Nikon F5: possible to set minimal shutter speed for A and P modes, (with flash)?

ts1000 · Jan 17, 2023

With Goddox TT350N, is it possible to instruct the F5 to use higher shutter speed than 1/60?
It seems to pick 1/60, but that's too slow. With flash I would like to have at least 1/160, that's why I have flash to allow me to shoot with faster shutter speed.

Certainly, I can use shutter priority, but I would to set minimal shutter speed for A (especially), and for P modes.
Is this possible?

ic-racer · Jan 17, 2023

Try "M"
I don't have the F5, but with the newer AF Nikons, even in "M" [Manual] the exposure is automatically set when the flash is active. Manual lets you set whatever aperture and shutter speed you want to use with the flash and the flash Auto-TTL system takes care of the exposure.

True "Manual" would be if the flash and camera are both set to "Manual."

ts1000 · Jan 17, 2023

@ic-racer when I set it to 'M' and select shutter speed (up to 1/250) and aperture I want -- it shows the severely underexposed bar in the viewfinder.

I am trying to tell the system to increase the flash power, but it is as though, at least using the indicators -- it is telling me it does not know how to do that (or does not want to do that).
I also tried SB-910 flash unit -- seems similar behavior, the F5 just picks 1/60 for the range of apertures I tried.

But when I switch to manual, it is as though it does not understand that I have flash.

Or should I just ignore that exposure bar? It seems that this F5 indicator does not understand that I have a TTL flash.

ic-racer · Jan 18, 2023

ts1000 said:
@ic-racer when I set it to 'M' and select shutter speed (up to 1/250) and aperture I want -- it shows the severely underexposed bar in the viewfinder.

I am trying to tell the system to increase the flash power, but it is as though, at least using the indicators -- it is telling me it does not know how to do that (or does not want to do that).
I also tried SB-910 flash unit -- seems similar behavior, the F5 just picks 1/60 for the range of apertures I tried.

But when I switch to manual, it is as though it does not understand that I have flash.

Or should I just ignore that exposure bar? It seems that this F5 indicator does not understand that I have a TTL flash.

Yes, the background will be severely under exposed. Those exposure indicator bars are for the background when using flash.

ic-racer · Jan 18, 2023

From the N80 manual; F5 with Nikon flash probably behaves similar.

Standard TTL Flash (Not Balanced) is automatically set when in Manual mode. In Standard TTL Flash...even though the main subject is correctly exposed, the background may not be.

Again, "Manual" lets you manually set the background exposure but the foreground is Automatically set by the flash.

Stephen Prunier · Jan 18, 2023

I don't use flash with my F5, but you might find this helpful.

Shutter Speed/Aperture For Each Exposure Mode In Ttl Auto Flash - Nikon F5 Instruction Manual [Page 114]

Nikon F5 Manual Online: Shutter Speed/Aperture For Each Exposure Mode In Ttl Auto Flash. Camera's exposure mode Programmed Auto ( ) Shutter-Priority Auto ( ) Aperture-Priority Auto ( ) Manual ( ) 1) With Slow Sync or Rear-Curtain Sync, the automatically controlled shutter speed range...

www.manualslib.com

wiltw · Jan 19, 2023

ic-racer said:
Yes, the background will be severely under exposed. Those exposure indicator bars are for the background when using flash.

Stated differently, the meter thinks that the shutter speed selected (when in 'M') is insufficient to record a 'proper exposure' with the selected f/stop, when the ambient light is too low...and it KNOWS NOTHING about the fact that flash is being added to the scene.

ts1000 · Jan 25, 2023

thank you all.
So am I correct to summarize for F5 the following:

A) in severely under-lit environment the Nikon F5 with TTL flash (no matter how powerful the flash is) in A,P modes will:

set the shutter to 1/60 and the camera will not be able to adjust the minimal shutter speed with any dials unless switching to 'M' (manual mode)

B) in severely under-lit environment the Nikon F5 with TTL flash in M modes will:

will allow to adjust Aperture and Shutter speed (up to 1/250) -- but the exposure meter will be unaware of the flush, its power/rich. And will continue to show the 'underexposed' bar in the viewfinder.
So the Nikon F5 meter, not knowing about the flash will not be able to tell me if the main subject (not the background) will be correctly exposed

?

ic-racer · Jan 25, 2023

ts1000 said:
thank you all.
So am I correct to summarize for F5 the following:

A) in severely under-lit environment the Nikon F5 with TTL flash (no matter how powerful the flash is) in A,P modes will:

set the shutter to 1/60 and the camera will not be able to adjust the minimal shutter speed with any dials unless switching to 'M' (manual mode)

If you do want the camera to balance the flash and background, and the background is dim, you can set "SLOW SYNCH" [page 120] and the camera will give you the required slow shutter speed to correctly expose the background. I believe they make this a separate setting because you will likely need a tripod to use the setting. The speed will go down to 30 seconds if needed.

ts1000 · Jan 25, 2023

Ok, thank you for clarifying that part. Yes, I noticed that when I switch to slow sync, it drops the shutter speed, to the point where my whole 'I need a faster shutter to hand hold' -- loose it is original purpose.

So then my question, if I may, why the F5 would not let me (or automatically) select at least 1/125? Why does it stay at 1/60 and does not want to 'instruct' the flash to increase its power?

Is SB 910 or another TTL flash not able to vary its power based on the camera's instruction? I am just trying to see if there is a way to get out of this '1/60 jail' so to speak.

Nikon F5: possible to set minimal shutter speed for A and P modes, (with flash)?

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