Why does my Nikon SB-900 fire after a short delay on a D300S?
Asked 9/9/2012
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2 answers
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I'm new to flash and using a Nikon D300S with an SB-900. When I press the shutter, the flash seems to make a few small clicks or pre-flashes before the main flash fires. I notice this in both TTL and Manual flash modes. Is this normal, or do I have a setting enabled that's causing the delay? I'm hoping to shoot people moving in low light, so I want to avoid any delay that could make me miss the moment.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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It sounds to me like you simply have red-eye reduction turned on. The flash fires a few 'pre-flashes' which makes the iris of your subject's eyes close. This stops too much light being reflected back from the retina when the main flash is fired. Just change the relevant setting on your camera.
Originally by user3205. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user3205
13y ago
0
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This is usually caused by a camera/flash setting rather than a fault.
Two common causes are:
- red-eye reduction: the flash emits several pre-flashes before the main flash to reduce red-eye, which creates a noticeable delay.
- rear/second-curtain sync: the flash is timed to fire near the end of the exposure instead of at the start, so with slower shutter speeds it can feel delayed.
Check your D300S flash settings and turn off red-eye reduction if you need the flash to fire immediately. Also make sure you’re not using second-curtain sync unless you specifically want that effect.
A brief pre-flash can also happen in TTL for metering, but if you’re hearing multiple clicks and seeing a visible delay, red-eye reduction is the most likely explanation.
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