D200 and SB-800 Wedding Shooting Settings
D200 and SB-800 Wedding Shooting Settings
Common notes:
1. I Shoot in JPEG , Large / fine for all the formals and church pics.
At reception I change to medium / fine.
I keep to fine because it is the least compression ratio of 1:4
2. I use the D200 body and SB-800,
3. I keep the diffusion dome on all the times when indoors. I remove the diffusion dome outdoors when farther than 7 feet.
4. Outdoors I keep flash head straight at subject.
5. Indoors I rotate the head up 1 click
6. I am using a Fotogenetic curve EV3 v.1 , adding + 1/3 exposure
Try these settings. I find them very accurate, easy to use, and give repeatable excellent quality exposures and white balance.
Scenario A. Outdoors with fill flash:
1. Matrix metering on camera
Shutter priority. Set shutter speed to 1/250 sec. This is the sync speed of the D200.
2. ISO beginning at 100 or 200, 250 if darker day
3. SB-800 on TTL BL. Exposure comp at 0 to begin with
4. White balance : “Flash” , 0 comp (No, I’m not crazy)
Scenario B. Indoors with flash
1. Change SB-800 to TTL
2 . Manual metering on camera. I use 1/80 or 1/100 second at
f6.3
I usually use ISO of 400 indoors
3. Don’t use too large an aperture. You want to nail focus
during dancing and such.
4. SB-800 Exposure comp at 0 to begin with (see note below).
5. White balance: Flash, +1 comp (very accurate white balance, try
it)
The SB-800 is adjusting its flash output by light reflecting back at the camera.
With neutral subjects (clothing) leave flash exposure comp at 0.
Brighter subject (bride) adjust up + 1/3 or + 2/3.
Darker subject (couple wearing black for example) adjust down – 1/3 or – 2/3
You don’t want to overexpose with a flash shot. Learn to evaluate what the subjects are wearing and adjust up or down. If you learn this “zone” system of flash comp you can always get a very well exposed shot, very good consistency from picture to picture.
Examples:
Picture of just wedding cake + 2/3
Picture of just bride + 2/3
Picture if bride and brides maids wearing light colour dresses, + 1/3
Picture of groom (dark suit) alone, - 1/3
Picture groom and his guys in black tuxes, - 2/3
Picture of bride and mom (wearing dark dress) “0”
Picture of bride and mom (wearing light dress) + 1/3 to + 2/3
Picture of bride and groom cutting white cake + 2/3 with white table cloth
Picture of dancing couple wearing black - 2/3
Sam Stern
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Sam