D3 and newbie to flash question

Gary Coyle

Gary Coyle

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OK hands up, im a total dummie as far as flash is concerned, well at least using Nikon D3 and SB-600.

When i was a Canon shooter the default settings meant i just threw a flash unit on and shot, my shutter would still fire at 8fps and the falsh would fire a few times until it recycled, all well and good and got me the shot

However d3 and sb-600, when i press the shutter there is a massive lag (1-2 seconds) while 3 small flashes are fired and then the main flash fires, whats all that about.

How do i get the D3 and sb-600 to react as quickly as my Canon gear used to

Please go gently with me, i rarely need to use flash so i have never studied it and by my own admission im a flash numpty.
 
Check the flash mode you are using! Take a look at page 197 in the D3 manual. I suspect you are using red-eye reduction flash mode.
 
Gary,
the D3 and CLS compatible flash units are much faster and certainly VERY much more accurate exposure wise than the Canon system. You just have to take the time to study the D3 and the flash manuals...there is very much you can do, even as a point and squirt. You can tweak the average picture the setup gives you very easily using the exposure compensation on the camera (beside the shutter button) and on the flash (just press the + or - on the selector button to -ve exposure compensate (reduce flash output only) or +ve to increase the flash power only.

Using the exp comp on the camera reduces OVERALL exposure so reduces both ambient and flash. Generally if you use camera - you need to give the flash a tweak upwards...but it dpeends on the scene, that is just a generalisation.

What you may find comfusing at first is that part of the flash is set ON THE CAMERA, part is set on the flash.

To fiddle the camera part of the flash set up,the most useful being the second curtain synch, slow synch and high speed flash synch which will fire at all shutter speeds to 1/8000. Press the flash icon on the left side button and turn the command wheels. You will toggle through the various options (RTFM to findout which settings are available).

To set the high speed flash synch, you need to go into the settings menu (camera icon) go through to flash settings, go RIGHT on the main centre multi selector then choose 1/250 FP I think it says, I think it is the top choice of the list. This makes the flash and camera synch at over the standard 1/250th when the light is such that you have a shutter speed of above the normal synch speed - great for backlit with f2.8 in sunshine!

You will find the SB800 or SB900 have more power than the 600, which is usually only used as off camera flash fired by the 800 or 900, or a commander 800. If you bother to look through the manuals you will be amazed at the lighting capabilities you have - the best there is.

Like anything though, the camera can only GUESS at what you want, it isn't a mind reader, so chooses a happy, middle, safe option for the scene in front of you. If you want to stray away from that happy middle ground for impact, you have to do it yourself, that goes for any camera. The quick way is to use the exp comp button and have the camera in A, choose your aperture and then you can twek the exposure, leaving your aperture the same and the camera will go up and down the shutter speeds accoring to your instructions. Much quicker than manual - it is manual exposure control but where you only need to use one selection button.

Probably clear as mud, but I know what I mean!
 
Wll thank you very much guys, that is exactly why this forum rocks, im now using the flash as i expected to.

awp, you were right

Lensflare, thanks, i spent the last day or so messing with settings and found i can contral how the flash reacts to what i want it to do

Gary
 
Gary Coyle said:
Wll thank you very much guys, that is exactly why this forum rocks, im now using the flash as i expected to.

awp, you were right

Lensflare, thanks, i spent the last day or so messing with settings and found i can contral how the flash reacts to what i want it to do

Gary
Click to expand...

Glad you got it sorted - it's a great system.
 
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