Very confused about Flash

[aaron80]

I am a new DSLR user and knows nuts about flash. I am using a Nikon D50 and is looking at getting a flash unit, either the SB 800 or SB 600. Any1 can advise on which one is better and what is the difference between the 2 units? I am very confused with the usage of flash.

1. What is flash syn?
2. When do I use it(under what situation)?
3. What is flash compensation used for and how to use them?
4. The D50 has a flash syn speed of 1/500, what does it means?

I really need some help in understanding Flash. Hope someone can advise me. i am very Thank you..

[espn]

There are a lot of threads on SB-800 vs SB-600. You might want to search for it first.

[blive]

Originally Posted by espn There are a lot of threads on SB-800 vs SB-600. You might want to search for it first.

Huh, thought you will say, just get the SB-800...

Aaron80, check out this and other websites for more info on flash photography
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/flash.htm

[ortega]

Originally Posted by aaron80 I am a new DSLR user and knows nuts about flash. I am using a Nikon D50 and is looking at getting a flash unit, either the SB 800 or SB 600. Any1 can advise on which one is better and what is the difference between the 2 units? I am very confused with the usage of flash. 1. What is flash syn? 2. When do I use it(under what situation)? 3. What is flash compensation used for and how to use them? 4. The D50 has a flash syn speed of 1/500, what does it means? I really need some help in understanding Flash. Hope someone can advise me. i am very Thank you..

1. Do a google
2. when you use the flash you are already using it.
3. if the picture is too bright or too dark then you fiddle around with it.
4. it means that the flash sync of your D50 is up to 1/500 of a second

try this

http://www.google.com/search?client=...UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

[jonnie84]

Originally Posted by aaron80 I am a new DSLR user and knows nuts about flash. I am using a Nikon D50 and is looking at getting a flash unit, either the SB 800 or SB 600. Any1 can advise on which one is better and what is the difference between the 2 units? I am very confused with the usage of flash. 1. What is flash syn? 2. When do I use it(under what situation)? 3. What is flash compensation used for and how to use them? 4. The D50 has a flash syn speed of 1/500, what does it means? I really need some help in understanding Flash. Hope someone can advise me. i am very Thank you..

if u do a search on google, i'm sure u can find something that answers your questions. but here's just some of my inputs:

1. flash syn is the synchronising of the flash and the shutter. for D50, flash syn speed of 1/500 means that is the fastest shutter speed u can go when using flash. normal cameras, if not stated with the flash syn speed, is 1/60 if i remember correctly. if shutter speed is too fast, the flash is not fast enough to flash out the light, hit your subject and go back to the film/sensor thru the lens.

2. u use flash when lighting not enough, backlighting too bright(fill-in flash), etc. quite a few techniques when using flash too, like bounce flash all those. these techniques make your flash not too harsh/direct, if not your flash may flush out the details of your subject.

3. flash compensation...i'm not too sure about it too. i still newbie... think it works like exposure compensation? i dun use flash compensation... sorry, cant help..

4. see 1.

hope it helps.

[jonnie84]

oh sorry, think i got the flash syn thing wrong... it should be differentiated from flash syn speed.

flash syn is the mode of synchonising flash with shutter.. D50 should support the different common modes: front-curtain sync, rear-curtain sync, and 'forgot bout the others' sync.

front-curtain means the flash outputs the light the moment the shutter opens. rear-curtain sync means the flash outputs when the shutter is about to close..

pls pros, correct me if i'm wrong.

[catchlights]

Originally Posted by ortega 1. Do a google 2. when you use the flash you are already using it. 3. if the picture is too bright or too dark then you fiddle around with it. 4. it means that the flash sync of your D50 is up to 1/500 of a second try this http://www.google.com/search?client=...UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Follow your suggestions, did a Google search, found a very cool link of flash.

[jonnie84]

Originally Posted by catchlights Follow your suggestions, did a Google search, found a very cool link of flash.

haha... very cool pic indeed.

think should refine the search...

[aaron80]

Thanks for all your advices.. I will go and read up more about flash sync.. Think its quite a complicated topic.. Hope I can master it in times to come.. Thanks again..

[Dennis]

You can use flash in all situation, i.e. common usage = not enough light, too much light or simply to balance it with ambient light. Other usage includes changing the mood and colour as well as special effect like multiple short burst etc. It is up to your imagination.
The accessories used are also important as you will see later why we all will recomment the SB800.
The rest like sync speed etc you can do a search.

[aaron80]

Thanks for the advice Dennis.. I am reading up on flash usage on the web. Hope will be able to understand more about this..

Originally Posted by Dennis You can use flash in all situation, i.e. common usage = not enough light, too much light or simply to balance it with ambient light. Other usage includes changing the mood and colour as well as special effect like multiple short burst etc. It is up to your imagination. The accessories used are also important as you will see later why we all will recomment the SB800. The rest like sync speed etc you can do a search.

[VR2]

1) do a search
2) it can be used at any situation u deem fit.
3) flash compensate is to increase or decrease yr flash output
4) max shutter is 1/500

[cheersjy]

Read what the guru says:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/sb600vs800.htm

[aaron80]

Read the info there liao.. Am thinking whether I will be able to utilize all the functions of the SB800? Mayb i will get the SB600 nxt month..

Originally Posted by cheersjy Read what the guru says: http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/sb600vs800.htm

[strobist]

A lot of my co-workers use the SB-800 and love it. The 800 makes sense over the 600 if you are going to be using a wireless TTL (a$ in buying multiple fla$h units) together.

Since the 600 can be used as a "slave," but not as a "master" flash, you could get either for your first unit. Then, if you wanted to move up to wireless multiflash set-ups, you would just have to make sure you picked up the 800 for your second flash if you had gotten the 600 first.

Depending on what you want to do, you may not need either. Or you may find that a 600 suits you just fine. I have a blog that teaches off-camera lighting using small, shoemount strobes ( http://www.strobist.blogspot.com ) and I am still using an SB-28dx as my main flash.

These are considered old, but any flash that (a) has a PC synch in addition to the hot shoe and (b) can be set on manual and "dialed down" is a very useful unit.

Good luck.

[Cheesecake]

Originally Posted by blive Huh, thought you will say, just get the SB-800... Aaron80, check out this and other websites for more info on flash photography http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/flash.htm

excellent recommendation!

[Cheesecake]

Originally Posted by cheersjy Read what the guru says: http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/sb600vs800.htm

oh yeah!!

u shall never get lost with wat our hero, ken rockwell says!

go go go!