anyone have a Nikon sb-80dx speedlight?

On Fri, 10 Mar 2006 22:48:06 -0500, John wrote:

> I just aquired a Nikon sb-80dx speedlight that I use with my Nikon 5700.
> I am fairly new to flash use so I need some help. I am confused about the
> different flash modes, zoom capability, (the 5700 does not support auto
> zoon) but just what do the different zoom distances actually do?
> Standard TTL, some tips would be appreciated. In general, anyone who
> owns the setup

The only Nikon flash I own is the SB-24. But the flash units zoom
in the sense that a flashlight/torch can adjust the light from a
concentrated beam to a wider one. This is to put the maximum amount
of light only one the part of the scene that will be captured on the
sensor or film. If the flash is zoomed to, say, a 35mm setting when
the lens is zoomed to a greater focal length, you'll get complete
coverage, but light will be wasted, and will not be as bright on the
subject as when the flash and lens are both set to the same setting.
If you do the opposite and use a flash setting of 85mm when the lens
is wider, such as 50mm or 35mm, the light will be concentrated in
the center of the image, with the edges and corners being noticeably
darker. Try taking a series of shots of a blank wall with different
combinations of flash and lens focal lengths and the effect should
be quite noticeable.