There's little I can add to the previous answers, the Nikon will detect an external flash and fire it automatically as long as flash symbol is turned on in the camera.
I also agree with the previous answers, if you can afford it get yourself a Nikon flash that integrates with the camera. That way it will take perfect shots for you without you having to intervene.
Now, from your question though I'm also assuming that you may be considering using an existing flash, quite possibly an older one from the past.
If that's the plan, you run the risk of frying your camera. I have two Vivitar flashes and a Braun flash all of which represent a similar risk.
The problem is that in the film days the sync was simply a switch in the camera so it didn't matter what voltage was in the flash, the camera simply turned the flash on and off. The digital SLRs however are a bit different. There's a circuit board behind the flash shoe, not a simple switch and that circuit board works on a very low voltage, a lot lower than a typical flash from the past. This is what gets fried eventually.
The modern flashes get around the problem by having a very low voltage current in the actual shoe. When the circuit board activates the flash it turns on that low voltage current which then in turn activates the flash inside the flash unit. The camera itself does not activate the flash, only that low voltage activating circuit.
But all is not lost. You can buy a little gadget that will fit in the flash shoe of the D200 called a Wein Safesync. By sitting between the camera and the flash the camera is protected from the voltages of the flash and everything works just like in the past. I have one and it's worked perfectly with all three of my flashes.
I don't recall what I paid for it but it's not cheap. I think it was well over a hundred dollars but then that's still a lot cheaper than buying a new flash or repairing the camera.
The other thing you need to be aware of is that if you're not using a Nikon flash designed for the camera, you have to worry about exposure yourself. Set the camera to aperture preferred and then set the aperture that the flash requires. Once that's done everything will work perfectly.
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There's little I can add to the previous answers, the Nikon will detect an external flash and fire it automatically as long as flash symbol is turned on in the camera.
I also agree with the previous answers, if you can afford it get yourself a Nikon flash that integrates with the camera. That way it will take perfect shots for you without you having to intervene.
Now, from your question though I'm also assuming that you may be considering using an existing flash, quite possibly an older one from the past.
If that's the plan, you run the risk of frying your camera. I have two Vivitar flashes and a Braun flash all of which represent a similar risk.
The problem is that in the film days the sync was simply a switch in the camera so it didn't matter what voltage was in the flash, the camera simply turned the flash on and off. The digital SLRs however are a bit different. There's a circuit board behind the flash shoe, not a simple switch and that circuit board works on a very low voltage, a lot lower than a typical flash from the past. This is what gets fried eventually.
The modern flashes get around the problem by having a very low voltage current in the actual shoe. When the circuit board activates the flash it turns on that low voltage current which then in turn activates the flash inside the flash unit. The camera itself does not activate the flash, only that low voltage activating circuit.
But all is not lost. You can buy a little gadget that will fit in the flash shoe of the D200 called a Wein Safesync. By sitting between the camera and the flash the camera is protected from the voltages of the flash and everything works just like in the past. I have one and it's worked perfectly with all three of my flashes.
I don't recall what I paid for it but it's not cheap. I think it was well over a hundred dollars but then that's still a lot cheaper than buying a new flash or repairing the camera.
The other thing you need to be aware of is that if you're not using a Nikon flash designed for the camera, you have to worry about exposure yourself. Set the camera to aperture preferred and then set the aperture that the flash requires. Once that's done everything will work perfectly.
I hope this helps a little. Good Luck!
Flash For Nikon D70
set nikon d70 external flash
AND do yourself a favor and look at a Nikon SB400, SB600, or SB800. These are the only flashes that fully utilize Nikon's excellent iTTL flash system.
With my D70, I personally use and love my SB600 with it's automatic motorized head and it's vertical and horizontal tilt options for bounce lighting.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/sb600.htm
I hope you find this helpful.
1
Just install it on the hot shoe and the camera should see it and go from there.