Fill Flash with D200 & SB-800

[Billy Ng]

How do I tell my SB-800 that I only want fill? This weekend I was able to get out and shoot outside for the first time since getting my Nikon gear and couldn't get my SB-800 to do fill very well.

With Canon it was easy ... if you wanted the flash to be primary light source, you set your body into Program mode (P), the camera would snap the shutter speed to 1/60th of a second at that point, use the dial to adjust aperture to liking. If you wanted the flash to act as fill, leave the camera in either Av or Tv, put the flash into high-speed sync mode, and start shooting.

How do I get my Nikon gear to do "fill"?

 

[GoGo]

ask Nikon

http://support.nikontech.com/cgi-bin/nikonusa.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?p_sid=i6bTFQzi&p_lva=&p_li=&p_accessibility=0&p_page=1&p_cv=1.177&p_pv=2.152&p_prods=88,152&p_cats=177&p_hidden_prods=&prod_lvl1=88&prod_lvl2=152&cat_lvl1=177&p_search_text=&p_new_search=1&p_search_type=answers.search_nl

Or try page 56 of the manual?

 

[Baywing]

Just dial in the fill rate you want in the area for flash exp comp. I like anywhere from -0.7 to -1.7. i don't recall if you do it on the SB800 or the D200. With my D2x, it has to be done on the SB800.

 

[Markb]

Billy,

Two ways to do it:

1. As above, put flash in TTL and dial in compensation. Dialled in compensation on the D200 is cumulative, so if you dial in -1.7 on the flash, and have -0.3 on the camera, you will expose at -2.0.

2. Put camera in matrix metering and change mode on the SB800 to TTL BL, or TTL BL FP.

 

[Markb]

Billy,

Just for your info, my previous answer was a real quick and dirty. I'm re-reading Thom Hogan's D200 book as I prepare for a shoot tomorrow. I know that I will provide some more detail later.

 

[Marcos]

Nice.

Billy,

Just for your info, my previous answer was a real quick and dirty. I'm re-reading Thom Hogan's D200 book as I prepare for a shoot tomorrow. I know that I will provide some more detail later.

Very decent person.
Thanks Mark

 

[johncarol]

No need to make it complicated-the SB800 is very very good. Use center weighted or matrix metering, press Mode on flash til you get TTL-BL and go. At any reasonable distance and fstop it will handle the exposure. It defaults to 1/60 of course. And you can go up or down 3 stops compensation with the center button on the flash.

 

[Billy Ng]

No need to make it complicated-the SB800 is very very good. Use center weighted or matrix metering, press Mode on flash til you get TTL-BL and go. At any reasonable distance and fstop it will handle the exposure. It defaults to 1/60 of course. And you can go up or down 3 stops compensation with the center button on the flash.

Any way to defeat 1/60th? If I'm in need of fill it's usually outdoors, f/2.8, 1/1000th of a second or thereabouts. 1/60th in the same light would have me at F/16 ... diffraction aside I'd have no bokeh whatsoever.

 

[Harry S.]

Any way to defeat 1/60th? If I'm in need of fill it's usually outdoors, f/2.8, 1/1000th of a second or thereabouts. 1/60th in the same light would have me at F/16 ... diffraction aside I'd have no bokeh whatsoever.

You can use High-Speed sync, but since I have never needed this option till now I don't know right now if you have to set it in-camera or on the flash.

BTW - this is what I loved with my old D1X - 1/500 sync.

Cheers

 

[general]

E Book

There is an excellent E Book on the Nikon CLS. I bought it and highly recommend it: "Using the Nikon Creative Lighting System, A Step by Step Guide to Using the SB-600 and SB-800 Flashes." by Mike Hagen of OutthereImages.com.

 

[ronnies]

Any way to defeat 1/60th? If I'm in need of fill it's usually outdoors, f/2.8, 1/1000th of a second or thereabouts. 1/60th in the same light would have me at F/16 ... diffraction aside I'd have no bokeh whatsoever.

Put the camera in S or M mode and pick the speed you want as long as it's equal to or below the sync speed.

Ronnie

 

[R Bond]

Go into CSM menu on your D200, select e Bracketing/Flash, e1 Flash sync speed, select 1/250s (Auto FP). On your flash press Mode until you see TTL BL FP. I think you need to be in Manual or Shutter Priority. You can then select up to 1/8000 s.

 

[debult]

The Nikons do BALANCED Fill flash in most automatic modes (e.g. 'P'-mode).
Balanced as in balancing the BOTH thefore- and background exposure.

Thom Hogan’s: shorthand for fill flash:
1.Camera in Aperture priority mode (lifts aperture restrictions)
2. Camera in Slow Sync (lifts shutter speed restrictions)
3. Flash in Standard TTL: no matrix/BL symbol (removes camera-induced balancing)
· Internal flash: via manual exposure or spot
· External Speedlights, via the Mode button
4. Dial in flash exposure compensation on the flash, as starting point use:

• 1 stop for people

• 1.7 stop for scenic fill