Help With the sb800 flash please.

KapturePhotography

I have never used the sb800 flash before. I have a wedding coming up on the 25th and it is taking place at 5pm. Both the ceremony and the reception are outside. I was wondering if it is possible to just plug and play(per-say) or if i have to match it to my camera settings. Any info would be greatly appreciated! Thank You so much!

hobbes

You don't say which camera you're using but the sb800 can shoot in iTTL mode for quick and easy blast-o-flash. For better pics though you need to get the flash off the camera or bouce it at your subject.

Here is a great site for learning how to use your small lights: Strobist

Good luck with it.

KapturePhotography

hobbes wrote:

You don't say which camera you're using but the sb800 can shoot in iTTL mode for quick and easy blast-o-flash. For better pics though you need to get the flash off the camera or bouce it at your subject.

Here is a great site for learning how to use your small lights: Strobist

Good luck with it.

Duh im shooting with the nikon d70!

dangin

the D70 supports i-TTL so you will be able to take advantage of the SB-800's TTL/BL (balanced) flash.

a few thoughts though:

1) during the daytime, if you're outdoors, you're likely fighting against the sun. in which case, i suggest shooting in shutter priority on your camera and make sure you keep your shutter speed UNDER 1/250s; that's the max sync speed for the D70.

2) be aware of your recycle times. if it's a midday sun and you're firing dead on, your flash will likely pop full power each time; this takes a good 3-4 seconds to recycle. be mindful of this otherwise you'll increase the chances of popping your flash tube.

3) don't try to bounce. it never ceases to amaze me how often i see so-called photographers trying to bounce into the clear blue sky.

4) use ambient light when you can and use the SB-800 only for fill lighting.

good luck!

angevin1

SB800 and the D70 are a great combo. You've got plenty of time to practice shoot before the big day comes. So do lots of that! There must be fourty differing ways to shoot with that combo too: on camera, off camera, ttl/fill..and on and on. Look at this: http://planetneil.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/6-flash-outdoors/

Have fun!

tom

ElginetPhotos

angevin1 wrote:

SB800 and the D70 are a great combo. You've got plenty of time to practice shoot before the big day comes. So do lots of that! There must be fourty differing ways to shoot with that combo too: on camera, off camera, ttl/fill..and on and on. Look at this: http://planetneil.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/6-flash-outdoors/

Have fun!

tom

Keep it in TTL mode and don't shoot in anything other than RAW. Shoot in Manual or shutter priority and don't let it drop below 180 on the Shutter speed if there's ANY kind of movement in the pics. Shutter speed 125 MINIMUM!
You should be able to get away with ISO 200 but bump it as it gets later.

Don't know what you're using for a lense but with the flash you'll probably want to keep it close to 5.6

Also, invest in a Stofen diffuser (20 bucks). It's worth it at any price. If you can't get one, throw some tiolet paper on the lense and keep your flash angled at the 45% when shooting the group shots or anything closer than 10 feet.

Good luck....

Post some of the results!

Scott_Quier

ElginetPhotos wrote:

Also, invest in a Stofen diffuser (20 bucks). It's worth it at any price. If you can't get one, throw some tiolet paper on the lense and keep your flash angled at the 45% when shooting the group shots or anything closer than 10 feet.

Good luck....

Post some of the results!

The above is not a good idea when shooting outdoors ...

dangin wrote:

3) don't try to bounce. it never ceases to amaze me how often i see so-called photographers trying to bounce into the clear blue sky.

As indicated, when outdoors, bouncing the flash off the clear blue sky is a huge waste of flash power. Put a modifier on the flash (wax paper, tissue, coffee filter, etc) and shoot directly at your subjects to get the best bang for your buck.

With your flash on camera, the computers in the two units will talk to each other (that's the i-TTL/TTL working for you) to help keep the flash power where it needs to be. You may need to dial down the flash a bit because camera computers tend to be a little stupid!

Working outdoors, try to use the sun as your main light and your flash as fill. This will do two things for you: (1) usually give you more pleasing photos and (2) conserve your batteries (competing against the sun is a loosing battle!).

For light modifier suggestions, take a look at Ziggy's post. He has three or four links to ideas that REALLY WORK. Check it out.

Bill O'Neill's suggestion to shoot in RAW is 100% spot on. The extra data you get when shooting RAW mode can help you rescue a shot that would be unrecoverable had it been saved as JPG only. Memory is cheap, get what you need to do the job right!

davidweaver

Lol...hahahaha

you would be amazed at all the photogs I see shoot with a bounce flash pointed to the:
* Sky
* Concert ceiling about 30-40' overhead
* Some badly colored surface, such as black or deep blue or bright red...etc.

Shoot at your subject with your flash modifier as Scott and others recommend.
Shoot RAW. Don't overexpose and learn how to read your histograms. Do not trust the full LCD pic. Trust your histograms.

Check your focus frequently.

Have fun!
David

Scott_Quier

davidweaver wrote:

Shoot at your subject with your flash modifier as Scott and others recommend.
Shoot RAW. Don't overexpose and learn how to read your histograms. Do not trust the full LCD pic. Trust your histograms.

Check your focus frequently.

Have fun!
David

Because that little picture will lie to you every time!! Only the histogram has any real chance of telling you the truth about the exposure. And even then it may not tell you the whole truth. In most (all?) cameras that generate a RAW file there is a small thumbnail JPG embedded in that RAW file. The histogram reflects the data in that embedded JPG. So, when it tells you that you have blown one (or more) channels you may not, in fact, have actaully blown anything.

The are only two aspects of the picture displayed on the LCD that I trust (1) the composition, and (2) the over-exposure blinkies. And even the blinkies is not the entire truth. If it's not blinking, you haven't blown anything, but if it is blinking, there is still a chance that you have not blown anything - in the RAW file. The blinkies, like the histogram, reflect the data in the embedded JPG.