Flash problems with D70, SB-600 and Tokina 19-35?

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Norm Dresner - 26 Sep 2005 19:20 GMT

I was trying to take some indoor pictures recently with my Nikon D70 and
SB-800. With the Sigma 14mm I got pretty much what I expected, but with the
Tokina 19-35 I got grossly underexposed shots and couldn't get any better
results with +2 stops "compensation". The lens was apparently functioning
"properly" since all outdoor pictures were perfectly exposed. Do I have an
equipment failure I don't recognize or is this a known compatibility issue?

TIA
Norm

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All Things Mopar - 26 Sep 2005 22:57 GMT

Today Norm Dresner spoke these views with conviction for
everyone's edification:

> I was trying to take some indoor pictures recently with my
> Nikon D70 and SB-800. With the Sigma 14mm I got pretty
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> failure I don't recognize or is this a known compatibility
> issue?

Hi, Norm.

I currently own a Nikon Coolpix 5700 which gets exactly what
you describe - really severe underexposures over 1/3 of the
time when shooting car pictures in museums. So, I test-drove a
Nikon 8800 with SB-800 flash this spring but it was no better.

My local camera store manager, whom I reasonably trust, thinks
I will never get good flash pictures with anybody's EVF camera
and strongly suggests a DSLR, but his choice is the Canon
Rebel XT.

Now, I don't want to re-ignite the eternal Canon-Nikon war,
but just to ask if you could expand on the particulars of your
indoor flash problems. For example, are you talking about
pictures in your home or at museums or trade shows or what?
And, at what distances are you trying to shoot? Finally, are
there walls and/or ceilings in your locations that can contain
the flash enegy and/or permit you to use bounce flash?

There's a fellow over in alt.binaries.pictures.autos with a
D70 and SB-800 that gets really good flash pictures at both
auto shows that are well-lit and car museums which are pretty
dank.

Any clarification and/or advice for me would be most
appreciated. I'm sorry I can't be of much help to you, except
to empathize with your frustration.

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ATM, aka Jerry

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Sheldon - 27 Sep 2005 02:45 GMT

>I was trying to take some indoor pictures recently with my Nikon D70 and
>SB-800. With the Sigma 14mm I got pretty much what I expected, but with
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> TIA
> Norm

I have a D70 with an SB800 and found that I have to spend some time learning
the ins and outs of the flash, and what I can and can't do with certain
lenses. Many of the lenses I use are older AI lenses. By using the
automatic mode on the flash and manual on the camera I've been able get a
lot of good photos. I don't know about you, but using the flash in TTL mode
doesn't always do it for me, even with the latest lenses, although you'd
think it would be perfect every time.

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DD (Rox) - 27 Sep 2005 12:23 GMT

> >I was trying to take some indoor pictures recently with my Nikon D70 and
> >SB-800. With the Sigma 14mm I got pretty much what I expected, but with
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> doesn't always do it for me, even with the latest lenses, although you'd
> think it would be perfect every time.

I tried using the SB-800 in TTL mode with a manual focus lens last night
and the camera wouldn't fire unless I was in M mode. The results were
not quite as good as in Amode.

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Norm Dresner - 27 Sep 2005 13:43 GMT

1. The Tokina 19-35mm lens is a "D"-type lens with a CPU that gives perfect
pictures out of doors, coupling to the D70's metering system just fine.
That certainly doesn't explain what happened.

2. Using a newly purchased Nikon 18-35mm "D" lens, I got perfect flash
pictures in all situations with the D70 and the SB-800 so the Tokina's focal
length isn't an issue for the flash either since I used the Nikon at similar
focal lengths.

3. This was the first time I'd tried using the D70 / SB-800 / Tokina 19-35
combination but the D70 & SB-800 have produced fine pictures with every
other lens I've tried it with [except a Sigma 14mm in the process of
dying -- but that's another story].

I'm going to try some controlled tests at home with the D70 & SB-800 to see
if the problem persists. IN any event, since I've now got the Nikon 18-35,
I'll be selling the Tokina soon.

Norm

>> >I was trying to take some indoor pictures recently with my Nikon D70 and
>> >SB-800. With the Sigma 14mm I got pretty much what I expected, but with
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
> and the camera wouldn't fire unless I was in M mode. The results were
> not quite as good as in Amode.

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All Things Mopar - 27 Sep 2005 15:46 GMT

Today Norm Dresner spoke these views with conviction for
everyone's edification:

> I'm going to try some controlled tests at home with the D70
> & SB-800 to see if the problem persists. IN any event,
> since I've now got the Nikon 18-35, I'll be selling the
> Tokina soon.

Whilst this is a DSLR NG and I've only tried a couple of Nikon
EVFs, my opinions aren't really on-topic, but I would like to
comment on your idea above.

On both my 5700 with Sunpak 433D Nikon-compatible external and
the 8800/SB-800 combo, I had /no/ problems in "normal" indoor
shooting, such as the camera store, my house rooms, basement,
garage, etc.

But, as soon as I went outdoors at night and tried to shoot cars
in my garage, everything fell apart. And, I had nothing but
trouble shooting cars in the Walter P. Chrysler Museum. Now, I'm
well aware of the multiple problems associated with shooting
flash at highly reflective subjects, but what I concluded about
test shots around the house is that they weren't representative
of the challenges of museum shooting, as there's no walls or
ceilings to help contain the flash pulse and re-direct the light
energy back on the subject.

Just my experience and opinion, YMMV.

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ATM, aka Jerry

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Sheldon - 29 Sep 2005 00:53 GMT

> Today Norm Dresner spoke these views with conviction for
> everyone's edification:
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
>
> Just my experience and opinion, YMMV.

Try using the diffuser. It ain't perfect, but it seems to help a lot on
shiny objects.

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All Things Mopar - 29 Sep 2005 03:17 GMT

Today Sheldon spoke these views with conviction for
everyone's edification:

> Try using the diffuser. It ain't perfect, but it seems to
> help a lot on shiny objects.

Damn! Sheldon, where the heck were you back in April when I
bought, tested, but returned a Nikon 8800 with SB-800? <grin>

I guess I have to shake my head and say "well, duh!". I didn't
even take the diffuser out of the box, and in 3 discussions with
the camera store manager, once before and twice during my test-
drive, he never once mentioned using the diffuser to help the
reflections.

Maybe I'll take a look at Sunpak's web site to see if there's a
diffuser I can buy cheap for my current 433D and see if that
helps me with my 5700 problem.

Thanks for the /very/ helpful suggestion! If my dearly departed
mother were still around, she'd say "Jerry, you can't see the
forest for the trees!".

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ATM, aka Jerry

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All Things Mopar - 27 Sep 2005 15:40 GMT

Today Sheldon spoke these views with conviction for
everyone's edification:

> I have a D70 with an SB800 and found that I have to spend
> some time learning the ins and outs of the flash, and what
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> the latest lenses, although you'd think it would be perfect
> every time.

When I test drove the 8800/SB-800 combo this spring, I also
found that "auto" did better than "TTL" but still was pretty bad
for me. I only played with manual on the camera a little, maybe
I should've done that more but I was pissed off that $1,400
worth of camera and flash couldn't consistantly expose correctly
and I didn't want to play with either estimating distances for
full manual and GN calculated exposures or buy a laser range
finder to get the distance.

So, in my case, I'm still looking but haven't made up my mind
yet what to try next.

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ATM, aka Jerry

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