This is probably a really stupid question but if I want to use the built in flash as a fill flash, how do I do it? What setting must be made so that it flashes every time and not just in low light?
Thanks
Brian
The internal flash will flash every time if its door is open and you are in camera A, S, P, or M mode. Open the door when you want flash, close it when you don't.
If in Auto mode, don't open the door - the flash door opens itself when it thinks flash is necessary, in Auto mode.
The internal flash will work fine in P mode, probably best for beginners with flash outdoors. My advice is to use P mode outdoors unless you are pretty famiilar with using flash. P mode specifically knows how to set a proper shutter speed for flash, and is likely your best bet, especially outdoors. Pro photographers working weddings and moving back and forth between indoors and outdoors will joke, and call P mode "Professional Mode", because it is a big help.
Fill flash is Nikon's default flash mode if the internal flash menu is in TTL mode. This means auto flash compensation for fill flash level, it handles itself. You can still adjust flash compensation for a little more or less (to correct auto results), but the Nikon idea is automatic fill flash.
The only alternative to this about fill flash mode for the internal flash is to set Spot metering mode (not likely a good idea outside in sunlight), when it shifts out of fill flash mode, and then you have to set flash compensation manually.
A few of the hot shoe flashes have a menu to choose between TTL flash mode (not fill flash), or TTL BL (which is fill flash). TTL BL is the Nikon system default. The terms are confusing because if no menu called TTL BL, then the one menu called TTL is actually the default TTL BL mode. The Exif will call it TTL BL.
But again, the internal flash menu TTL is the default fill flash mode, meaning TTL BL (fill flash).
Note the article (which doesn't explain this, may not even know or he surely would have said something, but it is necessary to know) says "I set Spot Metering mode", which means TTL instead of default TTL BL, which means NOT automatic fill flash, which means he has to set fill compensation manually. Manual compensation can be a fine thing offering choice, but Spot metering outdoors will be Hell for a beginner that doesn't know how. Spot metering does NOT mean the spot is correctly exposed, it means the spot will come out middle gray, regardless if it was on a white dress or a black dress. Spot metering mode does normally work fine with flash indoors (because the flash system does not do Spot metering, and the ambient is far down), but Spot will be a major headache for beginners outdoors (ambient does do Spot metering, which requires skill).
If NOT in Spot metering mode, then the TTL menu default flash mode is automatic fill flash compensation.
EDITED: The little internal flash does not have much power, so not much distance range. 8 or 10 feet is a lot for full flash level indoors. But less for fill flash in sunshine, because the camera will surely be up around f/11, which limits the flash. Up to 6 feet is surely better for internal fill flash in bright sun. A bigger hot shoe flash can make a lot of difference. Some are in the $50 range.