worried about using the 70-200 in low light with flash- any help ?

[sam_clay]

<p>Hiya,</p>

<p>just wondering what I should do please ?<br>

The 70-200 VR11 Nikon is a fab lens, but I want to use it in low light with flash but try not to push the ISO too high on my D600.<br>

Problem is, to get a clear in focus shot at 200mm, we all (well some of us know), we should set the shutter to at least 1/200th to get that clear shot and not worry about blur (given subject is still) etc.<br>

if I put the flash on, (SB700)......In low light, the camera for example says 1/60th of a second for correct exposure, even wide open at 1.8, which means I would have to push the ISO right up to get to the 1/200th I want ideally.<br>

with the flash at say 1/60th using TTL would that help freeze it which means I would have to pay less attention to getting up to 1/200th</p>

<p>is there anything i can do with this in mind ? does the flash mean I don't have to push the shutter speed up to 1/200th ?<br>

thanks for advice </p>

<p> </p>

[hjoseph7]

<p>Not sure about Nikon cameras since I am a Canon owner, but your camera should let you sync at 1/200th... </p>

[howard_m]

<p>the flash duration is on the order of thousandth's of a second so the important shutter speed is the max flash synch speed. you can easily use longer shutter speeds as long as there isn't too much ambient (as that will add ilummination to the image (known as 'dragging the shutter')). </p>

<p>You should really read up on the fundamentals of using flash.</p>

[sam_clay]

<p>does "sync" mean that if I take a shot at 1/60th of a second or even lower - that it "sync" with the flash, basically meaning that even if I shoot at slow shutter speed the flash will make freeze motion in the same way as if it were 1/200th ? sorry its all a bit confusing.</p>

[sam_clay]

<p>GOTCHA !! Thanks ! I understand.</p>

[frode]

<p>Hi<br>

The flash has a _very_ short blink time which will freeze very fast movements. Therefore you normally should worry only when you mix flash light with light from the surroundings (that is when the flash light is about as strong as the light in the environment, for example when you use the flash as a fill light). Then you have a couple of options. You can use a tripod. You can decide that only the parts that are lit by the flash will be sharp. Or you can use a flash with a high speed sync (i.e. flash that can be used with exposure times faster than the camera's sync speed).</p>

<p>What to do will of course be dependent on what you want to achieve. In your example (camera says f/1.8 at 1/60th of a second), one option is to select a small aperture (say f/8) and set the camera at the sync speed (probably around 1/200th of a second). Then the light from the surrounding will not be strong enough (in your example it will be underexposed by aprox 6 stops) to be of any importance and the flash light will dominate. It's short blink will freeze movements. Parts not lit sufficiently by the flash will then be dark which might not be what you wanted. If so, you must mix natural and flash light (use slow sync) which as described over might result in blurry areas where flash is not the dominant light. Have a look here: http://digital-photography-school.com/slow-sync-flash/</p>

<p>Good luck and best wishes,<br>

Frode Langset<br>

(and excuse my English, it is not my native language)</p>

 

[devon_mccarroll]

Sam, regarding sync speed, every camera has a maximum shutter speed that can be used with flash, usually around 1/200 or so (your

manual will tell you what your camera's max sync speed is). If you set your shutter above the sync speed, you'll get a blacked out section

in your photos, because the shutter can't fully open and close in sync with the flash duration.

[sam_clay]

Thanks guys - question for Devon - my camera has auto fp

though which from.my understanding enables the flash to

work at even higher shutter speeds? I guess when you are

using higher shutter speeds over the sync speed this is fill

flash built for sunny days.....

[howard_m]

<p>using that works by making the flash unit flash repeatedly very fast so that the entire image is exposed. this has the negative side-effect of drastically reducing the amount of usable power the flash has.</p>

[frode]

<p>This video explains your camera's auto FP mode (high speed sync):

[William Michael]

<blockquote>

<p>If you set your shutter above the sync speed, you'll get a blacked out section in your photos, because the shutter can't fully open and close in sync with the flash duration:</p>

</blockquote>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/15957692-md.jpg" alt="" width="491" height="680" /></p>

<p>WW</p>

[Palouse]

<p>Shoot in shutter priority, set at 1/250 and let the f-stop vary. You don't say what camera you use, but with most recent models (last 5 years or so) you can shoot anywhere from 100 ISO to 6400.</p>

[steven_clark]

The maximum sync speed of the shutter it's the fastest

setting at which the shutter is completely open instead

of a traveling slit. The actual pulse of the flash is

freakishly fast and not your concern except in that it's

not there long enough for a rolling slit to expose more

than one slits-worth. 80's cameras topped out at 1/60

modern stuff tends to be 1/250 or better. Still, just

using flash as your primary light bumps your effective

shutter speed to about 1/1000 in terms of blur so fast

syncs are usually counterproductive and just emphasize

the flaws of flash lighting by mixing in less outside

light.