Please help with 2 questions on my new D80

I have acquired a D80 recently and am very happy with it. Just have 2 questions that I cannot find the answers for in the manuals:

1. What does it mean when the Flash Exposure compensation indicator is blinking?

2. Why does the auto ISO only adjust the ISO when the flash is off? i.e. The camera is in Apreture mode and will adjust the ISO up to the value I set, but as soon as the flash is turned on, the ISO goes to the static value I set manually?

I am sure it is working correctly, I just want to understand it better.
Appreciate the help!

monhaj said:

I have acquired a D80 recently and am very happy with it. Just have 2
questions that I cannot find the answers for in the manuals:

1. What does it mean when the Flash Exposure compensation indicator
is blinking?

2. Why does the auto ISO only adjust the ISO when the flash is off?
i.e. The camera is in Apreture mode and will adjust the ISO up to the
value I set, but as soon as the flash is turned on, the ISO goes to
the static value I set manually?

Click to expand...

Auto iso does work with the flash, But the flash adds another component to the equation.

With flash on, the camera will revert to the base iso you have set and the flash will fire at the required output. The iso will not increase UNLESS the flash does not have enough power to illuminate the scene.

Try it outside at night or in a large hall where the flash dosn't have enough power to illuminate the scene. You will then see the ISO raised to effectivly increase the flash range.

Darin

--
David



. . . shoot like there's no film in the thing!

Thank you Darin! Will try it tonight...
Do you also know what the blinking Flash Exposure compensation indicator means?

monhaj said:

1. What does it mean when the Flash Exposure compensation indicator
is blinking?

Click to expand...

Monhaj,

IS it really the Flash Exposure compensation indicator flashing (the one with + - in the square block) or is it the Flash indicator (lightning bolt) in the viewfinder, correct? Try page 132 of the manual. There could be several reasons depending on your exact circumstances/configuration.

If it is truly the Flash Exposure indicator flashing, I also can't find any reason in the manual for it to flash.
--
Sincerely,
BradV.

Yes, I have confirmed that it is definitely the Flash Compensation Indicator blinking and Page 132 does not show it.

Also, I have now tried Darin's earleir suggestion of taking a shot in a very large hall with the Auto ISO set on and set to 1600. Unfortunately, what you siad would happen does NOT happen. It still shot the picture at the fixed ISO setting of 100. This does not occur if a lower the flash in the same situation.

Any other suggestions welcome!

monhaj said:

Yes, I have confirmed that it is definitely the Flash Compensation
Indicator blinking and Page 132 does not show it.

Also, I have now tried Darin's earleir suggestion of taking a shot in
a very large hall with the Auto ISO set on and set to 1600.
Unfortunately, what you siad would happen does NOT happen. It still
shot the picture at the fixed ISO setting of 100. This does not occur
if a lower the flash in the same situation.

Any other suggestions welcome!

Click to expand...

Hmm interesting.

So the pic taken in the hall must have been underexposed then, as the flash wouldn't have had enough power to light it.

This is definitely how the D40 works so I assumed the D80 would do the same.
Sorry I can't help then
Darin

The Flash Compensation is blinking probably because it is telling you that you are lacking x amount of compensation to expose properly. You can try to up the ISO manually (since your Auto ISO doesn't seem to do it) to compensate.