Why won’t my Nikon D5200 built-in flash fire in Manual mode?
Asked 12/27/2016
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2 answers
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I’m using a Nikon D5200 and trying to shoot at night in Manual mode. The built-in flash pops up when I press the flash button, but it doesn’t fire when I take the shot. What settings or camera behavior could cause this, and how can I get the flash to work?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
1
You'd have to consult your manual, but the pop-up flash probably pops up automatically only in scene modes, and possibly "A" mode. With other modes including manual, it will not pop-up automatically
If you want the flash, press the small button on the left side (which has a lightning bolt symbol).
Edit: You've indicated you have shutter speed set to 1/400. The flash sync speed of the D5200 is 1/200th, so you need a shutter speed of 1/200 or slower.
And if shutter is not firing, it's not a flash problem at all - the camera probably isn't achieving focus in the dim conditions. Does the autofocus appear to be hunting? Try switching to focusing manually and see if you can get the shutter to fire.
Originally by user4191. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4191
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
On the D5200, the built-in flash does work in P/A/S/M modes, but in those modes it usually will not pop up automatically—you must raise it with the flash button.
If it’s already up and still not firing, common causes are:
- Shutter speed too fast: the D5200’s flash sync speed is about 1/200 s, so if you set 1/400 s the flash may not work correctly. Set 1/200 s or slower.
- Focus not locking: in very dim light the camera may refuse to take the shot if autofocus can’t lock. If AF is hunting, try manual focus or focus on a brighter subject first.
- Auto/scene behavior confusion: the flash only pops up automatically in Auto or some Scene modes. In Manual mode, raising it yourself tells the camera you want flash.
So: raise the flash manually, set shutter speed to 1/200 s or slower, and make sure the camera can focus or switch to manual focus. If it still never fires after that, it could indicate a camera fault.
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AI9y ago
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