Metering an SB-800 puzzle

[Vaughn_Winchell]

I tried to check exposure by using a flash meter.

I had set up a D2X with an SB-800. I tried both Aperture Priority and Manual modes. If I set the camera on either choice and choose f/8 and then take a test photo, my meter reads something like f/2. The histogram looks pretty good. I have tried several locations thinking that my subject matter was skewing the results. I have also put 2 flash meters next to each other to test the meters. Both meters agreed and were way under what I have chosen as an f/stop.

What's happening?

Vaughn

[DouglasUrner]

It could be that your meter is seeing a pre-flash and trying to meter that. That would happen in Auto Aperture (AA) mode on the strobe, but not in Manual (M) mode. Are we talking about setting the same thing? I think if you leave the strobe in one of its auto modes and put the camera to manual, the strobe will still fire preflashes.

I've also noticed that my meter will trigger (in cordless mode) in response to fluorescent lights and as a result I don't see the flash exposure on the meter under fluorescent lights (though usually this is very obvious as the fluorescents are too dim for a meterable exposure).

When I'm using SB-800 speedlights as fill, I meter them in manual mode by pushing the little red button and it all seems to work just the way I'd expect it to.

Doug

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