Sb600 &d60

[Poohbear5]

Just tried my new D60 for the first time last weekend with my old SB600.
Previously, I used the SB600 on N70 and never had any problem with redeye. Last weekend, almost every snapshot at the family gathering had redeye.
It was set on iTTL.
Why would I get different results on a film camera vs digital?
Should I have something set differently on the flash or camera?

I'll be using it indoors for character meals next week in the World.
Any tips for using the SB600 with the D60 would be appreciated.

 

[seashoreCM]

1. The distance between the flash window/reflector and the lens affects red eye*.

2. Does the camera have a red eye inhibiting setting? When you have that turned on the camera will flash twice or three times for each picture.

3. A small number of digital cameras have built in post-processing to eliminate red eye.

Digital camera hints: http://www.cockam.com/digicam.htm

* Why they don't put the built in flash on the right side of the camera (relative to the photographer; on the side with the shutter release button) where the distance to the lens is greater for less red eye, I don't know.

 

[handicap18]

The SB-600 isn't very old. Maybe 4 years or so. Are you referring to another flash maybe? The N70 is probably close to 15 years old at this point.

How far away from the subjects were you? The further away you are the more direct the flash will be into someone's eyes causing the reflection of the red blood vessels in the back of the eye giving the "red eye".

I've used the SB-600 on my D50 and D300 with no red eye issues in the 3 years that I've had the flash. Though I do use it 98% of the time with a diffuser.

I can't see why you would be getting lots of red eye with a flash like that as its so far away from the lens. I have experienced some red eye when using the pop up flash, but not the speedlight.

 

[Poohbear5]

My N70 is 15 years old. I got the SB600 a few years ago to replace another external lens and used it with the N70.
I had never gotten redeye with any external lens before so the reason for the post.
I did have the longer kit lense on the "night of the redeye" but didn't use it out more than 55- 85mm.
I did read something about 85mm on a digital lense is different than the 85 on an older lense? Maybe that was the cause?

 

[wenrob]

Do you have a picture of your flash? Like Kyle said it doesn't sound like the SB 600. You should be able to turn the head up or to the side if needed but really it sits high enough red eye shouldn't be a problem. My red eye button in Light Room has been lonely and neglected since I got mine.

 

[Poohbear5]

Ayupp, it's most definitely a SB600,came in the gold box. It swivels and tilts but I was using it straight on, as I used to with the n70 ,and Sunpak on the n70 before that. Never had redeye before. I'm trying to figure if I had something set odd because I'm planning on using it at the character breakfasts next week.

It's easiest enough to fix the red eye later, just perplexed as to why I got it in the first place with that flash.

 

[wenrob]

Hmmmn, I don't know then. I never use mine straight on though. Even if I'm not bouncing it I tilt it up slightly. Wish I could help.

 

[Poohbear5]

Thanks.
I'll try tilting it up a notch and using the shorter kit lens next week.

 

[seashoreCM]

MyI did read something about 85mm on a digital lense is different than the 85 on an older lens?

Yes it can be different. If the new lens is meant for your camera (not just fitting on your camera) and is described as 85mm as its 35mm film camera equivalent rating then it behaves the same way (takes in the same view) as an 85mm absolute focal length lens on a 35mm film camera.

The focal length printed on the rim of the lens is the absolute focal length, not the 35mm equivalent focal length for any particular camera.

The 35mm equivalent focal length should be shown in the instruction manual.

When a lens, including one from a 35mm film camera, is moved to a different camera (with a different frame or sensor size) you need to do math to figure out the new 35mm equivalent focal length. Take its 35mm equivalent focal length for the camera the lens was meant for (or last used on), multiply by the diagonal of the frame of the camera the lens was meant for (or last used on respectively), and divide by the diagonal of the frame the camera the lens is next being used on to come up with the new 35mm film camera equivalent focal length.

The diagonal of a 35mm film frame is 43-1/2 millimeters.

For your own purposes you can compare focal lengths of your lenses in N70 digital camera equivalents but using 35mm film camera equivalents for each camera and lens combination is more customary and is more easily understood by most photographers. Also photographers usually don't talk about angle of view in degrees but rather they think of "angle of view that goes with a 50mm focal length lens" or "angle of view that goes with a 100mm lens".

 

[handicap18]

I did read something about 85mm on a digital lense is different than the 85 on an older lense? Maybe that was the cause?

85mm is 85mm. The difference with digital is that it crops the image 1.5 times beacuse a digital sensor is 1.5 times smaller than a frame of film. So your seeing the same image, just cropped. The focal length stays the same.

I have no idea why you would be experienceing this. The flash is the same distance away from the lens on the dSLR as it is on the film SLR. I can't see why it would be an equipment issue.

Maybe try using a diffuser. The Gary Fong diffusers are great. I use mine 98% of the time I use my flash.

You can make a poor mans diffuser using a white piece of cardboard. Get some velcro and put one piece of velcro on the flash and one piece on the cardboard and point the flash directly up. I always keep a piece of cardboard in my camera bag for when I can't bring the diffuser or forgot to bring it.