using bounce card on SB-800

[leonard_forte1]

I want to use the bounce card on the nikon sb-800 outdoors to add a catchlight in the eyes. What flash setting should I use?

Should I use manual and adjust the flash power until I get what I want or TTL?

[joe_a2]

Either way would work. Did something come out drastically wrong when you tried it?

[mauricio_orozco]

The bounce will work either way. I do agree with Joe A. If you shoot indoor, I will choose TTL only but if you shoot outdoor, pick TTL / BL ( BL = Balance fill flash .. because you have the sunlight on your side ). If you use the bounce card, tilt the head to 45 or more degree angle, being 45 the best in this case.

[frank_skomial]

Using manual exposure determination, you will think while shooting, and will make sure that you get exposure right.

 

In iTTL mode, in the feaver of action, you could possibly get too much excited, and get too far away from the

subject, or close lens too much, or use ISO too low, and get occasional flash underexposure for the intended fill

effect.

 

All is called experience. So, either way shoot way too many pictures, just to get some of greatness.

 

If in auto mode, I would recommend flash exposure bracketing, as well as exposure bracketing, until you gain some

experience with your gear.

[joseph_wisniewski]

The bounce card is an indoor thing. It's there so that when you're pointing the flash upwards to reflect the "main" light off the ceiling, or pointing it to the side to reflect off a large white wall, you can add a catch light to the eyes and fill a little shadow in the eye sockets and under the nose (a side effect of having the main light above the subject).

 

Outdoors, the SB-800 doesn't have enough power to bounce off the sky, so pointing it upwards is a total waste. You may not get enough light from the flash, and if you do get enough light, the flash may be firing at a very high power level, resulting in short battery life and the possibility of overheating the flash.

 

Point the flash directly at the subjects, and retract the little bounce card. Avoid manual unless you want to figure out a new power setting every time subject to camera distance changes. I'd use TTL-BL, and bring the flash compensation down until you get a catch light you like without "washing out" the natural light look.

 

If you want a higher flash (less chance of redeye, although that's not typically a problem out doors) and a slightly softer look to the light, get a flash bouncer that diverts all of the flash's light forward, not a small fraction (the way the SB-800 bounce card does). A "classic" Lumiquest is perfect.