fill flash

[Tom Raffelt]

while taking outdoor group shots (elem schools) with my s2 and new sb 80 dx flash with settings of shutter speed priority and the flash at 2 stops less... the MAJORITY of the shots are underexposed. The white end of the histogram is totally non existent. Any suggestions on...maybe different settings...
Also as long as I am here, is manual ttl for inside the most recommended way. For instance 1/20 th at f 8 inside seems ok for most shots. (except very close)

[Mike Flood]

I guess my question about your post would be "why did you set the flash to -2 stops?"

If you are using true TTL with an ISO less than 800 the flash should do "fill" quite nicely if you are within a reasonable distance from the subject.
There's lots of variables, especially outside where the light can change so much, so quickly.
You could always try brackting with the S2 it's easy. Set it for -.5,0,+.5 and see what you get. Learn by experimenting. It would appear that you have completed phase one of your experimentation and that failed. So try something else.

[Mike Flood]

Histograms shouldn't be the holy grail of setting a proper exposure.
If you keep cranking the exposure up until you see something indicated in the white section and there's no white in the picture then you image is not going to look natural.

Trust the metering in the camera before you call it wrong because you didn't see what you expected in the histogram.