Exposure compensation and Flash compensation - related or independent?

<p>This is the question... or to be more detailed: Let's assume a slow sync situation in A-mode, that is, the exposure of the scenery is set by the meter and I can dial in brighter or darker with the exposure compensatation. Now with that, I'd like to flash the foreground and, as the flash does not reach the background, I should be able to set the brightness of the foreground with the flash compensation dial, independently from the background.<br>

Now my question is, and yes I did RTFM and I did not find it mentioned in it (D700 I am talking about):<br>

Would exposure compensation influence the flash compensation? E.g if I set exp. to -1, would I have to set flash to +1 to, err, compensate the -1 setting for a "correctly" exposed flash? Or is this independent. Or, which is what I would prefer and I remember that one former camera could do this, can I select between "yes, the two are related" and "no, both independent"? <br>

D700 that is, ad I found the issue when playimg with my new SB-700 (which seems to arrive in te shops here in Germany finally, but I did get the last one at Saturn in Munich-Riem, don not rush there...)</p>

 

<p>For Nikon, yes, the two are related. Exposure Compensation affects everything; Flash Exposure Compensation affects only the flash.</p>

<p>as MarkS said but when the camera is in M mode, exposure comp will still affect flash (but not affect skewing the on-board meter).</p>

<p>I agree w/ MS's succinct reply. As to '...can I select between "yes, the two are related" and "no, both independent"?', no, you cannot select between the two. Exp Comp will always affect flash output if using flash in a TTL metering mode. Your objective (independent control of the two) is attained by using manual exposure mode without exp comp. In fact that is the preferred method to maintain the utmost control of the overall exposure since it separates the ambient from flash exposure.</p>

<p>With my Nikon D80, exposure compensation and flash compensation can be adjusted separately or both can be compensated by the same amount. You are working with two exposures on one image and it is just a matter of how the camera options allow the compensation. I would check back to the manual and menu options.</p>

<p>Exposure compensation will offset the camera metering of both ambient and flash in all camera exposure modes.<br /> Flash exposure compensation will offset the flash output in TTL and non-TTL Auto.</p>

<p>PS. Nikon doesn't know how to write manuals that's why Thom Hogan and other can write books about the same topic.</p>