Cannon 580ex2 sync speed?

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Mrtross

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Chris
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Tried google but can't find anything! What is the sync speed of this flash?
 
I think you'll find that it is the camera that dictates the sync speed... However, the Canon 580exII has HSS which is some Canon black magic to allow you to shoot over you cameras max standard sync speed.....

Phil
 
Yes it's the camera that defines sync speed, and much of it has to do with shutter design. I think modern canons are 1/200 or 1/250 sync, beyond that the shutter won't be fully open when the flash goes off and you get the dark band. I sometimes push up to 1/300 and just crop out the band, maybe I should get a ND4 finally..

A canon 1D with an electronic shutter syncs at least up to 1/2000 regardless of the specs though :)
 
Do you have a Canon 1D (as you have posted previously)? If that's the original 1D with a CCD sensor, it will sync up to 1/500sec (officially).

Most cameras these days sync up to a max of 1/200sec, higher end models 1/250sec, very few any higher. You have high speed sync option on the 580 gun of course.
 
Yes, I have a 1D and yes it's 1/500 officially. But it has an electronic shutter which goes to 1/16000 seconds and theoretically you can sync to that if you want... In practice, flash duration and the flash color shift during release limit it to about 1/2000 in my tests. Faster than that and you get reduced flash output & color casts because the flash has gone off only partially before the CCD stops collecting light.

Of course if you use a TTL flash, the camera and flash will conspire to limit you to the spec'd 1/500s. Which is still great. The 4 Mpx is not too hot though...
 
vaizki said:
Yes, I have a 1D and yes it's 1/500 officially. But it has an electronic shutter which goes to 1/16000 seconds and theoretically you can sync to that if you want... In practice, flash duration and the flash color shift during release limit it to about 1/2000 in my tests. Faster than that and you get reduced flash output & color casts because the flash has gone off only partially before the CCD stops collecting light.

Of course if you use a TTL flash, the camera and flash will conspire to limit you to the spec'd 1/500s. Which is still great. The 4 Mpx is not too hot though...
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Yes, it's a shame Canon dropped that technology, and Nikon too with the D70 and D40 etc.

You must be losing power at 1/2000sec though, as the 580EX is claimed to have a flash duration of 1/833sec at full output. But 1/1000sec could/should be pretty good and clean and that's a big difference to the 1/200-250sec we have normally.

I guess there are ways around it though, HSS (I use that a lot) and ND filters as you say :)
 
I'm shooting with a 1d mk3 but the flash is used off camera in manual mode triggered by a simple remote
 
Mrtross said:
I'm shooting with a 1d mk3 but the flash is used off camera in manual mode triggered by a simple remote
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The cool CCD electronic shutter was dropped with the 1DMk2. 1DMk3/4 sync conventionally at 1/300sec, which is still higher than anything else, but only with E-TTL guns I think.

Basic radio triggers introduce a slight delay so you will have to reduce that from anything to 1/250sec to maybe a couple of clicks longer, depending on the actual triggers, state of batteries etc. You need to test.
 
I use a 1D4 with Cactus V5 triggers and have got away with 1/320sec but try pushing any faster and you can see the shutter curtain shadow in the images, as Richard says play safe and 1/300 or 1/250 and you'll be fine.
 
Electronic shutters don't work well with CMOS sensors, only CCD. A big problem with CCD is that power consumption goes up by a factor of 10x or even 100x. A lot of that power turns into heat as well, so live view and video can be a problem. And battery life. Of course most point-and-shoots and video cameras are CCD, in a small size these all these problems have been overcome before DSLRs even came to exist. But CMOS has been cheap and good enough for now.

They are also vastly more expensive to make in large sizes. However I wouldn't be surprised to see the 5D2 successor line split into two models, one with a non-CMOS sensor that allows a good electronic shutter. C'mon Canon, at least give us a mirrorless CCD with EF-mount :D

And Hoppy, I made my tests with studio flash mostly.. With speedlights I have HSS after all :)
 
whiteflyer said:
I use a 1D4 with Cactus V5 triggers and have got away with 1/320sec but try pushing any faster and you can see the shutter curtain shadow in the images, as Richard says play safe and 1/300 or 1/250 and you'll be fine.
Click to expand...

Same Here !!!
 
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