# Using Manual Flash Setting on SB-600



## kirbym2 (Jan 11, 2012)

Hi Everyone,

Having a heck of a time understanding my flash.  The more I read, the more it becomes apparent that mastering lighting is so key to getting great photographs.  I've been researching GN's, trying to understand the relationship between ambient light and flash, which aperture is appropriate (and why), etc.  

I feel like I'm at a place now where I can put some of this learning into practice.  My question is around using Manual Settings (vs iTTL).  As I understand the flash will fire at 1/1 power unless I adjust.  Do I adjust this power setting on the flash itself, on the camera (D7000), or both?

Sorry, may be a silly question, just can't quite wrap my head around it.

Thanks!


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## jwbryson1 (Jan 11, 2012)

I have a D90 and an SB-700 but, like you, both are Nikon products and I'm assuming (maybe incorrectly) that they will work the same way.  On my D90, I can make the change in the camera body itself in the custom settings menu and I don't have to physically touch the flash to make the changes.  It works through the custom settings in the camera.  I would suspect (but I'm not 100% certain) that it works the same way with the D7000 and SB-600.

Best suggestions -- read the manuals.


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## gsgary (Jan 11, 2012)

One thing to remember when using flash is aperture controls your flash exposure and shutter speed controls your ambient exposure and so can ISO


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## KmH (Jan 11, 2012)

kirbym2 said:


> As I understand the flash will fire at 1/1 power unless I adjust.  Do I adjust this power setting on the flash itself, on the camera (D7000), or both?
> 
> 
> Thanks!


Both. See page 225 of the D7000 user's manual and pages 34-37 of the SB-600 user's manual.


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## kirbym2 (Jan 11, 2012)

[/QUOTE]Both. See page 225 of the D7000 user's manual and pages 34-37 of the SB-600 user's manual.[/QUOTE]

Thanks!  I'm comfortable make the changes in both the camera and flash, however was uncertain if by setting both I would be enhancing the effect.  If I set the flash to half power, I didn't want to set the camera to half as well if it would essentially double the effect (1/2 of 1/2 so to speak).

Hope that made sense.

Thanks again!


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## Rephargotohp (Jan 11, 2012)

gsgary said:


> One thing to remember when using flash is aperture controls your flash exposure and shutter speed controls your ambient exposure and so can ISO


Let's clean up this statement a little to make it more useful.

Shutter speed will only affect ambient light, Whether that is the background or ambient light falling on the subject. If your background is too light or dark relative to your subject (flash light) Adjusting the shutter speed will change the background without affecting your subjects flash lighting

Flash power will only affect Flash light on the subject. If you subject is too dark or too light, adjust flash power

Aperture will affect everything, If the overall scene Background + Flash is too dark or too light. Aperture will change everything. ISO will too

Get a good exposure onyour background with some lattitude in the shutter speed up to Sync speed. Then bring in your subject and adjust flash power till there is a good balance. A light meter would speed the process by measuring the ambient and setting flash output accordingly. But quite honestly you can look for balance by Chimping ( notice I said balance not exposure)


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## Rephargotohp (Jan 11, 2012)

Both. See page 225 of the D7000 user's manual and pages 34-37 of the SB-600 user's manual.[/QUOTE]

Thanks! I'm comfortable make the changes in both the camera and flash, however was uncertain if by setting both I would be enhancing the effect. If I set the flash to half power, I didn't want to set the camera to half as well if it would essentially double the effect (1/2 of 1/2 so to speak).

Hope that made sense.

Thanks again![/QUOTE]

I don't have the time to check the manuals at the moment but would the answer be "Both" or "Either"?


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## kirbym2 (Jan 11, 2012)

I took the answer to mean both.  If my desire is to have my flash output at 1/2 power, then I must set both the camera and the flash to 1/2 power.  

If I'm mistaken here, please let me know.  I would love to control everything from the camera, and not touch the flash (or at least as little as possible).

Thanks!


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## Vtec44 (Jan 11, 2012)

My understand is that the camera's flash settings affect the popup flash only.  The settings on your SB600 will take over once you have it on the camera.


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## Rephargotohp (Jan 11, 2012)

Well according to the manual from In Camera you can adjust the power of both the Po-up and the Group Flashes (OCF) independently. The way I interpret it ( and I don't shoot Nikon) is that it is "Either" and not both which to me would be stupid if that was the case. 
And watching Joe Macnally work I never saw him go to the flash to adjust power, just the back of his camera.

But I don't know and I don't have a NIkon to test

Keithe shoots Nikons so he should know

Keith is it either or both?


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## KmH (Jan 11, 2012)

kirbym2 said:


> I took the answer to mean both.  If my desire is to have my flash output at 1/2 power, then I must set both the camera and the flash to 1/2 power.
> 
> If I'm mistaken here, please let me know.  I would love to control everything from the camera, and not touch the flash (or at least as little as possible).
> 
> Thanks!


My bad. No. You only need to set one or the other.

The D7000 communicates with the SB-600. When you set it to 1/2 power in the D7000 commander mode menu, the D7000 just sends a signal conveying that value to the SB-600 that changes the power setting to 1/2.



> Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinquishable from magic. - Arthur C. Clarke


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## Rephargotohp (Jan 11, 2012)

Thanks Keith


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