80-400 with SB-600 Flash

[vanveen]

Dear all,

I am currently using the following setup: Nikon D80+Nikon 80-400 VR lens. Sometimes, in relatively low light situation, I need to use my SB 600 flash with it (the internal one does not have enough range). I am a novice in flash photography and confronted with several questions:

- The maximum "automatic" focal distance on the SB-600 is 85mm. With birds, I am often at 400mm. Which "rule" could I use to set up the flash optimally?
- At which maximum speed do you think I can use the flash? I assume the answer is 1/200mm (the flash sync speed). Does that hold even if there is a lot of light but that my bird is simply in the shadow?

Thanks for your answers,

Olivier

[Doug Greenberg]

If you want more reach for your flash you will need to acquire a tele-flash device such as the "Better Beamer" made by Visual Echoes. This uses a fresnel lens to concentrate your flash beam, which renders it effective at longer distances. You set the flash zoom for 50mm. and leave it there.

Your second question suggests some of the big issues related to all teleflash bird photography. If you use your fastest synchronization speed you will have the best chance of getting a sharp photo with no blur, but in daylight conditions your photo may look dark and appear to have been taken at night. This unnatural look is not usually what we want. On the other hand, if you set the shutter speed manually to allow for more ambient light you will get a nicer "fill" effect but you might get ghosting or blur.

Also: remember that you CANNOT use a shutter speed that is faster than your camera's minimum synchronization speed. If your fastest synch speed is 1/200th then using a faster speed will cause problems, i.e., the flash might not go off while the shutter is open. Some DSLR models have a setting for higher-speed synchronization (FP). I don't recall whether the D80 is one of these. If so, this can be useful for say, trying to stop a hummingbird's wings at reasonably close distances. But it does reduce the power of the flash.

Remember, the great thing about digital photography is that you can experiment and see your results instantly. You should do some trial-and-error and see what works best for you.

[ikw101]

I think you may find a solution here (http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/D80/D80FLASH.HTM). I've not tried it myself (hung onto the D50 with its 1/500 x-sync speed for those rare occasions) but it sounds like the results could be interesting.

[vanveen]

Dear Doug and Ikw101,

Thanks very much for very useful answers. This webpage on the D80 and flash photography is extremely interesting.

Cheers,

Olivier