Nikon D80 portrait photography w/18-200 VR lens

[leoxxii]

I have used the D80 since March and am about to abandon for all types of indoor photography. No matter how I adjust, the flash does not seem to illuminate subjects as well as my old point and shoot Canon S45.

Is it even possible to render correctly exposed pictures of individuals indoors at night with normal household lighting with this camera? Results have been very disappointing to this point.

Last weekend I tried increasing flash strength, and also ISO speed up to 1600 (terrible noisy results), neither was successful.
PLEASE HELP, I am so frustrated.

 

[Chandrahadi Junarto]

It's hard for me to help you because i don't see the picture result that you take.

Let me remind you, like some photographer and thom hogan said, the 18-200VR lens is to big for internal flash so it can't illuminate the entire object. There will be some shadow from the front lens in the centre bottom of the picture.

If you taking picture with internal flash, just try first the simple following setting:
Matrix Metering, Flash setting: TTl, Auto ISO.

Flash is very harsh light source, so it will illuminate strongly the nearest object.

when the camera metering calculate that the light of the frame is enough to produce a picture then the mirror will shut and block further light come in to the sensor. This condition usually will resulting that the object too illuminate but the background is very dark.

The key to avoid this is to use slower shutter speed. Set to the speed priority and set the speed to 1/30 or slower. The darker the background the slower shutter speed you should set. And the good thing is you can avoid a blur picture by using a VR lens.

Hope this help and please forgive my english because is not my 1st language
--
'See with your eyes - Shoot with your heart..'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/c_junarto/

 

[Dileep Kumar]

Hi,

Pls see whether the below thread is useful.

Best regards,

Dileep

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1034&thread=25431974

 

[Yaxbo]

Try shooting at center or spot metering. Matrix will underexpose it. And try to shoot at M, A or S modes. Hope this helps.

Herbert
http://www.yaxbo.smugmug.com

 

[uncleskull]

Probably the last thing you want to hear is that you need to spend more money, but I strongly suggest you add a Nikon SB600 flash to your outfit.

Sounds like you are asking too much of the pop-up flash. It doesn't have much power to begin with. If you're using the 18-200 towards the long end, you are simply going beyond the range of the flash. Also, the lens' aperature decreases at the long end, further exacerbating the flash problem.

The SB600 will give you much more light output and open up bounce flash capabilities for very pleasing indoor portraits. It has an automatic fill llash function as well. You can couple it wirelessly to the camera's pop-up flash for very nice 2-flash pictures as your flash knowledge progresses (possibly even bounce that SB600 into an umbrella for some not-quite-so-candid portraits)..

--
unc

~ The only things stopping us from reaching our goals are the limitations we place on ourselves ~

 

[moldcore]

I second what uncleskull is saying. The built in flash is nothing more than a toy. I love my SB800.
--
D80, D40, 18-200 VR, 70-300 VR, Sigma 10-20, SB800

 

[been missing out]

Try posting a shot with exif data. That will be the best bet to get accurate feedback.
I can use my pop up with my Sigma @ 70mm, but that's pushing it.

That's 1/2 the reason I bought the SB-800 the other half is off camera capabilities.

--
Happy hunting,

C J