Flash too strong

I have my Minotla 7i for about a yr now & still don't know why the flash is so strong & whites out everything

When I take it on auto w/ flash it whitens practically everything I shoot except if the subject is super far. I tried to read up in the forums and try to adjust by using manual but am still having a hard time.

I also bought a Maxxum 5600HS(D) & no improvement either.

Maybe this camera is to advance for me? My other friends’ digitals don’t seem to have this problem on auto. Sometimes I get so frustrated I want to sell my camera. I’m willing to do anything to take to get the flash under control.

Any tips welcome!

Thanks,

ames

Hallo,

I have an "old" D7, but I never experienced this problem. The flash works very well. As main light source as well as fill in light. But I never put the camera on complete auto settings.

When I use the flash I always measure the required exposure time with the camera set on the "A-mode" (apperture controlled). The I switch to the manual mode (M-setting) with the apperture set at the same value as the one use to measure the exposure time. Then I set the time 2 to 3 times shorter than the one came out of the time measurement. The so obtained photo's are perfectly (personal appreciation) lighted.

Of course I am restricted to 1/8 (1/15) of a second to keep the camera in my hand. If the exposure time is longer you need to use a tripod.

But also on the A-mode with the flash popped up, I never saw a extreme too bright photo. Of course You can have the typical flash-photo's with the subject closest to the camera much too bright in relation with the rest.

Mayby You can also check your flash settings. My setting are Flash mode : fill flash, flash comp : 0 and Flashmetering : ADI flash.

Some of the photos on http://home2.pi.be/ivcolman are made among the above discribed procedure

Greetings
Ivan

amesWL said:

I have my Minotla 7i for about a yr now & still don't know why the
flash is so strong & whites out everything

When I take it on auto w/ flash it whitens practically everything I
shoot except if the subject is super far. I tried to read up in
the forums and try to adjust by using manual but am still having a
hard time.

I also bought a Maxxum 5600HS(D) & no improvement either.

Maybe this camera is to advance for me? My other friends’ digitals
don’t seem to have this problem on auto. Sometimes I get so
frustrated I want to sell my camera. I’m willing to do anything to
take to get the flash under control.

Any tips welcome!

Thanks,

ames

Click to expand...

Don't know if i'm correct here, but I think there is a setting in the camera where you can adjust the flash output by up to + - 2 Ev in 0.3 steps. May be that this setting accidentally has been set to +2Ev. Otherwize you may try to weeken the flash by setting it to -0.3Ev or less.

May be this helps ?

Regards

HAL

amesWL said:

Maybe this camera is to advance for me? My other friends’ digitals
don’t seem to have this problem on auto. Sometimes I get so
frustrated I want to sell my camera. I’m willing to do anything to
take to get the flash under control.

Any tips welcome!

Click to expand...

I also think that my HP618 has better auto flash settings than 7Hi, but when I bought 7Hi I was thinking about good manual control not automatic modes...

I feel the inverse about flash; it seems to me that it doesn't "fill" as much as my HP618 when used as main light source. Usually +0,3 or 0,7EV solves "my problem".

If you feel that camera is too advanced for you, keep on reading this forum as soon you'll pass that fase...

Learning arround here,

JP
Lisbon, PORTUGAL

amesWL said:

I have my Minotla 7i for about a yr now & still don't know why the
flash is so strong & whites out everything

When I take it on auto w/ flash it whitens practically everything I
shoot except if the subject is super far. I tried to read up in
the forums and try to adjust by using manual but am still having a
hard time.

I also bought a Maxxum 5600HS(D) & no improvement either.

Maybe this camera is to advance for me? My other friends’ digitals
don’t seem to have this problem on auto. Sometimes I get so
frustrated I want to sell my camera. I’m willing to do anything to
take to get the flash under control.

Any tips welcome!

Thanks,

ames

Click to expand...

I use the D7 & D7i, and have never experienced this problem, when using the onboard flash I have the camera set to fill-in and use a shutter speed of approx 1/60, in shutter priority.
I find red-eye reduction to be a total waste of time.

Normally when using my 3600 flash, this is usually off camera with the flash set to 'wireless'.

Harry

Which set the camera back to a normal state. While in the record menu, make sure the flash is set for FILL flash and either TTL or ADI (I use TTL). Make sure flash compensation is set to 0 and see what this does for u.

Ed

I believe you had tried a lot of setting combination. So if you can post the samples and setting, we can give more accurate possible solution. Any possibility that your TTL/ADI system is faulty.

If you shoot with -2 flash compasation in TTL setting and still bright (overexposed), your flash system on camera is faulty. Go to customer service.

amesWL said:

I have my Minotla 7i for about a yr now & still don't know why the
flash is so strong & whites out everything

When I take it on auto w/ flash it whitens practically everything I
shoot except if the subject is super far. I tried to read up in
the forums and try to adjust by using manual but am still having a
hard time.

I also bought a Maxxum 5600HS(D) & no improvement either.

Maybe this camera is to advance for me? My other friends’ digitals
don’t seem to have this problem on auto. Sometimes I get so
frustrated I want to sell my camera. I’m willing to do anything to
take to get the flash under control.

Any tips welcome!

Thanks,

ames

Click to expand...

There is a minimium flash range. 0.5 m is the range and so, any closer will cause the flash to be too strong. The external flash even stronger and so, it is adviseable to use a bonuce card rather than direct flash. Play around with your flash and you know how to make full use of it. Anyway, it is FOC, right?

Dman

--
http://www.pbase.com/lcklzg

You guys were right. This is just a typical newbie problem. When I adjusted the flash compensation to -2 flash compensation I saw a dramatic difference.
I'm happy with the initial results. My old default setting were -

Auto - P mode
Flash - fill flash
WB – Auto
Exp compensation - 0

I'm so excited now. I'm going out tonight (night pictures are the worst for me) & practice some more w/ all the tips you guys gave me.

Got to spend more time reading all the posts on this forum & learns more tricks.

I love this forum!!

ames

BTW - what is FOC?

amesWL said:

You guys were right. This is just a typical newbie problem. When
I adjusted the flash compensation to -2 flash compensation I saw a
dramatic difference.
I'm happy with the initial results. My old default setting were -

Auto - P mode
Flash - fill flash
WB – Auto
Exp compensation - 0

I'm so excited now. I'm going out tonight (night pictures are the
worst for me) & practice some more w/ all the tips you guys gave me.

Got to spend more time reading all the posts on this forum & learns
more tricks.

I love this forum!!

ames

BTW - what is FOC?

Click to expand...

I didn't say you must set to flash compensation -2 all the time. Flash compensation -2 is just for you to see difference. Normal 0 will do. Under extreme condition + - 1 is enough for me. Eg On carnival on bright sun, I set to + 0.7

btw, if you shoot indoor, you can use bounce flash to ceiling or wall with 5600 HSD. The ceiling should not high enough (4-6 meter). You will love the result.

FOC = free of charge =free