sb-600 fill flash tips please

cameratamcameratam Registered Users Posts: 6 Beginner grinner
edited July 19, 2006 in Technique
What am I doing wrong? Took my new SB-600 outdoors to shoot portraits with my D50. Some came out beautifully, some were overexposed and obviously "flashed." I am shooting in Aperture mode, TTL-BL on the flash unit. I'm using the 55-200 zoom that came with the D50. Is the zoom distance the problem? I want to know if there is a way to use this unit for fill flash without having to do calculating, guide numbers, etc as all previous knowledge I had of those things is lost! I was under the impression that the amount of technology between these 2 items could do the figuring for me when I point and focus. Am I expecting too much? Or am I leaving out a very simple step?.....Any tutorials or "instructions for dummies" on the SB-600 would be fabulous, too, if you could point me to them as the user's manual is clear as mud. thanks everyone for your help, this is my first post and it took me all day to get the nerve up to ask such a dumb question.

Comments

  • spudjerspudjer Registered Users Posts: 42 Big grins
    edited July 12, 2006
    cameratam wrote:
    What am I doing wrong? Took my new SB-600 outdoors to shoot portraits with my D50.


    What are you using for the master flash? and what are your settings on the SB-600?

    Any samples of good and bad?
    I'm worried about Gort. I'm afraid of what he might do, if anything should happen to me.:dood

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  • cameratamcameratam Registered Users Posts: 6 Beginner grinner
    edited July 12, 2006
    spudjer wrote:
    What are you using for the master flash? and what are your settings on the SB-600?

    Any samples of good and bad?

    Not sure I understand the question. The flash unit is in the hot shoe, no other lights....SB-600 mode is TTL-BL, I'm shooting in Aperture mode.....

    here's a bad one....
  • spudjerspudjer Registered Users Posts: 42 Big grins
    edited July 12, 2006
    cameratam wrote:
    Not sure I understand the question. The flash unit is in the hot shoe, no other lights....SB-600 mode is TTL-BL, I'm shooting in Aperture mode.....

    here's a bad one....
    Sorry, I thought you were using SB-600 as second light.

    What metering mode are you in, spot, center weighted or matrix? What area are you reading with the meter if spot or center weighted? That is the area the camera is reading to determine flash exposure. If you are on the shirt one time and the face the next, the face reading will give you a different flash exposure value than shirt.

    If in matrix, you are reading the entire frame for an average. If the entire frame value goes from light to dark, fill-in flash value will change, changing your exposure from frame to frame..

    with me so far?thumb.gif
    I'm worried about Gort. I'm afraid of what he might do, if anything should happen to me.:dood

    Gort! Klaatu barada nikto!
  • cameratamcameratam Registered Users Posts: 6 Beginner grinner
    edited July 12, 2006
    I think I'm with you so far.......I've been in matrix metering mode. So should I be spot metering on the subject's face since that is the part I want to be the most correct in exposure?
  • spudjerspudjer Registered Users Posts: 42 Big grins
    edited July 13, 2006
    cameratam wrote:
    I think I'm with you so far.......I've been in matrix metering mode. So should I be spot metering on the subject's face since that is the part I want to be the most correct in exposure?

    Yes, if the face is most important. Just remember to move exposure/focus area sensor onto face in viewfinder so its there when you make exposure.

    Good luck!
    I'm worried about Gort. I'm afraid of what he might do, if anything should happen to me.:dood

    Gort! Klaatu barada nikto!
  • cameratamcameratam Registered Users Posts: 6 Beginner grinner
    edited July 13, 2006
    I try to be about 15 feet away and then zoom for various poses such as waist up, head and shoulders, etc....
  • Blues fanBlues fan Registered Users Posts: 67 Big grins
    edited July 16, 2006
    Something else you can do, which has worked for me (using SB-800). Place the metering on center weighted and put the flash on TTL with no BL. It should work as well with the SB600. I think (could be wrong) the issue you are having is the settings with the flash being on TTL-BL. From the picture you posted it appears the background is not super bright. The BL is mainly for back lighting. Something else you can try is maybe using program mode and the flash on TTL or TTL-BL.

    I found this info here, again its mainly for the SB800 but I am quite sure it will work for the SB600.

    And last but not least you can dial down the EV on the flash so it isn't so bright on the fill flash.

    Hope this helps
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         [/FONT][FONT=Courier New, Courier, mono]My world of photography[/FONT]
  • cameratamcameratam Registered Users Posts: 6 Beginner grinner
    edited July 19, 2006
    thank you for the tips, I'm going to try them all and compare results. Everyone's input is really appreciated.
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