On-camera Flash test

[ccting]

D5100, vt kit len 18-55mm, 35mm, 1/60s, YN465 bounce back flash TTL, ISO400

Question: How to improve my bounce back on-camera flash. (Please ignore off-camera flash as I don't have remote trigger or ttl code)

Thanks

Noob ting.

[prince]

You can do few different things to improve the bounced light. Before anything, can you please post your exif info to allow better suggestions?

[ccting]

Originally Posted by prince

You can do few different things to improve the bounced light. Before anything, can you please post your exif info to allow better suggestions?

File Info 1
File: DSC_8932.NEF
Date Created: 10/30/2011 3:44:00 PM
Date Modified: 10/30/2011 9:51:45 PM
File Size: 26.7 MB
Image Size: L (4928 x 3264)
File Info 2
Date Shot: 10/30/2011 15:43:59.20
Time Zone and Date: UTC, DST:OFF
Image Quality: Compressed RAW (14-bit)
Artist:
Copyright:
Image Comment:
Camera Info
Device: Nikon D5100
Lens: VR 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6G
Focal Length: 36mm
Focus Mode: AF-C
AF-Area Mode: Single
VR: OFF
AF Fine Tune:
Exposure
Aperture: F/8
Shutter Speed: 1/25s
Exposure Mode: Manual
Exposure Comp.: 0EV
Exposure Tuning:
Metering: Matrix
ISO Sensitivity: ISO 400
Flash
Device: SB-800
Flash Sync Mode: Front Curtain
Flash Mode: M x 1/1
Advanced Operations: Bounce Flash
Image Settings
White Balance: Flash, 0, 0
Color Space: sRGB
High ISO NR: OFF
Long Exposure NR: OFF
Active D-Lighting: Normal
Image Authentication:
Vignette Control:
Auto Distortion Control: OFF
Picture Control
Picture Control: [PT] Portrait
Base: [PT] Portrait
Quick Adjust: 0
Sharpening: 2
Contrast: 0
Brightness: 0
Saturation: 0
Hue: 0
Filter Effects:
Toning:
GPS
Latitude:
Longitude:
Altitude:
Altitude Reference:
Heading:
UTC:
Map Datum:

[prince]

That is too much info Usually you just need

• Aperture
• Shutter Speed
• ISO
• WB

• First thing you can do is open up your aperture (lower the F number from F8 to lowest possible at the focal length you choose)
• Increase your Shutter speed to reduce hand shake. Anything lower than 1/100 will cause hand shake. With practice you may be able to take decent pictures at 1/10 even.
• For flash you may want to turn it to manual since you are bouncing and then increase/decrease the flash output according to what you see in the preview

[RLucas]

Originally Posted by ccting

File Info 1
File: DSC_8932.NEF
Date Created: 10/30/2011 3:44:00 PM
Date Modified: 10/30/2011 9:51:45 PM
File Size: 26.7 MB
Image Size: L (4928 x 3264)
File Info 2
Date Shot: 10/30/2011 15:43:59.20
Time Zone and Date: UTC, DST:OFF
Image Quality: Compressed RAW (14-bit)
Artist:
Copyright:
Image Comment:
Camera Info
Device: Nikon D5100
Lens: VR 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6G
Focal Length: 36mm
Focus Mode: AF-CAF-Area Mode: Single
VR: OFF
AF Fine Tune:
Exposure
Aperture: F/8
Shutter Speed: 1/25sExposure Mode: Manual
Exposure Comp.: 0EV
Exposure Tuning:
Metering: Matrix
ISO Sensitivity: ISO 400
Flash
Device: SB-800
Flash Sync Mode: Front Curtain
Flash Mode: M x 1/1Advanced Operations: Bounce Flash
Image Settings
White Balance: Flash, 0, 0
Color Space: sRGB
High ISO NR: OFF
Long Exposure NR: OFF
Active D-Lighting: Normal
Image Authentication:
Vignette Control:
Auto Distortion Control: OFF
Picture Control
Picture Control: [PT] Portrait
Base: [PT] Portrait
Quick Adjust: 0
Sharpening: 2
Contrast: 0
Brightness: 0
Saturation: 0
Hue: 0
Filter Effects:
Toning:
GPS
Latitude:
Longitude:
Altitude:
Altitude Reference:
Heading:
UTC:
Map Datum:

Hopefully someone will chime in that knows way more than me, but with flash, your Shutter controls the ambient, and the aperture controls the flash power.
For this, it looks like your shutter speed is way too slow. It's at the point where your are going to have some camera shake softness involoved. You also have the focus mode in continuous. For static objects/slow moving subjects, change it to single. Right now, every time you move, the camera will potentially attempt to refocus.
How far away is the wall, ceiling, or whatever you are bouncing from? It looks like your flash was set at full power already.
From what I understand, for every 4' you will lose or gain one stop of light, depending on how close or far away you move your light source. So the distance plays a big part of this as well.

[ccting]

Originally Posted by RLucas

From what I understand, for every 4' you will lose or gain one stop of light, depending on how close or far away you move your light source. ....

You mean every 4 feet i will lose one stop of light? Does that depends on how the zoom of speedlight? What is the connection between one stop of light with the manual powerful of speedlight (1/2, 1/4... 1/60 etc).

Thanks..

[ccting]

Originally Posted by prince

That is too much info Usually you just need
[*]Increase your Shutter speed to reduce hand shake. Anything lower than 1/100 will cause hand shake. With practice you may be able to take decent pictures at 1/10 even.
[/LIST]

Hmm, if i am not mistaken, flash is instantaneous and not continuous source of light. However, reflecting light from the left will cause half sharp half blur if my shutter speed too slow?

Don't trust the EXIF I have provided. I am using YN465 and not SB800. I think the camera has confused...

[graciousness]

Originally Posted by ccting

Hmm, if i am not mistaken, flash is instantaneous and not continuous source of light. However, reflecting light from the left will cause half sharp half blur if my shutter speed too slow?

Don't trust the EXIF I have provided. I am using YN465 and not SB800. I think the camera has confused...

He's not talking about your flash. He's talking about your FOCUS MODE. You have it in AF-C which is where the camera keeps shifting focus everytime there is movement so if you have camera shake, your photos will be blurry as the camera can't focus properly. YOu need to change your focus mode to SINGLE so that your camera's focussing locks into a single focus when you push the shutter button instead of letting the camera continuously focus following movement.

What does reflecting light from the left have to do with blur or sharpness? Nothing. Your shutter speed was just too slow and so any camera shake will cause blurriness. You need to use at least 1/60.

Better to use something else, too, other than that stuffed animal that is just too brown for model. Use one at least, with black eyes and preferrably, not furry so you can have more contours and see glares with your lighting. The closer to a human face, the better.

[Madog]

+1 for AF-S instead of AF-C
VR may have even helped here.
Did you set your exposure using the camera meter in M mode?
The beauty of flash is that your not limited to a "proper" ambient exposure. You can use shutter speeds up to sync 1/200 (I think for your camera) without affecting the flash exposure. Manual Flash exposure is set with aperture, ISO, and flash-subject distance.

[RLucas]

Originally Posted by ccting

You mean every 4 feet i will lose one stop of light? Does that depends on how the zoom of speedlight? What is the connection between one stop of light with the manual powerful of speedlight (1/2, 1/4... 1/60 etc).

Thanks..

Distance. From what I understand, the YN465 doesnt have a zoom head. My figures may not be accurate, as I have read it elsewhere. I am not good at math, but the inverse square law applies to this. You're technical minded. You should have fun with that.
The point is, your shutter speed is too slow, and you still don't have enough light. It's underexposed.