suggest you read the manual for your flash unit carefully and that you have set the correct mode on your camera and flash unit and that the flash unit is compatible with your camera. Looks like the flash has not metered itself or your OTF or TTL flash metering is not functioning as it should be. Probably because of the settings you have used.
Oh I know that But I was close to the max flash sync of the camera(1/125), all I have is a cheap Sunpak 888AFZ which is supposed to do TTL with Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Minolta. I am using a Nikon F80. it doesn't have much by way of controls on the flash its self, just a switch for the focal length and film speed, but these must surly be redundant it flash is controlled my the camera? I think I might get an SB-28 and remember to use slow sync just for fill in next time!
I set the camera to under-expose by 2/3 of a stop, on Av mode with the shutter speed set to 1/200th, and the TTL flash to -1/3 stop. Seems to work itself out
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TTL is great for flash control on macro work, or at kids birthday parties etc.
When I shoot to do fill, I just use the cameras meter/handheld meter to determine the ambient lighting. Then I use an old Vivitar or Metz flash that allows different aperture settings, depending on which slider position puts more ND in front of the flash light sensor eye.
Say ambient light is metered to give f/5.6, (at focal plane shutter synch speed - I wont go into in lens leaf shutters here) and I want -1 stop fill - so I set the flash to expect the camera lens to be set to f/8, and make the exposure - bingo - -1 stop fill lfash (don't let the sun shine stright into the falsh eye when back lighting withe the ambient lighting though) .
With the background being so much darker and prevalent than the subject I doubt that ttl will solve your problem. Slow synch will help compensate but it's up to you to learn when automation isn't going to work.
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Say ambient light is metered to give f/5.6, (at focal plane shutter synch speed - I wont go into in lens leaf shutters here) and I want -1 stop fill - so I set the flash to expect the camera lens to be set to f/8, and make the exposure - bingo - -1 stop fill lfash (don't let the sun shine stright into the falsh eye when back lighting withe the ambient lighting though) .
Mike:
Don't you mean that you set the flash to expect the camera lens to be set to f/4, rather than f/8?
If the flash thinks you are using f/8, won't it put out twice the light needed for f/5.6, not half the light needed?
Doesn't the F80 just concentrate on getting the flash to light the area that's in focus?
And there you have kids birthday, several kids, one dressed in black t-shirt, another wear aluminium foil made hat on head, third white dress, forth glases, fifth...
You can't trust to autamatization everytime
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Fill flash 
Linear Mode
