Question Metering Light

[trahanw]

Using the Nikon D80, understand the process of metering light in an outdoor environment. But indoors, using a flash from what I understand you're onboard meter is useless. Unless you just want an ambient light reading. What is the best way to set-up for exposure indoors without having an off camera light meter. Histogram? Experience?

[CaptainTom]

use a flash that has ETTL and it will meter the flash to compensate for the ambient light. mostly.

[rott]

Read, read, read. The article is peppered with "Canon" and "EOS", but 95% of the article is general flash information applicable to all brands in all situations.

Specifically, start with the section titled "Controlling flash exposure" and read the next several sections. That one appears to most closely match your question.

[bondarnes]

What are you wanting to accomplish and what flash will you be using?

[trahanw]

Originally Posted by bondarnes

What are you wanting to accomplish and what flash will you be using?

Using the Nikon SB800, indoor family portraits. Still really learning all the in and outs of exposure. Just finished reading Understanding Exposure great book. Was taking our family christmas pics this weekend and using the SB800 in conjuction with cheap ebay 100w florescent light kit. Tom suggested ETTL, I'll have to look into it more in the manual. Was using TTLBL, the gentleman at a local camera shop instructed me that the onboard flash makes the meter inop. So, I've mostly relied on the Histogram for initial setting. Was debating on purchasing the 358 Sekonic Light meter or the 758. But would like to see if there is a better or easier way then watching a histogram.

[trahanw]

Originally Posted by rott

Read, read, read. The article is peppered with "Canon" and "EOS", but 95% of the article is general flash information applicable to all brands in all situations.

Specifically, start with the section titled "Controlling flash exposure" and read the next several sections. That one appears to most closely match your question.

Thanks altough Canon related, very informative.
Appreciate you're help.

I'll have to experiment more, really would appreciate any advice to speed the learning curve.

[texxter]

Wade, it's not true that using flash stops camera metering. Not at all. Nikon has created a fancy Creative Lighting System, including iTTL metering that can measure light and automatically set the intensity of flash groups. It's really state of the art flash technology, but it's not without limitations.

If you're shooting indoors with flash you need to set you camera shutter speed such that the flash can synch with the shutter. Normally this is 1/250 or slower. I use 1/125 most of the time. With flash shutter speed controls how much ambient light you let in, and aperture controls how much flash light you let in. By setting the aperture and using i-TTL ( a component of CLS) on your camera and flash you let the camera set the flash intensity (duration) - normally you'd set the aperture to whatever you need to control depth of field and the shutter to anything at or below sync speed. The camera does the rest.

You don't need a flash meter if you want to use the built-in Nikon flash control system - it works really well in most cases. Nikon has a brochure on CLS that should be helpful, or you can search online for tutorials.

[trahanw]

Originally Posted by texxter

Wade, it's not true that using flash stops camera metering. Not at all. Nikon has created a fancy Creative Lighting System, including iTTL metering that can measure light and automatically set the intensity of flash groups. It's really state of the art flash technology, but it's not without limitations.

If you're shooting indoors with flash you need to set you camera shutter speed such that the flash can synch with the shutter. Normally this is 1/250 or slower. I use 1/125 most of the time. With flash shutter speed controls how much ambient light you let in, and aperture controls how much flash light you let in. By setting the aperture and using i-TTL ( a component of CLS) on your camera and flash you let the camera set the flash intensity (duration) - normally you'd set the aperture to whatever you need to control depth of field and the shutter to anything at or below sync speed. The camera does the rest.

You don't need a flash meter if you want to use the built-in Nikon flash control system - it works really well in most cases. Nikon has a brochure on CLS that should be helpful, or you can search online for tutorials.

Thanks... great information. I'll try the i-TTL was using TTLBL. My shutter speed was also set much lower that what you suggested. Guess, I really need to dig in the manual.

[David_3]

First, read this to learn about the basics of flash, and the (older) TTL flash system.

Then read this to learn about the differences between TTL, D-TTL and i-TTL flash.

Then read the manual for the SB-800 and your camera.

And finally, read all of this, to learn some good techniques.


Good luck!

BTW, ETTL is Canon's version of the modern day flash, so don't let that confuse you.

[trahanw]

Originally Posted by David_3

First, read this to learn about the basics of flash, and the (older) TTL flash system.

Then read this to learn about the differences between TTL, D-TTL and i-TTL flash.

Then read the manual for the SB-800 and your camera.

And finally, read all of this, to learn some good techniques.


Good luck!

BTW, ETTL is Canon's version of the modern day flash, so don't let that confuse you.

Thanks...All these useful websites. Appreciate the help. Very informative site.. Real basic and well explained. Got alot from it.

[arcproducts]

David,
thanks for the helpful links...... i am also finding the info all in one place great.

[dallassr20]

Take a look at this Nikon Digitutor. It has alot of info on the D-80 and the CLS-ittl flash system.

Good luck............http://www.nikondigitutor.com/eng/d80/index.shtml

James

[trahanw]

James--this is also very good. Never knew Nikon had such a site. The manuals that come with Nikon are good but trying to follow them are sometimes difficult.
After reading these articles, it really hits home what TTL can do. Understanding that Flash Lock is also an important feature to use, I believe this was one of my main problems. Metering off my subjects face, adjusting the camera back to center. To find that the flash metering system was thrown off due to the white shirts they were wearing. Causing the image to throw a grayish tone on the white shirts.

Could some of these tonal differences been caused also by mix lighting. The white balance was set using an expo disk. Pre-set pointing at the lighting system?