problem with nikon d80

[Firefox]

recently i have noticed that one of my nikon d80 bodys built in flash wasnt working. for some reason this has ruined its ability to allow any light in when taking a pic with a fully working lens from andother d80 i use. when i take a pic of the light it shows the light but blackness all around. will the broken flash cause the camera to not function properly like this?? will the camera work if i add a external flash. the camera also has the blackness when i use the flash off setting.

[wizzo]

Hi Firefox. It sounds to me like you have some kind of syncing problem between the flash and Camera. Have you checked the camera settings to make sure you haven't accidently changed the sync speed.
What subjects have you tried to shoot and what were the lighting conditions like. Are you using an ultra wide lens, where the flash coverage is not wide enough to light the extremities of your shot? Also, what settings are you using...shutter priority, aperture priority or manual?
The camera should automatically set the correct sync speed, whenever you use your built-in flash. That would also be the case with an external, dedicated flash aswell, unless of course there is a fault with the flash itself. Using an exteral flash, I would think, should solve the problem, in which case the fault is with your built-in flash. Otherwise, I would think the problem is with the camera and/or settings? Good luck mate! Wizzo

[squishy]

Does the flash actually fire visibly?

Like the person above me said, if you're setting a shutter speed too fast, the flash won't be able to sync. If the light is very low, the camera might not be able to expose properly with the flash off (hence you get black photos with the flash set off). The D80 has a flash sync speed of 1/200sec, so any shutter speed faster than that at it won't be able to sync properly.

Set the camera to shutter priority and set ISO 400 and shutter speed 1/200sec, then try it.

[shagbat]

May I expand on this please.
Be careful what external flash you use.
I am led to believe that some old flashes had high trigger voltages,
which could fry a digital's electrics. (I dont really know what I'm talking about! that's why I'm writing) Erring on the safe side, I investigated and it seems that the Vivitar 283 I have is fine. 283s made in China or Korea are ok, but definitely not the Jap made ones. (with mains adaptor)
Now, I am wondering, can I use my old Starblitz ringflash (also marketed as Sunpack and Vivitar) on my D300/D70. Having lost the instructions for it years
ago, can anyone please tell me either the trigger voltage or if they have used one on these cameras.
Thanks in anticipation,
s

[Firefox]

the flash opens but never fires, and has a problem closing.

[Firefox]

Originally Posted by squishy

Set the camera to shutter priority and set ISO 400 and shutter speed 1/200sec, then try it.

btw how do you do that?????

[Firefox]

just tested the cam again and i takes pics but not very fast. i put it on shutter mode and it takes black photos.?

[nightshade]

How good is your battery? make sure it is fully charged.
Are there any error messages on the camera system?
Just in case a setting has been altered you could reset everything back to the default settings.