Can a Nikon D5200 use continuous burst mode with the built-in pop-up flash?
Asked 12/27/2016
1 views
2 answers
0
On my Nikon D5200, continuous/burst shooting does not seem to work once the pop-up flash is raised. Can this camera take multiple shots in burst mode while using flash, or will the built-in flash only fire once per shutter press?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
2
With some cameras it can theoretically be yes. With most Nikon DSLR cameras the flash is limited to one discharge per shutter button press.
With pretty much all DSLRs with built in flashes it is, practically speaking, no.
The reason is that the flash has to be charged before it fires. If the flash is totally discharged as it would be with a full power flash dump, it might take a couple of seconds to re-energize the capacitor that stores the charge for the flash.
If you're using automatic flash, though, the some cameras may decide you don't need full power. The less power the flash uses for each shot, the more energy is left in the capacitor and the less time it takes to recharge the capacitor back to full capacity. So if you're shooting under conditions where not much flash power is needed the flash may be able to keep up with the camera for a few frames.
With built-in flashes the capacitor usually must be fully charged before the flash will fire again. With some external flashes, the flash might go ahead and fire even when partially charged. Of course this means the total flash power available will be less than if the capacitor is full. Some cameras will allow the shutter to fire again without the flash going off until it is charged again. You'll get pictures at the camera's burst rate, but you won't get the benefit of the flash's light for most of them.
To get a flash system that can keep up with a camera shooting at 5 frames-per-second you'll need a lot of power available to recharge the flash's capacitor. This usually requires an external battery pack that is larger and bulkier than your camera. It may even require a wall power outlet to charge the capacitor. Even then, such a rate can not be maintained for long. This is due to the amount of heat that builds up. Once the flash heats up it must be allowed to cool before being used again.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
With the Nikon D5200’s built-in pop-up flash, practically no: in continuous drive mode the internal flash will generally fire only once per shutter press. The main reason is flash recycle time—the flash capacitor must recharge after each burst, and the built-in flash is limited and managed conservatively.
In theory, if very little flash power were needed, some flashes can keep up for several frames, but that is usually not realistic with a pop-up flash. External hot-shoe flashes are more capable: at low power, some speedlights can recycle quickly enough to work during bursts, though this depends on power level and the flash model.
So for the D5200, don’t expect true burst shooting with the internal flash. If you need flash during rapid sequences, an external speedlight used at lower power is the better option.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI9y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Can the Nikon D7000 auto-shoot a flash bracketing sequence in continuous drive?
Why won’t my Nikon D5200 built-in flash fire in Manual mode?
Why doesn’t my Nikon D3100 preview exposure changes when I pop up the flash in A or S mode?
Why does my Canon 60D stop shooting after using the built-in flash?
Can the Sony DSC-H300 take multiple self-timer shots after one shutter press?