CO

I often use my Nikon SB700 speedlight, in TTL and sometimes manual mode. I look at the metadata in both my editing software and in some of the online metadata readers. Some are called exif data readers. There's plenty of flash info but the power output level at which the flash fired is not there. Has anyone seen metadata info that shows flash output level?

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

Not seen it in any of the programs I use: PhotoMechanic, ACDSee, Bridge. Just shows that the flash fired as far as I can tell.

dirtpusher Loc: tulsa oklahoma

Light room will show what setting was. Then you will have to see what that setting power ranges is

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

I’ll have to take another look at LR, if I have it.
Thanks

dirtpusher Loc: tulsa oklahoma

Then you are able to change it to what ever. Was shooting under fluorescent then forgot to change next day pictures from second day turned blue. Had to change in Lightroom.

LarryFitz Loc: Beacon NY

First your camera needs to record it. If the data is not captured, then the software can not read it.

CO

Thanks for the replies. I don't have LR right now. I'll get it. When my flash is in manual mode I can select from 1/128 power to full power. It would be good to look at metadata later and see what power level was used. In TTL mode it figures out flash power by itself. Would be great to see that also.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

That's color balance and yes, easily changed in post-processing if you're shooting raw.
The OP was talking about the output power from a flash.
Can't change that after the fact.

dirtpusher Loc: tulsa oklahoma

No not the flash output

GENorkus Loc: Washington Twp, Michigan

No.

As mentioned above, it needs to be recorded by camera first before it can be read by a computer program.

I've only seen that a flash has bee fired. Not to the degree of it's use.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

What specific data would you be interested in? Electronic flash units are rated in watt-seconds and B.C.P.S. Most speedlights, the self contained hot-shoe models, are rated at approximately 80 watt-seconds at full power output. In TTL or automatic modes the will put out a portion of that power depending on the exposure requirements. If they can be set manually, there would be settings of full, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 power etc. Beam Candlepower Seconds is a rating assigned to various flash equipment when used directly, not bounced or modified. I have never seen any of this specific data recorded in the camera. There is no indication of ratio of existing light to flash fill either. On posted images, the photographer would have to supply theses details.

Even if the power output was specified in the data, it might be meaningless in that watt-seconds are strictly an electrical value which does not consider the reflector efficiency or any modification of the light beam. B.C.P.S, aga ins an electric value combined with reflector efficiency, however, when the light is bounced or modified, all bets are off.

This is an interesting question, especially with all the automation and "command" systems that are now intrinsic in many systems.

bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA

Yes, the SB-700 power level is shown in the metadata file, but you need special software that can read the volumes of data that are contained in your metadata files. Programs like Lightroom, Photoshop, Etc. only show you a small portion of the data. The metadata file on every picture contains things you never thought of including every edit you made in the order you made them. There are several websites that can give you a complete listing of the metadata on a photo for free. Here is a website that will do just that:

http://metapicz.com/

CO

I sometimes use bounce flash or umbrellas with my speedlight. I usually have the flash in TTL mode. I never know if the flash fired at full power or not. When the flash is in manual mode, I can see that I set it to values such as 1/128, 1/64, 1/32, all the way to full power 1/1. No such information is seen when the flash is in TTL mode.

I guess when the camera and flash do TTL metering the power output is infinitely variable. It won't necessarily be a fractional amount as when in manual mode.

CO

Thanks for the link. I loaded a Nikon RAW file into the metapicz reader. It displays a lot more information than I see in my editing software. The flash power did not show. Maybe the camera doesn't record that information.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

I can't speak to Nikon, but with my Canon camera and flash(es) it does not record the power, but does record the on camera flash settings including flash type (E-TTL flash), flash metering (evaluative), flash exposure compensation (+1/3), shutter curtain sync (1st curtain), but not the power. It is the same for a flash on the camera, or a controller with multiple remotes.

The power might be harder to do, given the variety of flash types, and especially if a controller for multiple flashes was used.