On 13 Dec 2002 02:44:52 GMT, dns22357@aol.com (DNS22357) wrote:

>I have a new F100 and new SB80DX. Indoors, this setup with the camera in the P
>mode and the Flash in the TTL mode picks F5.6 at 60. It works pretty good, but
>in order to use a faster shutter speed or different aperture to have a little
>of my own control, I'm reading the book.
>On page 84 item 2 states, if I'm reading it right: With the camera on Manual
>and the flash on TTL I can pick a speed between 30 and 250 and pick any
>aperture I want. Is this correct?
>I asked Nikon via E-mail and they wrote back: It's correct, but remember to
>zero out for the correct ambient exposure. What does this mean? I thought the
>flash was used to correct the exposure.
>This is my hobbie and would like to make full use of my lattest "toy".

I'm not sure I want to write a manual here
on flash use and exposure, but...
Basically, you have a few options:
- available-light (no flash)
- available light + fill-flash
- evenly-split illumination between available
and flash light
- flash-light + available-fill
- full-flash (no available-light)
For interiors (and some exteriors), I prefer
the middle three, depending on light level.
For the first three, you would meter for full
normal ambient light; for the second, you would
add flash light 1-2 stops under-exposed; for
the third, full exposure is given for both,
and the film-speed is nearly doubled (this is
the most efficient mode); for the fourth, the
available light would be 1-2 stops under the
full flash exposure; for the last two, the
flash would supply full needed illumination.
With the Nikon cameras and Nikon flashes, M,
A, and S modes permit (with the proper settings)
a full range of shutter speeds up to the top
flash synchronization speed (and beyond, with
special flash-camera features) and a full range
of apertures (limited by flash range); P limits
you to a short range of exposure settings (it
is the "snapshooter" mode, and inadequate for
having much control over the look of the
output...). In general, I use the cameras with
"rear curtain synch", with flash, set for "-1
stop" in TTL mode for color-negative materials;
if the light level is low, I may shift to split
flash, using the effective film "speed increase"
to permit faster shutter speeds; in very low
light, I switch to full flash, using, if
possible, some available light (and bounce-flash,
etc.) to soften the results...
Do not think of the flash as a way to
"correct exposure errors", any more than you
would think of available-light as a way to
"correct exposure errors" (except for the third
option above) - but both can be used in various
proportions to aid shooting in various light
levels and lighting conditions...