430ex

neil.s

neil.s

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neil
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Hi guys i need some info i have just got a 430ex mk1 and i am having a bit of a problem,you see i take a lot of motorcycle trials pictures and have never used a flash but after talking a trials photographer he suggested i use a flash for better results the problem i am having is i cant seem to get the camera and flash to get above 1/200 and i would normally take my shots about 1/320 or 1/400 is there any way of setting the flash and camera up to take pics with the flash at the same speed 1/320 or 1/400 , by the way i am using a 400D
thanks for your time
 
Set the flash to high speed mode and you would then be able to use your faster shutter speeds.
 
Dave1 said:
Set the flash to high speed mode and you would then be able to use your faster shutter speeds.
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But you will lose a lot of power, and because the gun has to work much harder, recycle times go up. Basically, works best at closer range.

Short answer is you need to bone up on how flash works. A very good place to learn is with Syl Arena's book the Speedliter's Handbook (Amazon). Comprehensive and easy to read :)
 
whats the fasted shutter speed that flash works at ?
 
the fastest i can get is 1/200 in manual mode I am going out this weekend and will try high speed mode, the good thing about shooting Trials is the action is slowish and the flash has chance to recycle before the next rider
 
tomkbucks said:
whats the fasted shutter speed that flash works at ?
Click to expand...

On a 60D, 1/200sec. It varies a little according to camera model, but usually around 1/180-1/250sec for all DSLRs with a focal-plane type shutter. It's known as the x-sync speed in the specs.

Higher than that and some guns can change the way they fire in HSS mode (Nikon calls it FP-sync), producing a constant stream of lower powered flashes instead of one big one. You lose at least two stops of effective brightness, more likely three or four, and the higher the shutter speed the more you lose.
 
Quick google gives an explanation.

Article on HSS, including the following:
Limitations (the fine print)
The first limitation to be aware of is that you lose about one stop of flash power when you switch to high speed sync. This is usually a small price to pay for the advantages of high shutter speed and/or wide-open aperture.

In addition, if you look at the output power charts in the flash manual, you'll see that for every stop increase in shutter speed, you lose another stop of flash power. Some people incorrectly conclude from this that the flash output is so small at high shutter speeds that it must be useless. That's a mistake.

This power loss isn't as bad as it might first seem.

This power loss isn't as bad as it might seem. Keep in mind that because you're also opening up then lens one f/stop for every stop that you increase the shutter speed (to keep the same ambient exposure), you're essentially getting back that "lost" flash power. So you've only lost the initial one stop output decrease that kicks in when you first switch to high speed sync mode.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks Dave a really interesting article i have just read it and have been playing looks like the way forward for me,so thanks again to everyone for all your help
it seems a bit strange having a flash on the camera but the more i read about flash the more i should have been using it, well you learn something new everyday
 
Dave1 said:
one stop at most, I'll dig out the link to HS flash by Canon and post it shortly.
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One stop is theoretically impossible. It is two stops just by turning it on, and some guns are worse than that. Then one stop more for every halving of shutter speed above x-sync.

I have five Canon guns, and have checked them all. It's easy enough to test for yourself. Camera/tripod and put the gun on full power manual, normal sync, max x-sync speed, and fire at a plain wall. Adjust aperture and ISO for correct exposure

Swich on HSS, and with most Canon cameras the gun will now fire in HSS mode, even though it's not necessary. Lower the f/number or raise ISO until exposure is again correct and compare the difference. It will be around two stops, possibly more.
 
My tests with 550EX, 430EXII and 580EXIIs indicate a 1.1/2 stop drop at faster shutter speeds (1/800th and up.. That is, shooting cyclists at finish lines. That was confirmed with test shots using a dummy. I don't shoot plain walls.
 
SeedyBee said:
My tests with 550EX, 430EXII and 580EXIIs indicate a 1.1/2 stop drop at faster shutter speeds (1/800th and up.. That is, shooting cyclists at finish lines. That was confirmed with test shots using a dummy. I don't shoot plain walls.
Click to expand...

Dummies are fine, so long as the test is controlled and you can clearly see the exposure drop. But your claim is not true, and by your own figures if the loss was only 1.5 stops at 1/800sec then that would make HSS mode half a stop brighter than normal sync at 1/200sec :thinking:
 
I'm sure that Neil has enough info to try it out at the motorcycle trials (and hopefully report back how he found using HSS), as long a there are no plain walls riding the bikes he should be OK ;)
 
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