Flash Sync speed and High Speed Flash setting - Canon

richpips

richpips

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I took a load of pictures at the weekend with my Canon 5d Mk1, and used a 430 EXII off camera as fill flash. I reckon I got a 50% success rate, which isn't good enough for event photography.

Anyway I had a shutter speed of 1/200 (the max) with the flash set to 2nd curtain.

1st question is if I'd selected High rather than 2nd could I have used a much higher shutter speed when using the flash off camera?

2nd question is if I select High and the flash is mounted on the hot shoe, does it still automatically max out at 1/200 shutter speed?

Ta Rich
 
I guess we would need to see the pictures to know whats not working for you.

I am no expert in this but if you only want fillin flash then you dont really want to lock yourself down to 1/200 as that could result in the whole image being lit by the flash (it all depends on it being indoors/outdoors etc).
 
on camera you could, how were you triggering it, new PW's let you ST-E2 might, ebay triggers have spazz attacks at like 1/200th :P
 
Can the onboard flash on your camera be used as a commander for the 430? If so I don't see why it wouldn't work, the only thing is whether the flash is spec'd to do it. I know that with the minolta/sony system the lower model flashes won't do HSS off camera but the higher model ones will. The only thing it will do is though if it can be done is dramatically reduce the range at which you can use the flash.
 
To clarify.

Elinchrom Skyports for triggers

5D has no onboard flash.

This is a successful shot.

 
To answer the 2nd question Rich if you put the flash on camera and select HSS then it won't limit to 1/200, that'd defeat the point of HSS.

Sorry I can't be more specific but I don't know the Canon flashes but seeing as you're not getting much help from the Canon users I'll stick my oar in. With my Metz flash (on a KM system) it won't do HSS off camera. You can select it on camera but when you remove it from the camera it deselects itself from that mode.

The thing is that HSS really needs some way of communicating with the camera in a TTL sense. It needs to know the shutter speed in order to know how many pulses to make and it needs the aperture to work out how much power to use in each pulse (it's probably a bit more complex than that but you know your stuff so there's little point going into it, the point is that HSS needs some kind of metering).

I can think of three options you have.

1)Use another flash on camera or one of them STE-2 things if it is possible to do HSS off camera with your flash gun.

2)Stick the flash on the camera.

3)Does your flash have a strobe mode? Some flashes including my Metz have a stroboscopic function. You tell it the shutter duration, then you have to balance the frequency of pulses and the power level to get your desired output. The LCD should give you a working range for the light at your given aperture. It's another form or manual exposure and would take some experimentation to see what combination works best for given situations.
 
Cheers Kev.

I had an experiment last night.

I found that HSS with the flash on camera is no problem. (Of course)

My skyports however ignore the HSS setting, therefore over 1/200, and I can see the shutter. :(

So I guess I might have to give the STE-2 thing a whirl, though I'm put of by the line of site thing, as often the camera is in front, and at an acute angle relative to the flash. :thinking:
 
I don't reckon it's the skyports mate, they're just a trigger and they work alright above 1/200 on cameras that can do it.

I reckon you're flash is deselecting the HSS mode when off camera. You've not left the camera in 2nd curtain on anything have you?

I'm not a fan of those IR things either. Could you use another flash and twist the head away from the scene and towards the off camera flash? Not a cheap option though.
 
I reckon you're flash is deselecting the HSS mode when off camera.
Click to expand...

I reckon you're right.

You've not left the camera in 2nd curtain on anything have you?
Click to expand...

Nope definitely in HSS and manual.

I could get round it by using more flashes and the canon controller, but I can do without having to lug more gear, never mind the added expense.
 
I reckon HSS must use more pins than quench (big pin) to communicate with the flash - so a skysport wouldn't have that info so the flash would fire normally. Might work with pocket wizard flex's (they're the ttl ones right?) as they transmit more data but it depends on how they transmit it (one of the issues coming up in my summer project)
 
david1701 said:
I reckon HSS must use more pins than quench (big pin) to communicate with the flash - so a skysport wouldn't have that info so the flash would fire normally. Might work with pocket wizard flex's (they're the ttl ones right?) as they transmit more data but it depends on how they transmit it (one of the issues coming up in my summer project)
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I thought.

Make sure your summer project has not only the guts that work , but a robust body too, and you might have a winner. :)
 
well I suspect my final prototype will be in a box bolted to the tripod thread but once I have a fully functional final design I can get tiny tiny boards made and put into custom housings in china - just might need to do a few at a time :O
 
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