35mm 1.8G; no flash.

And mine:

DSC_0404-97 by The Braineack, on Flickr

this was at 38mm with my 24-70mm at f/6.3; pretty sure I had the flash EV at -1.7.