poor TTL from the S@

[jbfocus]

I have used the S2 for 5 weddings and still have to say the TTL is just poor. I have to be careful to drop the flash comp down to-1 to get close ups during the dance or raise it up if the bride is coming down the aisle it is crazy to be spending so much time adjusting the flash comp and still ending up with blown highlights on some photos. I tried the stofin and even at +1 comp the photos were drastically under exposed. I don't know if it because of using a Metz 54 flash instead of Nikon. I find it so hard to believe when someone says I get great accurate TTL exposure it just seems impossible to believe if you really are tell me how. I have tried program mode, Aperture even shutter priority and there is not one that will give you constant exposure when moving farther or closer the 15 feet away from the subject. Please help
Jimmy Z.

[memobug]

Wow. Sorry you are having trouble. You might try a different flash. I used the Metz 45CL & Mamiya 645AF and never did shoot a paying project in TTL mode, so I can't give you much info there.

I think it would be a good idea to get this dialed in a controlled environment before a sixth wedding gets affected. :(

Regards,

Matt

[PaulN]

I've seen posts like yours in the fourms in Steve's Digicams and DPReview and the general consensus is to get a Nikon Flash. I use the SB28 DX that's left over from my D1 days and it works fine.

[jbfocus]

You have no problem with the TTL with a nikon flash? ou can get in close with out over exposure? or from a distance over 15 feet you still get proper exposure?

[PaulN]

I'm probably not pushing the system as much as you are. Most of my shots are between 2-5 meters. I connect the flash on a Stroboframe and use the Nikon SC-17 adaptor to the hot shoe. Also, I just keep -.5 flash comp dialed in on the camera and that seems to work better for both the SB-28 DX and the built in flash. Also, I've had better luck using P than A, S, or M. I think initially I was trying to outthink the thing and confusing it. Most of my flash shots are portraits with simple outdoor backgrounds. Mainly use for fill. So far, seems to work OK.

[Tom V]

I would say that it is your flash system that is not up to the job of using TTL on a digital camera.

TTL systems work by measuring the light off the film plane, either off a pattern printed on the shutter curtains or off the film surface itself, or both. A digital camera's sensor has a much different surface than a shutter curtain or that of film, and so it reflects light much differently -which confuses the camera's internal TTL sensors (inside the mirror box). That is why Nikon makes SB- series flash units. They are almost exactly the same as S- series flash units except they are tailored to read from the digital sensor surface (as well as film surfaces). I doubt that your Metz flash can get accurate results with TTL off a digital camera. It would probably work fine with a film camera.

Moose Peterson at the www.nikondigital.org website has a lot of practical tips for using flash on Nikon digital cameras. Apparently, not all of Nikon's SB-series flashes work exactly the way you would think, but if you understand the flashes' features, functions and shortcomings, you can get the images you want.

That is the way I understand it anyway.:rolleyes:

[Djordie]

I have the same problem with my Metz 54.
I bought a "Two Way bounce Card" from Stofen Store and the problem seems to be over.

Http://www.stofen.com


Regards,

Theo

[jbfocus]

I ordered a Nikon sb80dx flash so I will test it to see if there is a difference in the TTL compared to the Mez. i will let you know what I find.

[teski]

Hopefully the SB80 solves your issue Jimmy. Keep us updated!

Teski

[Djordie]

hello Jimmy,

I am curious to hear your results after you got your SB80 flash.
If it is better indeed, I have no choice and should buy a Nikon SB80 too.

regards,

Theo

[jbfocus]

I am still waiting for the Nikon flash to arrive but I have found I get better detail in the white "not as blown out" and the TTL seems more accurate when I have the ISO set to 200. Try it if you have the same TTL problems as me and see if it helps.

[jbfocus]

I bought the Nikon SB-80DX flash in hopes of getting better TTL results then with the Metz 54mz3 I had originally purchased when I bought the S2. I have to say I did not see any improvement when using the SB-80DX flash. I had felt that I would see a marked improvement since many had claimed that the TTL would be much more accurate with a Nikon flash. I was disappointed and still got blown out photos when I got close to the subject. I don't suffer from underexposure as many seem to. So I sent the Nikon flash back and will continue on with the Metz and perhaps a stofin when I approach a subject for a close up.

[memobug]

I haven't seen any of the photos, but if the subject is just a small portion of an otherwise dark frame, and the church walls and pews are well back, any flash might burn out the subject, unless maybe you bounce or are on center weighted metering.

Maybe a "D" lens would help too, to tell the camera, "Hey, the target is 5' away, not clear back against the wall."

But I haven't seen the picture, so I am just yakkin'

Regards,

Matt