Mondolinni Loc: Long Island, New York

Hi Folks,
An amateur-ish inquiry. I'm shooting a D500 with SB 910 flash. Flash exposure comp on the flash at "0".
Unaware that in camera shows flash comp at -2.0...obviously they are separate settings...is that normal operation?
Is there an operational use for it? I didn't see anything in the book; perhaps I missed it somewhere...??

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

For advanced cameras and flashes, yes, these two settings in two places are common. The camera doesn't know which of any of many many flashes will be attached. The advanced flash has the same flexibility, not knowing which of many many cameras it could be attached.

Mondolinni Loc: Long Island, New York

OK Then...Glad I asked; Thanks CHG_canon

aphelps Loc: Central Ohio

I have the same situation. Does the camera EC control the flash or just camera settings? Likewise, does the flash EC have any control over camera settings?

BebuLamar

The flash comp only set the compensation for the flash not ambient light.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The question started with the Nikon D500. That camera's user manual has an entire chapter on Flash Photography starting at page 196, with numerous references to the menu settings section. For the most part, the controls exists to increase or decrease the output level (strength) of the light created by the flash. The manual and personal usage / experimentation is probably the best way to investigate specific usage situations.

CPR Loc: Nature Coast of Florida

My Nikon remembers some settings depending on Mode so if you changed something last year when you happened to use "P" Mode the camera remembers that and changes it back for you.........If you change Mode you have to check ALL settings.

photoman43

For Nikon cameras and Nikon flashes, both camera exp comp and flash exp comp can be set and once set they are additive.

For the D 500 certain Nikon flashes can be controlled by the D 500 like the SB 5000, but not the SB 910. The D500 manual calls this Flash Control/Flash Control Mode.

For the SB 910 and other flashes not listed on page 199 of the D500 manual, to set flash compensation (and other flash settings) you need to set them on the SB 910 using buttons on the flash's LCD. The manual for the flash explains how to do this (although these flash manuals are not all that easy to understand IMO.)

Google Mike Hagen and look for "The Nikon Creative Lighting System" 3rd edition. Consider buying a copy. Or subscribe to some of his excellent videos on using Nikon flashes.

When I use Nikon flashes on my Nikon bodies I usually set minus flash exposure compensation of -1.3 to -2.0 dependong on the subject and light available.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

This is true.

But to take it a step farther, the exposure compensation setting done in the camera is PROBABLY only relevant to ambient light and NOT to the flash... or maybe ambient light AND the flash in some modes.

However, I don't have a D500 or that flash and it's also possible the flash exposure compensation can be set either on the flash itself or in the camera.

It probably depends upon the mode of the flash... Fill flash or full flash.

With fill flash the ambient light is the primary source while a low powered flash just opens up the shadows a bit.

With full flash a more powerful flash is the only exposure consideration and ambient light is ignored (but ambient light still can be an exposure factor, depending upon your exposure settings).

EDIT: photoman43's response above is better than mine here... some good advice there. He obviously knows more about the Nikon flash systems than I do!