Flash sync speed?

Is there enough light? In bright conditions, my D100/SB 80 combo shows the correct shutter speed, and goes "HI" if the shutter speed goes over the 1/160. I dial in more f stop to bring it down. I always shoot in A, so I can't say about P. As for slower shutter speeds, I select rear/slow sync on the camera and the flash relies on the selected fstop/shutter speed. I run the flash in the TTL mode, turn off the flashing matrix symbol.

 

The D100's sync speed is 1/180.

I think in P mode, the camera will try getting 1/60.

 

Jarrell,
Most of the Nikon bodies I have had default to 1/60 for flash when the ambient light isn't enough. I would guess that 1/60 was the norm for many years (for many years, it was THE sync speed, maybe had to do with flashbulbs...) and it also allows for as much ambient light for background as possible. In the conditions you describe, if you had dialed in slow sync on the camera, I think you would have found a base exposure slower than 1/60. The solution, ultimately, is to do what you suggest and set the camera to S priority and dial in what you want.

 

I had the same question about my D70. Yes, you'll collect more ambient light at 1/60th, but the chance of losing some sharpness to camera shake is much greater at 1/60th than, say 1/250th.

 

True, David, but I think this all goes back to the days of flash bulbs, where there was a distinct "delay" in firing. It took the bulb a little longer to get burning than the capacitor discharge of today. I would bet the D70 works the same way, it seems to be a tradition.....