Manual mode and flash - what's the deal?

[lblongs]

From the first day I turned on my D300 I have used it in manual mode. I am a bit intimidated by the other modes mainly becuase I understand manual mode and like the full control I have. I am experimenting with an SB600 and find that when adjusting my aperture, shutter, etc in manual mode the (meter?) is not indicating when I am properly exposed, etc. Is this making sense? Normally I will determine about what I want my aperture or shutter speed to be and the cameras meter will tell me I'm under or over exposed. I udnerstand it doesn't matter if I'm filling in with flash, but what's the point of shooting in manual. Is is normal to use a flash with the camera in manual mode, or is this the time when I should move over to aperture or shutter priority?

[scootermcq]

I have not had much luck with flash in a priority mode. I have found manual to be much better for exposure. Leave the flash on TTL and set exposure for what you want (shutter speed controls ambient) The meter does not give you any info, because it only sees the ambient light at the time. I most situations I have the camera set about ISO 800, around 1/40 - 1/60 (the flash freezes motion) and an ISO appropriate for DOF I want. The TTL fires the appropriate output for you.

[lblongs]

Where I'm getting confused, is that it seems the flash would compensate for any exposure issues anyway so do I just pick the camera setting I think I want to use? When flash is used, can I really tell the differnece in a photo that is set to an aperture of 2.8 vs say, 5.6 or 8? I am getting ready to experiment so mabye I will answer all of my own questions then.

[dakwegmo]

If you're camera and flash are both in TTL mode, then they should work together to compensate for any under-exposure calculated. They aren't perfect though, and if they're metering from a dark area of the scene they will blow out the exposure every time.

If your flash is in manual mode then you have to figure in the flash as an additonal variable in your exposure. You have three options for controlling how the flash effects your shot: change the flash output, change your aperture, or change the distance from the flash to your subject. Each doubling or halvng of the flash power results in a one stop difference in your exposure. Going from Full power to ½ power means there's one stop less light in the scene. If you reduce your aperture from f/2.8 to f/5.6, you're getting one full stop less light from the flash in your exposure. And if you double the distance from your flash to your subject, you actually lose two stops of light.

[scootermcq]

Originally Posted by lblongs

Where I'm getting confused, is that it seems the flash would compensate for any exposure issues anyway so do I just pick the camera setting I think I want to use? When flash is used, can I really tell the differnece in a photo that is set to an aperture of 2.8 vs say, 5.6 or 8? I am getting ready to experiment so mabye I will answer all of my own questions then.

Yes, the flash if left alone on TTL will compensate and deliver approximately the correct exposure. If your aperture is set to F22, then it may not be able to, but it would be firing at full power to try. The difference you will see in the different aperture settings is DOF just like outside. The only time you will see a difference in exposure is when it was too small for the flash to be able to light the scene. If you put the flash on manual and leave it at one power setting, then the larger the aperture, the more light from the flash will affect the exposure.

[OsmosisStudios]

With the SB-600, just choose the camera settings you want (shutter speed, ISO, aperture) and the flash will balance the rest. Unless you start getting into some very large apertures in fair light situations with flash, you likely wont have a problem.

[candleman]

manual mode + TTL flash is the way to go.


larger apertures let in more light from the flash.
if you shoot at f/8 the flash will loose juice very quickly.

shoot as wide as you can

last night i took some test shots at the wedding rehersal (Wedding Saturday)
for the Venue with massive high ceilings, i was at f/3.2 1/125th iso1600
why 1/125th and 1600? Because 800 and 1/60th means you get more ambient bluer.. and the flash is less effective by 1 stop because of the lower ISo

Higher ISO and wider apertures will save juice in your flash.. and if you are doing a burst will give you a couple frames more before it needs time to recycle fully.

remember.. the flash's exposure is also dependant on your metering mode.
from experience... if the background is dark and the subject is wearing white.. use spot metering off their faces. this wil ignore the background and expose for your subject.
if you use matrix (TTL-BL) when there is dark tapestry (or something dark in the background), the flash will try to expose for the background and subject as a scene.
that will over expose the subject because its increasing the exposure to expose the background.

TTL BL is what i use if the room is evenly lit and theres not huge contrast between the subject and the background.

Don’t forget... you have flash exposure compemsation too.. so if its “to flashy” or not enough fill... just dial that up or down.

On my D300s i use 3frame bracketing, bracketing on flash+shutterspeed, at 0.3 Ev steps ...and thats been the most reliable thus far.
Theres almost always 1 keeper on the three.

http://neilvn.com/tangents/flash-pho...hy-techniques/

once you have a basic understanding of that... i strongly suggest you get a CTO and a windowGreen set of gels... otherwise you will have colour troubles.

i hope that helps....