Just got the NIkon SB900 and need some help

[yulchick]

I recently got the flash, and tryed it a couple times and wasnt really happy with the result. How do I meter my camera to get a nice exposure with the flash, when I make my meter lets say "happy", the picture looks overexposed and just bad, no shadows or anything..i did bounce the flash and stuff..i tried underexposing in camera and that seems to give better results..is there a special way to calculate what ur exposure needs to be? Sorry if its a silly question..

[homank76]

Practice, practice and more practice. I always shoot my flashes in manual, TTL isn't bad, but not perfect either.

The SB900 is such a powerfull flash that most of the power isn't needed unless your subject is a long way off. I would start with 25% power and adjust accordingly from there.

[autofocus]

Julia, be patient...with more practice you will get the results you are looking for. What camera mode are you shooting in? Manual? Are you using eTTL set on flash? Any flash modifiers (plastic dome, etc)? May I suggest you subscribe to Neil van Niekerk's blog..here's a piece on use of his "black foamy thing"
http://neilvn.com/tangents/2009/11/2...-foamie-thing/

Remember, shutter speed will control your ambient, and aperture and ISO will control your flash (and to a lessor degree, your ambient) This shot of Cooper, my cat, was done by bouncing using a black foamy thing on my 580EX.

Please, only shoot my good side by vmontalbano, on Flickr

[ccting]

Originally Posted by yulchick

I recently got the flash, and tryed it a couple times and wasnt really happy with the result. How do I meter my camera to get a nice exposure with the flash, when I make my meter lets say "happy", the picture looks overexposed and just bad, no shadows or anything..i did bounce the flash and stuff..i tried underexposing in camera and that seems to give better results..is there a special way to calculate what ur exposure needs to be? Sorry if its a silly question..

Thanks to your question, i think i got the formula to associate ISO, shutter speed, f-number, ISO, GN and distance

[OsmosisStudios]

Put the flash on camera, TTL mode on the flash and manual mode on the camera. Set to 1/60th, f/5.6, 200iso. Set the flash to +2EV. Point the flash straight up, raise the whitecard, but not the wideangle plate.

Fire away. That'll at least get you going on basic bounce flash with TTL.

Start reading on things flash: learn the difference between TTL and M on the flash and how to use manual flash. The big thing, though, is learning the ISO/Aperture/Shutterspeed effects on flash. Once you've got that, you should be able to do most things.

[yulchick]

Thanks guys, I'll try your sujestions. I was so exited to get the flash, but it tured out to be more complicated than when I got my first DSLR..

[yulchick]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Put the flash on camera, TTL mode on the flash and manual mode on the camera. Set to 1/60th, f/5.6, 200iso. Set the flash to +2EV. Point the flash straight up, raise the whitecard, but not the wideangle plate.

Fire away. That'll at least get you going on basic bounce flash with TTL.

Start reading on things flash: learn the difference between TTL and M on the flash and how to use manual flash. The big thing, though, is learning the ISO/Aperture/Shutterspeed effects on flash. Once you've got that, you should be able to do most things.

I just tryed this, and it works way better from what I've been doing! thanks