On-camera fill-in (but very subtly) flash

Anyone have any experience with using on-camera (in my case a D70) flash for
daylight fill-in?

I'm after achieving a very subtle lift of subject tones when shooting
people, mostly outdoors - in other words, I don't want the flash effect to
be at all obvious. Just firing off at default fill-in settings hardly
produces a natural effect, and I wondered whether anyone had done tests and
arrived at a flash level which might achieve what I'm after.

Nothing I couldn't eventually determine for myself given time, I admit, but
time is in short supply at present...

Thanks.

RM

Roger Moss (BINTHISBIT) wrote:

Anyone have any experience with using on-camera (in my case a D70) flash for
daylight fill-in?

I'm after achieving a very subtle lift of subject tones when shooting
people, mostly outdoors - in other words, I don't want the flash effect to
be at all obvious. Just firing off at default fill-in settings hardly
produces a natural effect, and I wondered whether anyone had done tests and
arrived at a flash level which might achieve what I'm after.

With Canon flashes it's typically - 1 2/3's to - 2 stops underexposure
for the flash, sometimes less or more depending on the reflectivity of
the subject. This typically fills in shadows a bit and improves the
color balance without looking "flashed" or fake.

I heard it's often a bit different with Nikon's system but for sure
start at -1 and go even less if required. Only way to really tell is
to run off a few test snaps.

Bill

Roger Moss wrote:

Anyone have any experience with using on-camera (in my case a D70) flash for
daylight fill-in?

I'm after achieving a very subtle lift of subject tones when shooting
people, mostly outdoors - in other words, I don't want the flash effect to
be at all obvious. Just firing off at default fill-in settings hardly
produces a natural effect, and I wondered whether anyone had done tests and
arrived at a flash level which might achieve what I'm after.

Nothing I couldn't eventually determine for myself given time, I admit, but
time is in short supply at present...

Thanks.

RM


Use a few thicknesses of Kleenex over the flash unit.
This attenuates and softens the light.
Play around with 2-6 thicknesses of Kleenex to get the exact effect you
want. Very versatile, cheap and you can fine tune the effect.
Bob Williams

Roger Moss wrote:
Anyone have any experience with using on-camera (in my case a D70)
flash for daylight fill-in?

I'm after achieving a very subtle lift of subject tones when shooting
people, mostly outdoors - in other words, I don't want the flash
effect to be at all obvious. Just firing off at default fill-in
settings hardly produces a natural effect, and I wondered whether
anyone had done tests and arrived at a flash level which might
achieve what I'm after.

Nothing I couldn't eventually determine for myself given time, I
admit, but time is in short supply at present...

Thanks.

Select matrix or centre-weighted metering, (by holding in the left-hand
button behind the shutter-release button and operating the main command
wheel) and set the mode dial to mode P, S or A. Make sure flash is set to
TTL (Menu item 19). This gives correctly balanced fill-in flash. Do not use
spot-metering in any of these modes. Then set the flash sync icon to the
desired type of synchronisation by cycling the various options, (holding
down the pop-up flash button whilst using the main command wheel..) In
effect you can only select front curtain sync or red-eye reduction sync.

Alternatively, and much easier, setting the D70 to one of the auto modes on
the mode dial (close-up, portrait, action, or auto) will automatically set
up the camera for balanced fill-in flash, but you still have to select the
flash sync mode icon as above.

Spot metering will change the flash to full TTL mode.

Make sure you do not have flash exposure compensation set to a + value. If
the results are still not balanced to your liking, you may try setting a
flash exposure compensation to a - value. Experiment!

You can only achieve this when using a CPU lens on the camera.

Dennis.

Roger Moss (BINTHISBIT) wrote:
Anyone have any experience with using on-camera (in my case a D70) flash for
daylight fill-in?
Yep. Lots.


I'm after achieving a very subtle lift of subject tones when shooting
people, mostly outdoors - in other words, I don't want the flash effect to
be at all obvious. Just firing off at default fill-in settings hardly
produces a natural effect
Yes, it looks just like you have used a flash in daylight! (O; Apart
from dialling it down a bit, I also use a little diffuser to take away
the unnatural sharpness - you can buy them, or if cheap like me use
kleenex as suggested above.. Or for a far better effect, I use a
little cardboard structure that slips onto the flash, and supports an
area of drafting film* of about 1.5"x3.5" out in front of the flash,
sort of like a tiny softbox.

(* ie thin, translucent tracing paper - try an office supplies shop, or
your nearest architects office..)

, and I wondered whether anyone had done tests and
arrived at a flash level which might achieve what I'm after.
You'll get varying recommendations of dialling down the flash by
between -.5 and -2 stops - find out for yourself what works..
Personally, I most commonly use -2/3 of a stop, but that's on different
cameras..

Anyone have any experience with using on-camera (in my case a D70) flash for
daylight fill-in?

FWIW, there's another reason to use a tiny bit of flash outdoors when
photographing people. After you take the shot, you can ask if
everyone saw the flash. If everyone did, no one was blinking.

-Joel


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"Dr. Joel M. Hoffman" wrote in message
...
Anyone have any experience with using on-camera (in my case a D70) flash
for
daylight fill-in?

FWIW, there's another reason to use a tiny bit of flash outdoors when
photographing people. After you take the shot, you can ask if
everyone saw the flash. If everyone did, no one was blinking.

-Joel

Well, I wouldn't have thought of that one...

Thanks for all your input, constructive as ever (no trolls here so far).

FWIW: The background to this thread is that I used an SB24 Speedlight and
Nikon F5 combination very successfully for years, but having to shoot
digital for just about everything these days means that, since the SB24
isn't compatible with the D70 (thanks for that, Nikon) and the SB800 is more
than I can run to at present, I thought I'd try to get the little on-camera
flash tweaked. Its low power rating won't be an issue for minimal fill-in
use.

RM

...Suggest you also visit the 'Eyes Closed' thread for an alternative
view.. no pun intended of course.

Dr. Joel M. Hoffman wrote:
Anyone have any experience with using on-camera (in my case a D70) flash for
daylight fill-in?

FWIW, there's another reason to use a tiny bit of flash outdoors when
photographing people. After you take the shot, you can ask if
everyone saw the flash. If everyone did, no one was blinking.

-Joel


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Free Bible and Mishna printouts in Hebrew: http://liturgy.exc.com/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------