SB 16 Flash, compatible with our camera?

[rgalang]

Hi everyone, I'm a proud S2Pro owner!

So I've sunk in some money on AFS lenses and I'm almost tapped. I'm considering the SB80DX or SB80 Flash, but I dont' do a lot of flash photography.

I have an SB 16A and B (used for my old F3) and want to know if it's compatible. I was able to connect the flash through cable and found that the photos were really 'hot'. way over exposed. I set the flash on TTL. Any suggestions would be great. But don't be afraid to tell me to dump the SB 16 either.

Thanks in advance,
Raymond

[Tom Nolle]

I found that you have to set the lens opening (A priority) to get TTL to work with the SB16, and it was so darn inconvenient for me to use that I just don't bother.

[Tom Nolle]

I've done some more fiddling with the SB16, and it turns out it's not so bad. Some of the material on how to use the flash with the N80 or its derivatives (like the S2) isn't on th money. You can use the standard flash modes the SB16 supported with the older Nikon bodies (standard TTL, multi-sensor balanced fill, etc.) but not the 3D type. Rear curtain sync also works, and apparently slow sync as well. It seems to work best in Aperature priority so you can set the depth of field by setting the f-stop, but it will work in P mode as well as long as you watch what stop is being selected. The nice thing about the SB16 is that it has really long range--out to about 70 feet with ASA400. I tried a couple shots at ASA800 and they seemed to work, but more testing there would be needed.

Tom

[rgalang]

i'll try your suggestions. i tried using the flash with aperture priority. unfortunately, the camera doesn't seem to resond to the flash.

ex: indoors with indoor light. reading is f5.6 at 1/8s. if the camera knew that there was a flash, it should expose at 1/125. but it itsn't and the effect is slow shutter speed with flash, in effect waaay overexposed.

i'll keep playing with it, maybe i have some settings wrong on the camera?

thanks again,
raymond

[Tom Nolle]

I don't think the camera is failing to recognize the flash; it may just be that the viewfinder notification of flash isn't present. I checked mine with a very slow shutter speed (half-second), so it should have been a disaster of blur because it was still partly lighted, and the scene was sharp. I do think the SB16 tends to overexpose. You might also try the A2/A1 modes and set the film speed and let the flash do the metering. You can exposure compensate in flash mode; it seems to be about 1.5 stops hot in standard mode, but I tried it on a room with a lot of light-colored elements.