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Category: Problems with Photo Equipment - Tips & Tricks

Photography Question 

Haley Crites
 

SB 800 problems


I have a Nikon d100 and a SB 800 flash unit. When I have my flash unit on the camera, the camera will only shoot at 60 at F 5.6. in program mode. When I change it aperature priority mode, it still stays at 60 always. This only happens when the flash is attached. I noticed a big problem when I tried to shoot some subjects againsts a bright sunlight backdrop. They were in the shade. They were completely dark. Wouldn't the flash fill them in if it was working properly?


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June 25, 2006

 

Jon Close
  The D100's default setting is a high sync flash, 1/60 and faster. To get slower shutter speeds, one needs to set the camera in Slow-Sync flash mode. See pp. 96, 98-99 of the D100 instruction manual.

Re: flash in bright sunlit background, yes, one would expect the auto fill flash to properly expose your near subjects in shade. I would check that your subjects were within the maximum range of the flash (note that the maximum range is reduces dramatically for smaller apertures - see the chart on p. 41 of the SB-800 manual), or that you have not inadvertently set a large negative flash exposure compensation setting.


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June 27, 2006

 
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