Please help with using SB800 flash as fill

[Phil Seu]

I want to learn to use my SB800 with D300 as a fill flash for bird photography. Can somebody help with some basic guidelines to get me started? just got the SB 800 and have not gone out yet.

this is want i am thinking.

500 mm lens
better beamer flash extender
flash mounted on external bracket
set distance on flash to 50mm
camera on either A or S priority to blur BG ( in this example).
dial in EV compensation as if not using flash
Flash mode to TTL FP? or TTL BL FP??
dial in FV on camera body depending on tonality of bird? range -2.0 to -0.6??

is this a reasonable starting point?

thanks

Phil

[Thomas Chamberlin]

Sounds like you are ready to start. I use TTL BL FP, but I'd have to go back to the manual to remember why. Setting the flash at -1 2/3 is just right in most situations, but the brighter it is out the more flash you will want.

[Michael Wolf]

Nikon Owner Hugh M. From Ft. Lauderdale, FL sent me this article and it works.
I do not know the origin of the article. Sorry.

Althought this refers to the Nikon SB-800 strobe, please substitute the name of your flash where applicable. I like the end: Practice, practice, practice!!

1. Put your camera on manual and your flash on TTL (no BL following it).(This refers to the systems ability to expose for strobe and ambient light automatically in Nikon language)
2. Walk around your house (school) and pick out a subject where the background has some light. The subject could be a lamp shade, your girlfriend, etc., and have a background as light as or lighter than the subject.
3. Pick an aperture that will accomplish what you want from a DOF perspective.
4. Place your camera on center weighted metering.
5. Meter the background and set your through the viewfinder meter reading at -1 using your shutter speed dial.
6. Your flash should be on TTL and with no + or - compensation.
7. Recompose your shot focusing on your subject and take the exposure.
8. OK, here is where the learning comes in. If you are happy with the background, leave it where it is. If not and you want your background darker, set your meter at -2. If too dark, set it at zero.
9. If your subject is overexposed, use the onboard flash adjustment to decrease the flash exposure to -.3 or -.7. Do not use the on camera EV compensation dial for this purpose. Retake the exposure and see what you think now.
10. Now sit down and think about this for a minute or two. Background exposure is controlled by the camera meter, flash controls the subject exposure.
After you have assimilated this information, go outside and do the same thing. Keep at this until you feel comfortable that you are in control and can make the background and subject be at any value that you want. With knowledge comes power.
Don't forget the flash sync speed of your camera, you have to work around that. Now practice, practice, practice and you will feel great about the SB800. Just FYI, if you shoot in program with the flash on TTL-BL, the camera/flash is doing automatically what you have been doing manually (but not as well IMHO). The difference is they are in control and not you. Which would you rather have in control???

[deBult]

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

[deBult]

Flash mode to TTL FP? or TTL BL FP??

- NO "BL" : BL = balance the flash with the ambient exposure
- FP will reduce your flash output substantially (but will enable shutter speeds above 1/250)

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Phil

When you get out do try different compensation settings The SB800 is amazing and will work well at 0 Don't think I've tried that setting with my Canon units Do give you a warning Careful with flash It can do some real damage to delicate light I have been using less and less flash Seem to use it more during harsher light hours to fill shadows Powerful tool !!!

Also remember when you go into high speed sync there will be less power At double you will be putting out half the power Full power at 1/250 1/2 power at 1/500 Imagine how little light you will be getting at over 1/1000 One of the reasons using Tv is a good idea with flash !!!

[Robert Amoruso]

Here is the link for this. Thanks Michael for posting this information.

http://softstonegroup.com/sb-800.html

Nikon Owner Hugh M. From Ft. Lauderdale, FL sent me this article and it works.
I do not know the origin of the article. Sorry.

Althought this refers to the Nikon SB-800 strobe, please substitute the name of your flash where applicable. I like the end: Practice, practice, practice!!

1. Put your camera on manual and your flash on TTL (no BL following it).(This refers to the systems ability to expose for strobe and ambient light automatically in Nikon language)
2. Walk around your house (school) and pick out a subject where the background has some light. The subject could be a lamp shade, your girlfriend, etc., and have a background as light as or lighter than the subject.
3. Pick an aperture that will accomplish what you want from a DOF perspective.
4. Place your camera on center weighted metering.
5. Meter the background and set your through the viewfinder meter reading at -1 using your shutter speed dial.
6. Your flash should be on TTL and with no + or - compensation.
7. Recompose your shot focusing on your subject and take the exposure.
8. OK, here is where the learning comes in. If you are happy with the background, leave it where it is. If not and you want your background darker, set your meter at -2. If too dark, set it at zero.
9. If your subject is overexposed, use the onboard flash adjustment to decrease the flash exposure to -.3 or -.7. Do not use the on camera EV compensation dial for this purpose. Retake the exposure and see what you think now.
10. Now sit down and think about this for a minute or two. Background exposure is controlled by the camera meter, flash controls the subject exposure.
After you have assimilated this information, go outside and do the same thing. Keep at this until you feel comfortable that you are in control and can make the background and subject be at any value that you want. With knowledge comes power.
Don't forget the flash sync speed of your camera, you have to work around that. Now practice, practice, practice and you will feel great about the SB800. Just FYI, if you shoot in program with the flash on TTL-BL, the camera/flash is doing automatically what you have been doing manually (but not as well IMHO). The difference is they are in control and not you. Which would you rather have in control???