# Nikon D5000 Has a Problem w/ Strobes



## CaitlinBlue (Jul 26, 2010)

I bought a Nikon D5000 on June 22nd. The studio I work at uses up to 4 strobes at a time for the average shoot.
 With my camera on manual and shutter speed at 250 as I start to take  pictures, sometimes every picture, sometimes every 3 pictures taken  1/5-3/4 of a photo will be black. The shutter moved above 250. I thought  it was just me getting used to the camera.
 We kept a close eye on my hands and settings and tested my camera at  the studio a few times. In the meta-data it shows the shutter jumping  from 1/250-1/500 then to 1/90 and sometimes up to 1/1500.
 Twice I tried to exchange it at the local camera store here  (pictureline, salt lake city UT) and each time they send me home with  some other reason they told me it could be. It is still having problems.
 I normally use a pocket wizard, sometimes a sync cord for on location  shoots with a single strobe. The problem happens with or without a  cord, on different strobes and no one else is having that problem or  ever has. My camera doesn't seem to have a problem with a single strobe.  There is not always going to be someone else to lend a  camera at the  studio to me  and I am worried because the camera place doesn't see the  problem (all they do is plug it into 1 strobe and take pictures) and it  doesn't make sense either. When I show them a card from the studio with  the blackout problem they don't know if the shutter is jumping b/c of me  or the camera. 
 Maybe the problem isn't with the strobe at all? If I send it into  Nikon what should I tell them? Does anyone here recognize the problem?  Salt Lake does not have any shops around here that can fix problems  other than cleaning a sensor or lens. I am trying to avoid going a month  without my camera because of sending it in.
 Any suggestions would help! Thank you.
BTW, the camera does fine outside and with a speed-light. The problem is only in the studio with multiple strobes.



 -Caitlin


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## NWK04 (Jul 26, 2010)

Try setting the camera to 200. The D5000, I believe has a max sync speed of 1/200th of a sec. So if you're shooting on Manual at speeds of 1/250th of a sec and above, you'll get the rear curtain to start moving before the front curtain fully opened.

However, I'm just getting into flash and off-camera work, so I hope someone with more experience can prove or disprove my theory.


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## NWK04 (Jul 26, 2010)

P.S. I believe the rear curtain moving is why you're getting 1/5 to 3/4 of the photo in black.


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## Derrel (Jul 26, 2010)

Are you perhaps shooting with the camera in Aperture Priority mode? I find it very odd that the shutter would stay slow,and within the synch limit with one strobe, but with multiple strobes the shutter speeds would go as high as 1/500 or 1/1500 and as slow as 1/90 second: that ALMOST sounds like you have the light meter set to SPOT metering,and the camera in an automatic mode, like Aperture Priority or Programmed mode.


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## Big Mike (Jul 27, 2010)

Yes, if the shutter speed is jumping from shot to shot, then you didn't have the camera in manual.  Are you sure you put the camera in manual and not just the 'auto-manual' focus switch on the lens?  Silly question maybe, but I've seen people make that mistake before.

When you get black bands across the frame when shooting with flash/strobe, it's because the shutter isn't fully open when the flash fires.  The shutter won't be fully open when the shutter speed is above the camera's max sync speed.  So as suggested, keep the shutter speed to 1/200 or even a bit slower, to be safe.  
Rear curtain sync won't cause this problem, by the way....just a too-fast shutter speed.


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## gsgary (Jul 27, 2010)

User error


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## csy690 (Jul 13, 2011)

Hi, I bought my D5000 last Christmas and I came across the exact problem last week first time, part of one photo (1 out of 60 photos) went black!! THis does not happen with D50 or the D60 (both use CCD sensros) that I have before. Coincidently the shutter speed of the photo taken happen to be 1/250, all settings at AUTO/P with flash off and ISO set at Hi1 (6400). 

I thInk this problem got to do with the shutter. I will be bringing the camera to Nikon Canada and see if thy can provide an explanation and/or any possible fix (if this is a defect). I will post the result once I got it.


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## ShutterSpeed (Jul 13, 2011)

could it be that the output is too high on the strobes and they aren't recharging fast enough?


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## gsgary (Jul 13, 2011)

Derrel said:


> Are you perhaps shooting with the camera in Aperture Priority mode? I find it very odd that the shutter would stay slow,and within the synch limit with one strobe, but with multiple strobes the shutter speeds would go as high as 1/500 or 1/1500 and as slow as 1/90 second: that ALMOST sounds like you have the light meter set to SPOT metering,and the camera in an automatic mode, like Aperture Priority or Programmed mode.



I thought the same thing, she is not shooting in manual or is shoot before flashes are ready


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## tirediron (Jul 13, 2011)

Please post a couple of example images *WITH* EXIF data.


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## gsgary (Jul 13, 2011)

csy690 said:


> Hi, I bought my D5000 last Christmas and I came across the exact problem last week first time, part of one photo (1 out of 60 photos) went black!! THis does not happen with D50 or the D60 (both use CCD sensros) that I have before. Coincidently the shutter speed of the photo taken happen to be 1/250, all settings at AUTO/P with flash off and ISO set at Hi1 (6400).
> 
> I thInk this problem got to do with the shutter. I will be bringing the camera to Nikon Canada and see if thy can provide an explanation and/or any possible fix (if this is a defect). I will post the result once I got it.



