More Hidden Flash "Gotchas; Allowable Apertures In Program Mode - Nikon D300 Complete Manual

Like all recent Nikon camera bodies, a flash-ready indicator is
displayed in the D300 viewfinder when a flash—internal or
external—is fully charged and ready to fire. This same
indicator blinks for three seconds after a photograph is taken
to indicate that the flash fired at full power, which may
indicate underexposure (of the subject). Fortunately, with a
D300 you can immediately review the image on the color
LCD to determine if this "full power" warning actually meant
underexposure.

More Hidden Flash "Gotchas"

One thing that catches a number of D300 users unaware is
that the Program exposure mode limits apertures that can be
used with flash based upon ISO value. And given the fast
apertures of most pro lenses, you're quite likely to bump up
against this limitation at some point:

Allowable Apertures in Program Mode

ISO Value Range (internal flash)
LO 1.0 f/2.8 to f/32
LO 0.7 f/3.2 to f/32
LO 0.3 f/3.2 to f/32
200 f/3.5 to f/32
250 f/3.5 to f/32
320 f/4 to f/32
400 f/4 to f/32
500 f/4.5 to f/32
600 f/4.5 to f/32
800 f/5 to f/32
1000 f/5 to f/32
1250 f/5.6 to f/32
1600 f/5.6 to f/32
2000 f/6.3 to f/32
143
Be wary of data in Nikon's manuals. For example, the chart on page 405 of the
D300 English manual is incorrect (as are several others; but this one is particularly
important to point out). It seems to imply (once you relate the heading to the data) to
all flashes. It doesn't. It applies only to the internal flash. My tables are created
through empirical testing.
Thom Hogan's Complete Guide to the Nikon D300
143
Range (external flash)
f/4 to f/32
f/4.5 to f/32
f/4.5 to f/32
f/5 to f/32
f/5 to f/32
f/5.6 to f/32
f/5.6 to f/32
f/6.3 to f/32
f/6.3 to f/32
f/7.1 to f/32
f/7.1 to f/32
f/8 to f/32
f/8 to f/32
f/9 to f/32
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