A query re Nikon D7000 and SB-400

I don't normally post here (rarely use my nikon, but have been asked to do so by my new pasta, who wants shots of our congregation for a website he's developing - quite honestly, should have never agreed to do it), but would appreciate some advice. I have a D7000 and SB-400. When the SB-400 is on the camera, no flash happens (except the odd time; once in about a dozen shots). The pop-up flash works well every time. It's on 'P'. Some hints would be appreciated Where should I start looking? Regards, Arthur (apiarist1) Thanks. for any advice or a way to diagnose this.

The flash is not compatible with digital cameras beyond the d200. Nikon changed from ittl to dttl to talk to the flash. It just doesn't see it.

https://www.nikonimgsupport.com/ni/NI_article?articleno=000001407&configured=1&lang=en_US

Peter: I'm not sure which flash you're looking at, but the SB-400 is i-TTL only. It won't work on most film cameras, but it should be absolutely fine on the D7000.

 

It does take a couple of seconds to recycle, though. Are you shooting too fast for it between flashes? Otherwise I'd just clean the contacts, or try it on another (digital) camera and see if the electronics have corroded.

The flash is not compatible with digital cameras beyond the d200. Nikon changed from ittl to dttl to talk to the flash. It just doesn't see it.

 

Sorry, I see the confusion. Nikon changed from TTL off the film (which doesn't work with digital) to D-TTL (lift the mirror, pre-flash meter off the shutter blades) to i-TTL (pre-flash using the normal meter while the mirror is down). i-TTL is the current one, and the only one supported by recent flashes and dSLRs.

Sorry, I see the confusion. Nikon changed from TTL off the film (which doesn't work with digital) to D-TTL (lift the mirror, pre-flash meter off the shutter blades) to i-TTL (pre-flash using the normal meter while the mirror is down). i-TTL is the current one, and the only one supported by recent flashes and dSLRs.

That's why I like the SB-800 which supports all of those modes.

Thanks Andrew and Peter. So the long and the short of it, is that the falsh doesn't work well because it's not designed to do so? I'll try cleaning the contacts, but don't have access to another body to try out. Regards, Arthur (apiarist1)

No, Arthur. Peter is wrong - the SB-400 and D7000 are absolutely designed to work together. His argument would apply to older speedlights like the SB-28DX, which is "D-TTL" and designed to work with the D1, D2 and D100. The SB-400 won't work properly with film cameras (other than the F6), though.

 

For the same reason as BeBu, I have SB-600s, which like the SB-800 works with both my dSLRs and my F5. But if I didn't care about F5 compatibility (and to be fair, I only kind of do), newer flashes would work too, including the SB-400.

 

If cleaning the contacts doesn't do anything, could you visit an electronics store and try the flash on one of their show bodies? They might even not mind if there's a chance you'd buy an SB-300 or SB-500 if it seems to be broken!

As stated above, the SB-400 should work. Chances are it's a problem with electrical contacts. I've also had an issue with flashes going to sleep if the camera they're attached to isn't fired for a minute or two.

 

Check the flash menu, and if possible turn off any 'standby' timing. It's a needless PITA feature that really shouldn't exist for the sake of people's sanity.

 

Aside from all that, good luck with trying to cover a church congregation with just one little on-camera flash!

Aside from all that, good luck with trying to cover a church congregation with just one little on-camera flash!

 

Oops - there I go, not reading the original post properly again...

 

I strongly doubt, as Joe suggests, that an SB-400 is going to be of any use lighting a church congregation unless you mean one at a time. I'd suggest either a wide angle with a slow exposure with natural light from inside the church, ideally high up (is there an organ loft?), which should hide the blur. Pick a time when people are relatively still - praying, if that's not inappropriate, would be good. I'm assuming that as with most churches it's dimly-lit - otherwise you may be able to handle a higher shutter speed. If you can get a subset of the congregation lit through a window (especially stained glass) that might make an arty shot, although it won't show many of those present.

 

Otherwise, perhaps capture them outside the church (if you want candid, maybe in the act of leaving), where there's a bright and relatively even light source readily available?

 

I've not shot a congregation, but I've shot group photos from an organ loft. Once you stop down to have any depth of field, you need an awful lot of light (I had three SB-600s and they barely sufficed), and it's very hard to get that light even across everyone - those near the light at the front tend to be burnt out and those at the back in shadow. I consider flash lighting a crowd to be a last resort. I'm no pro, but I've tried to recover pro photos under the same constraints, with the same problem, and physics is not in your favour.

 

Good luck! (And apologies for being a bit blunt earlier.)