newbie questions, D2X and flash

[sightminer]

Guys,

D2X spot metering - can someone explain how to do it?

Also, flash compensation - I've been taking pics that are either too bright initially or too dark. As I'm trying to get into wedding photography, I don't have this luxury and have to get it right the first time. I know it's about knowing your gear, but is metering through the camera the answer? Are there general flash guidelines in terms of exposure settings?

Yep, newbie questions.

Thanks

[glamourfish]

I've just got myself the D2XS - upgraded from the D70 & it took me a good while to get used to the camera....In fact I am still getting used to it.

In general I find that the matrix meter is quite accurate when shooting weddings. If you're going to spot meter, meter on some mid tone, like green grass in direct sunlight is a good shae to meter on.

In regards to flash. When you hold down the flash icon button on the left, by turning the dials on the right, you can over or under compensate the flash.

If you're shooting fill flash you're gonna have to set your camera to a higher sync sped or else it only goes as high as 1/250 with a TTL flash connected - you'll end up over exposing in bright sunlight conditions.

TRy do a searck on the net about FP flash or focal plane flash! That should help you!
Let me know how you get on.

[sightminer]

Hey thanks for the reply. Yes, the D2x is a formidable device which I'm just starting to grasp.

My dilemma is that I bought the camera without knowing a whole lot about photography in general. I not only need to take a lot of pix but also to get familiar with photography jargon/lingo as well.

What I'm not understanding on matrix metering on the D2X is this - once I select spot or center-metering, do I have to do anything or is it done for me? Perhaps the manual assumes the user has a degree of knowledge that I apparently lack.

In the meantime, onward!

Thanks

[glamourfish]

You see the D2xs doesn't have all the auto modes that the the likes of the entry level cameras have such as Auto, landscape, portrait, etc.
Starting off with a D2X can be a daunting task to learn with.
But anyway, the only mode I know of with the D2X is P - with this the camera does everything for you. But it take a light reading from one spot only, whereas the matrix metering reads the whole image & takes an average setting - basically.
If you're shooting in full manual then you need to adjust your depth of field (f-stop) eg: f2.8 & shutterspeed eg: 1/500 until the light balances. You should see the scale inside your camera. But it's not just that simple cos somethings you need to over or under expose to "trick" the camera from what it thinks it see to what you know the situation is.
I suggest you look online for tutorials about depth of field & shutterspeed. get the basics & the rest will follow soon!
Hope that helps.