Nikon 900 - Manual (Page 32)

- 32 - Basic Photography: Using the Flash
people or animals. The red-eye effect occurs
when light from the flash is reflected from within
the eye, making the pupils seem to glow red.
When the red-eye reduction function is used,
the red-eye lamp will be activated whenever the
flash is to be fired. Pressing the shutter release
button all the way down will activate the red-eye
lamp. The main flash will fire approximately one
second later.
Red-eye reduction does not work equally well in
all cases. The best results can be achieved when
the subject is looking directly at the viewfinder
and is not at the edge of the flash’s range.
Anytime Flash
If the flash is set to “Anytime Flash,” the flash will
be activated whenever the shutter-release
button is fully depressed. Set the flash to “Any-
time Flash” to “fill-in” a back-lit subject.
Slow synchronized
In “Slow Synchronized” mode, shutter speed is
slowed to a minimum of
1 /
4
seconds and the
flash will activate when there is not enough light.
Used in combination with multi-metering (see
“Advanced Settings: Metering,” below) when the
background is poorly lit, a flash setting of “Slow
Synchronized” makes it possible to capture
background details that would be underexposed
in “Auto” or “Anytime Flash” modes. Because
shutter speed is slowed, it is recommended that
you use a tripod to steady the camera.
Basic Photography: Reference
This chapter describes the most frequently used techniques and
camera settings: flash, focus, and image-quality settings.
Using the Flash
The COOLPIX 900 offers a choice of five flash modes: “Auto,”
“Auto with Red-Eye Reduction,” “Slow Synchronized,” “Any-
time Flash,” and “Flash Cancel.” An icon showing the current
mode is displayed in the control panel.
Auto
When the flash is set to “Auto,” the camera’s
internal auto exposure circuitry will automatically
activate the flash if there is not enough light.
This setting is the best choice in most circum-
stances.
Flash Cancel
When set to “Flash Cancel,” the flash will not be
activated even in conditions of low light in which
the flash would normally fire. Set the flash to
“Flash Cancel” when you have prepared your
own lighting effects, when you wish to capture
natural lighting under low light conditions, or
where use of a flash is prohibited. Because
“Flash Cancel” uses a slower shutter speed, it is
recommended that you use a tripod to steady
the camera.
Auto with Red-Eye Reduction
This setting can be used to minimize the so-
called “red-eye effect” when making portraits of