There is nothing wrong with the camera it is the way you are setting it


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## gsgary (Jul 13, 2011)

Another thing, there is no reason to have your shutter speed at 1/250, 1/125 is where you want to be most of the time most old flash meters work at 1/125


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## Destin (Jul 13, 2011)

gsgary said:


> Another thing, there is no reason to have your shutter speed at 1/250, 1/125 is where you want to be most of the time most old flash meters work at 1/125



+1 set it to 1/125th, and your lowest iso setting, and an aperture suitable for the subject you're shooting. I do most of my studio work at f8-f11, but it depends on what I need.


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## Patrice (Jul 13, 2011)

Guys, you are talking to the deaf here, the thread is _a year old_ and the op has a grand total of _one_ post.


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## gsgary (Jul 13, 2011)

Patrice said:


> Guys, you are talking to the deaf here, the thread is _a year old_ and the op has a grand total of _one_ post.



Someone has always got to spoil our fun


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## SabrinaO (Jul 13, 2011)

I have the d5000 and the sync speed is 200


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## KmH (Jul 13, 2011)

IIRC the D5000 cannot do FP flash sync.


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## csy690 (Jul 14, 2011)

Why are you people keep saying it is all about settings? The Nikon on-line technical support said the same thing too which I do not agree. 

With the camera at full auto (except ISO set at Hi), we should not expect to encounter any problems but in reality it did happen. My friend suggested that there might be a bug in the controlling software (electronic shutter speed) that slow down the shutter to create the black portion. May be what I should try is to manually set the camera at different shutter speeds (1/60, 1/80, 1/100 ... 1/250, 1/500...) and see if I can repoduce the same result.




gsgary said:


> csy690 said:
> 
> 
> > Hi, I bought my D5000 last Christmas and I came across the exact problem last week first time, part of one photo (1 out of 60 photos) went black!! THis does not happen with D50 or the D60 (both use CCD sensros) that I have before. Coincidently the shutter speed of the photo taken happen to be 1/250, all settings at AUTO/P with flash off and ISO set at Hi1 (6400).
> ...


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## jake337 (Jul 14, 2011)

Was the camera set at AEB(auto bracketing) perhaps......


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## gsgary (Jul 14, 2011)

csy690 said:


> Why are you people keep saying it is all about settings? The Nikon on-line technical support said the same thing too which I do not agree.
> 
> With the camera at full auto (except ISO set at Hi), we should not expect to encounter any problems but in reality it did happen. My friend suggested that there might be a bug in the controlling software (electronic shutter speed) that slow down the shutter to create the black portion. May be what I should try is to manually set the camera at different shutter speeds (1/60, 1/80, 1/100 ... 1/250, 1/500...) and see if I can repoduce the same result.
> 
> ...




When using studio lighting there is only 1 mode to shoot in MANUAL


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## Derrel (Jul 14, 2011)

1 out of 60 photos was BLACK....was the lens cap on the lens for that one shot?? Was it an actual "photograph" attempt, or was it perhaps a case of tripping the shutter with the lens capped?


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## Destin (Jul 14, 2011)

Derrel said:


> 1 out of 60 photos was BLACK....was the lens cap on the lens for that one shot?? Was it an actual "photograph" attempt, or was it perhaps a case of tripping the shutter with the lens capped?



OR, did he trip the shutter, and none of his strobes fired. This could be the cause also. 

However, to the OP, depending on what kind of trigger you are using, when the camera is in full auto, it may not recognize that you are shooting with flash, and therefore it would use a shutter speed beyond your max sync speed?

What strobes/triggers are you using? 

Better yet, how the heck are you getting a proper exposure on full auto, when you are using strobes (which aren't ttl compatible, at least none that I've ever heard of anyway)


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## jake337 (Jul 15, 2011)

csy690 said:


> Why are you people keep saying it is all about settings? The Nikon on-line technical support said the same thing too which I do not agree.
> 
> With the camera at full auto (except ISO set at Hi), we should not expect to encounter any problems but in reality it did happen. My friend suggested that there might be a bug in the controlling software (electronic shutter speed) that slow down the shutter to create the black portion. May be what I should try is to manually set the camera at different shutter speeds (1/60, 1/80, 1/100 ... 1/250, 1/500...) and see if I can repoduce the same result.
> 
> ...



Wait, wait, wait, wait... Why would you have the ISO set to HI when using studio flash????


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## gsgary (Jul 15, 2011)

jake337 said:


> csy690 said:
> 
> 
> > Why are you people keep saying it is all about settings? The Nikon on-line technical support said the same thing too which I do not agree.
> ...




Because he has not got a clue what he is doing


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## Destin (Jul 15, 2011)

You simply cannot shoot on AUTO mode when using studio strobes. IT DOESN'T WORK!!!

You have to use manual exposure settings so that they remain 100% consistent.


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## csy690 (Jul 22, 2011)

The flash was OFF the whole time. If I use flash there will be no problem because the shutter is sync at 1/200. 




gsgary said:


> jake337 said:
> 
> 
> > csy690 said:
> ...


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## csy690 (Sep 26, 2011)

Hi guys, good news. After talking to Nikon Canada and re-test the D5000, there is absolutely no problem with the camera, it was a defective SD card that cause the photo distortion. Nothing to do with the shutter at all. That close the case.

As for the Stokes/Studio lighting, it is the temperature of these lighting that throw the D5000 auto metering off. these sudios light are usual high in temperature, with multiple stokes, the temperature will go even higher, in this case auto flash is not recommended, manual settings should be used. The actual output of all the stokes should be checked and then the flash output of the D5000 reduce accordingly. If you find this too much to calculate, try to get a portable metering reader, that can help to find the right exposure combination.


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