Nikon D40/60 Flash Off Setting

eviljohn2 · 01-01-2009, 12:21 PM

After deciding I should buy a D90 the realisation has dawned that I won't use half of it and simply can't afford it although liveview would be a godsend.

So I'm looking at the D40/D60 (leaning towards the 60 at the moment for the Active D-Lighting) but a lot of my photography will be in places that I can't use the flash. The manual isn't very descriptive in this area so can someone please confirm that the flash absolutely will not fire automatically in P,S,A,M modes unless it's specifically enabled? I also need to be able to disable the AF illuminator.

Thanks.

Yandros · 01-01-2009, 1:24 PM

Check out the manual page 64. I think you'll find that in some scene modes or Auto, the flash will pop up and fire unless you set it to disabled. In P/S/A/M, the flash must be raised using the flash button, so you simply don't raise it to disable flash in these modes.

AF assist can be turned off (Manual page 111).

mij · 01-01-2009, 1:37 PM

The D40 has two full auto settings, one of them disables the flash for places that do not allow flash photography.

eviljohn2 · 01-01-2009, 4:36 PM

Thanks guys, P64 of the D60 manual does indeed have the information I'm after. I was expecting to see the "Off" function for PASM in the flash mode settings as it is for the preset modes.

mjw123 · 01-01-2009, 7:37 PM

Evil - be worth a read of this before making the decision :-

Nikon D60

eviljohn2 · 01-01-2009, 7:51 PM

Thanks MJW, I've read that quite thoroughly before (along with every other D40/D60 review I can find) and still think that the D60 offers more of what I want at it's current pricing.

The cost of the D60 with the VR lens is less than buying the D40 kit and shelling out for a VR on top which mostly covers it for me, and the Active D-lighting seems to be very effective. Thus, from my point of view at least it's got more going for it in the low-light stakes (which will be my primary use) than Rockwell makes out. Plus sensor cleaning and a neater top dial. Obviously I'm open to suggestions too.

sdb123 · 01-01-2009, 10:22 PM

Could you not stretch a little further and get the D80 VR kit from Jessops (£391)? I'd prefer that over the D60...

eviljohn2 · 01-01-2009, 10:27 PM

I could afford it I think but the D80 doesn't seem well renowned for low-light shooting and the metering seems a bit shaky for a newby like me at least. The D60 and D40 do have a more convenient smaller size too. For a novice photographer, does it offer enough usable extras?