Odd flash problem

[ChrisTX]

I can't figure this out. So I had my D90 in commander using an SB600 off camera. I had the pop up flash turned off. When I used a 35mm 1.8, the pop up flash would fire during the picture, regardless of what my settings were. If I changed to the 50mm 1.8, the pop up flash doesn't flash during the picture. What does the lens have to do with whether or not the pop up flash comes on or not, even if it's turned off? My pictures with the 35mm all have the tell-tale sign of the pop up shadow. I was using the SB600 in TTL, but back and forth between compensation.

How does changing the lens affect this?

[RKDauph]

Chris,

I have only one idea how the lens selected would affect the popup. The gathered light. The FOV between the two is significant, what was in the 35mm frame that was not in the 50mm frame? What point of light was or was not present between the two lenses?

Just guessing here, your mileage WILL vary.

I haven't used the 90 but on the 80, deep in the menu was a selection for completely disabling the auto popup so it only popped up when you pushed the button of the side of the housing.

Ray

[Daniel Bates]

This isn't going to be very helpful, but at least I can commiserate. I was using a D200 commanding two SB-800s, with the D200's pop-up flash set to command only (i.e. not to contribute to the image), I could not avoid getting a shadow from that pop-up flash. It was quite annoying, and finally I used a filter over the flash that would let IR through but block most of the visible light.

[DougC]

I hope someone knows the answer to this as my d200 and D300 do the same thing. The pop up always fires regardless of setting.

[RKDauph]

"This morning I did a little more research on your question; on pages 40, 41, and 42 of the manual I found the answer to your question.

If you are shooting in the Auto, Portrait, Close-up, or Night Portrait modes you can press and hold the Flash Button and rotate the Command Dial (that is the one on the rear of the camera) and select the flash mode you want using the icons that will appear in the Control Panel (the LCD on the top of the camera); one of those icons is a lightning bolt within a circle with a diagonal line running through it, i.e. NO FLASH. In the other modes just don't raise the flash."

May work with the 2&300s also

[DougC]

I'll have to try this but wouldn't you think that a person using remote flash would want to shoot in manual, aperature or shutter priority?

[RKDauph]

Originally Posted by DougC

I'll have to try this but wouldn't you think that a person using remote flash would want to shoot in manual, aperature or shutter priority?

Yes. And I do shoot in Aperture or manual most of the time with the Nikon Speeedlights. The question I was attempting to answer was how to completely turn off the pop-up flash feature.

[ChrisTX]

I went back and got my pictures downloaded, and after blowing them up, it looks like it shows up on the 50mm too, so it's not just a lens thing. I guess I changed a pose or something so it's not so prominent.

My exif shows the flash on, but no return detected. I was shooting in manual mode, with center weighted metering. The flash was above and to my right with a reflector angled about 45 degrees just in front. The pop up was up and flashing to get the SB600 to fire, but in-camera, it was turned off. I'm just gonna have to get some triggers. As my youngest daughter would say, "I don'd wike it."

[DougC]

Originally Posted by RKDauph

Yes. And I do shoot in Aperture or manual most of the time with the Nikon Speeedlights. The question I was attempting to answer was how to completely turn off the pop-up flash feature.

Understood. My comment was aimed at Nikon.

There is another "solution" out there. Nikon puts an accessory in with the R1C1 macro flash kit called an "IR Panel", part # SG-3IR that fits in the hot shoe and blocks the pop up flash but still allows it to communicate with the remote units. Not perfect or fool proof but it beats nothing. Also, you could put one of the flexible diffusers on the pop up to at least tone it down after reducing the output level. $12.95 at B&H.

[hdctx]

The fact that Nikon bothered to manufacture the IR panel says lots of people are having the same problem.

[DougC]

It's included with the kit, I think it was part of the original design rather than an after thought.

[texxter]

Originally Posted by ChrisTX

I can't figure this out. So I had my D90 in commander using an SB600 off camera. I had the pop up flash turned off. When I used a 35mm 1.8, the pop up flash would fire during the picture, regardless of what my settings were. If I changed to the 50mm 1.8, the pop up flash doesn't flash during the picture. What does the lens have to do with whether or not the pop up flash comes on or not, even if it's turned off? My pictures with the 35mm all have the tell-tale sign of the pop up shadow. I was using the SB600 in TTL, but back and forth between compensation.

How does changing the lens affect this?

I am pretty certain the lens has nothing to do with it. When you say that the pop-up flash was "turned off" you mean in was in Commander mode with "--" as the power level? What I mean is in the Menu for Commander mode, under "Built-in flash" did you have TTL, M, or "--" - only "--" turns off the flash but not the pre-flash pulses. It it was set to TTL, then its intensity would obviously vary from frame to frame.