Flash issues: D50

[ArielNH]

New to the forum! Hi folks. Although I've searched, and RTFM , I can't resolve an issue with my new D50 - refurbished by Nikon. All indoor photos with flash, whether auto mode or manual, fail, although the flash unit deploys. There is output, but no pre-flash. Underexposed to the point of no image, or obviously underexposed if taken e.g. in daylight by a window with flash. With flash disabled, a recognisable image is produced. I don't know whether I have inadvertently messed up flash synchronisation? The flash is set to TTL and ISO is 400. Kit lens. Perhaps someone could suggest a way forward? Thanks.

 

[wijnands]

Sample? Does it actually flash? Did you reset the camera?
--
Don't wait for the Nikon D-whatever, have fun now!
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[ArielNH]

Hi: the results can be so dark that samples probably won't help I've reset as suggested and no difference. The flash seems quite powerful, but maybe its out of time with the shutter.

 

[pavi1]

Samples with exif always help even if black.

Hi: the results can be so dark that samples probably won't help
I've reset as suggested and no difference. The flash seems quite
powerful, but maybe its out of time with the shutter.

--
Everything happens for a reason. #1 reason: poor planning

 

[ocrampix]

There is output, but no pre-flash.

You cannot see the pre-flash.

The pre-flash is not one single visible flash, then a long time nothing and then the visible main flash.

Pre-flash and main flash are separated by only a few milliseconds unnoticeable by our slow brains.

Anyway, from your description it sounds as though your flash has gone in search of the great eternal light.

If setting your D50 to "Auto" (green) and then using the flash there is still no satisfactory result, then you may very well have a malfunctioning flash that needs to be repaired.

Marco

 

[ArielNH]

Yes Marco, I think you may be right! Thanks for the info re the pre-flash, BTW. Anyway, wijnand here are a couple of samples, if this works. First taken when flash was OK, second when trouble started.

 

[wijnands]

No exif. Doesn't look like that flash has fired but I'd like to confirm that. What's the url to your flickr stream (see my sig below for example)
--
Don't wait for the Nikon D-whatever, have fun now!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/j_wijnands/

 

[Hide Takahashi]

..I immediately found why. First, make sure your flash is in the camera's hot shoe completely, or it won't fire sometimes. And the flash goes into sleep mode when you're not using it constantly. Though when you press the shutter,it's supposed to reactivate the flash, but sometimes it just doesn't. Not knwoing that,if you take a picture,the flash won't fire. Make sure that your flash is ready to fire.

Form your explanation of your flash problems, I suspect that your flash didn't fire.
Or you used a very small apperture,resulting in a very underexposed image.

Hide
--



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http://www.pbase.com/coffee/humming_birds_by_d50

 

[ArielNH]

wijnands: here's the URL. http://flickr.com/photos/malahide/

Re Hide's comments: I'm using the built-in flash and it does seem to work every time. However it's late to the races. Or early maybe! Thanks for your input.

 

[wijnands]

I had a look at those two. Your camera clearly is under the impression that it's firing the flash but the output is nowhere near what it should have been. I don't see any signs of flash underexposure but check the top lcd regardless.



If flash underexposure is set the the symbol with the lighting and the +- would be lit (directly above af-s)

If that is not set then I'd say contact nikon, even on a refurbished model you should have warranty.
--
Don't wait for the Nikon D-whatever, have fun now!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/j_wijnands/

 

[ocrampix]

Yes Marco, I think you may be right! Thanks for the info re the
pre-flash, BTW. Anyway, wijnand here are a couple of samples, if
this works. First taken when flash was OK, second when trouble
started.

Well, the essential EXIF data is missing from all your pictures, even the bigger sizes ones on your flickr page, but it seems to me that the flash did not fire.

What you could do is to take a picture in a mirror using the flash while holding the camera at about chest level. Like that you will definitely be able to see the flash and you'll be taking a picture of this at the same time.

If there is no flashing flash in the photo, but the flash fired anyway, I'm afraid that your D50 is broken for flash photography with the built-in flash. The last hope would be to use an external flash that slips into the hot-shoe of your D50 or to get your D50 repaired.

Marco

 

[ArielNH]

Pity it has to go back on the 12th day of xmas! Got it as present so only used since then other than a few test shots in November. Has 6 months Nikon warranty. Re exif, i think its all there Marco: http://flickr.com/photo_exif.gne?id=2168965906&context=photostream

Flash definitely firing, as I've found to my discomfort when holding it away from my face! Mirror also confirms - might be a sync issue, but only guessing. Exposure seems OK without flash. Off to Nikon or the seller then it will go. Thanks all for looking and taking the trouble to respond

 

[ocrampix]

Pity it has to go back on the 12th day of xmas! Got it as present so
only used since then other than a few test shots in November. Has 6
months Nikon warranty. Re exif, i think its all there Marco:
(flickr . com/photo_exif.gne?id=2168965906&context=photostream)

OK, thanks.

Flash definitely firing, as I've found to my discomfort when holding
it away from my face! Mirror also confirms - might be a sync issue,
but only guessing. Exposure seems OK without flash. Off to Nikon or
the seller then it will go. Thanks all for looking and taking the
trouble to respond

Just out of curiosity, have you tried firing the built-in flash in manual mode?

Go to menu item #16 and select "Manual" and if you wish, select the "Power" as well.

Marco

 

[ArielNH]

Hmm. At 1/500 and F22 @ 1/16 flash power I got a reasonable shot. Does this give a clue?

 

[wijnands]

Weird. Must have been bright light then. Anyway, I think you could expect that the flash works and given Nikon's rigid position on warranty I'd get it fixed ASAP.
--
Don't wait for the Nikon D-whatever, have fun now!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/j_wijnands/

 

[Bob Walters]

I notice you didn't directly reply to the suggestion of checking your flash compensation. Have you done that?

Be sure both your exposure compensation and your flash compensation are set to zero, at least for testing.

As you know, exposure compensation effects both the flash and ambient exposure while flash compensation effects primarily just the subject when using iTTL flash.

Bob
--

 

[Kim Letkeman]

Hmm. At 1/500 and F22 @ 1/16 flash power I got a reasonable shot.
Does this give a clue?

Why in the world would you shoot at f22?

The flash has only so much power ... f22 is at least 5 stops down from wide open ... which 1/32 of the amount of light. That's basically dark.

Shoot wide open.

--
http://letkeman.net/Photos
http://kimletkeman.blogspot.com

 

[ArielNH]

I shot close range: 1/16 was the only way to prevent gross overexposure at 1/500. Wide open = minimal depth of field. Why do that?

 

[ArielNH]

Hi Bob. Both are set to nil.

 

[Kim Letkeman]

I shot close range: 1/16 was the only way to prevent gross
overexposure at 1/500. Wide open = minimal depth of field. Why do
that?

Nikon flashes are perfectly capable of cutting back their exposures to allow you to shoot close. I shoot macro from 8 inches on TTL ... and I sometimes have trouble getting enough light at F22.

Since light diminishes by the square of the distance ... F22 from a few feet away may very well be dark.

Try f4 ...

By the way ... F22 is not really used on any dSLRs any more ... diffraction starts around f16 for 6mp dSLRs and f11 for 10mp dSLRs. You can use it to increase your depth of field, but you shouldn't do it as a default aperture.

--
http://letkeman.net/Photos
http://kimletkeman.blogspot.com