I have a shoot to do for a local bys football team, and would really like to use off camera flash for added effect and something a little different that pics that have been taken during matches so far. Thinking of staging action shots of each boy individually, and wondering if it would be a good idea, or possible to have an off camera flash set up, using short bursts to get a number of shots from each go? I have a small Godox flash with sof box if that helps...
High fps with off camera flash?
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Phil V
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You’d need a quite powerful flash and to turn it way down low to get a burst. Unless you can crank the ISO way high.
You’d be better off if you’re staging shots going for a single ‘peak action’ shot.
The other option is to not think ‘action’ but to create ‘drama’ with the lights on a static shot.
You’d be better off if you’re staging shots going for a single ‘peak action’ shot.
The other option is to not think ‘action’ but to create ‘drama’ with the lights on a static shot.
Consider first that, when using studio flash, they typically have a recycle time from full power output of 1-2 sec (the higher power ones have the longer recycle).
And typically a portable flash takes loonger (than studio flash) to recycle, yet also be subject to the same rules (of running out of power)
Portable flash also often have a 'stroboscopic' mode, but it pulses very rapidly to only a SINGLE opening of the shutter, the stroboscopic mode does not pulse each time the shutter opens when you use multiple-shot mode of the camera. What would work is to open the shutter for a longer time, then have the stroboscopic mode pulse to freeze the subject as they move, with their multiple positions captured in a single shot...for example, the flash pulses 16 times per second over a period of one second, but then you have to hope that 1/16 power gives a bright enough amount of light to register in the frame! It might be enough power if your subject was 2' away but not if the subject was 16' away.
- So if you could fire a flash 5 times per second at 1/5 power, it would fully expend all of the power stored in its capacitor in 1 second, and have to recycle
- So if you could fire a flash 10 times per second at 1/10 power, it would fully expend all of the power stored in its capacitor in 1 second, and have to recycle
- So if you could fire a flash 20 times per second at 1/20 power, it would fully expend all of the power stored in its capacitor in 1 second, and have to recycle
And typically a portable flash takes loonger (than studio flash) to recycle, yet also be subject to the same rules (of running out of power)
Portable flash also often have a 'stroboscopic' mode, but it pulses very rapidly to only a SINGLE opening of the shutter, the stroboscopic mode does not pulse each time the shutter opens when you use multiple-shot mode of the camera. What would work is to open the shutter for a longer time, then have the stroboscopic mode pulse to freeze the subject as they move, with their multiple positions captured in a single shot...for example, the flash pulses 16 times per second over a period of one second, but then you have to hope that 1/16 power gives a bright enough amount of light to register in the frame! It might be enough power if your subject was 2' away but not if the subject was 16' away.
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sk66
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I've managed multiple exposure bursts with my Godox V860 at reduced power.
Low powered flash is good for freezing action, but not for providing much light. And if you do anything to compensate in order to not need as much light from the flash, then it will not be much good at freezing action.
So that leads you into high speed sync; where fast shutter speed is used to freeze the action, and reduced power flash is used for fill. And since HSS is so power hungry already, I don't know if you could get multiple exposures from a charge... don't think I've ever tried it.
And IDT you would want to waste any battery lighting a softbox... especially something too small/too far away.
Low powered flash is good for freezing action, but not for providing much light. And if you do anything to compensate in order to not need as much light from the flash, then it will not be much good at freezing action.
So that leads you into high speed sync; where fast shutter speed is used to freeze the action, and reduced power flash is used for fill. And since HSS is so power hungry already, I don't know if you could get multiple exposures from a charge... don't think I've ever tried it.
And IDT you would want to waste any battery lighting a softbox... especially something too small/too far away.
juggler
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Stage the shots, but time them rather than using burst mode. You'll get better results & have far fewer images to sort through.
It may help to video the action on a mobile phone first so you can work out exactly which moment you want to record.
Some of the biggest flashes will recycle fast enough to capture the best moment but burst mode mainly guarantees that you'll miss it.
You'll also have to decide whether you want the scene to have some ambient light in it. If so you'll need HSS to freeze motion. If you want the scene to be purely flash lit you'll need a short flash duration, but also enough power to render the ambient negligible.
If you've got lots of players to shoot then a speedlite with HSS is likely to overheat in no time.
You might consider hiring something like a Godox QT1200 with sine wave inverter battery system. That has short flash duration, recycles quickly and has lots of power. It also has HSS.
Let me see if I can find a couple of examples..
AD600Pro in HSS, 2 attempts, quite a lot of ambient
Lots of ambient but powerful short duration flash to defeat it, moment selected by videoing the move first
It may help to video the action on a mobile phone first so you can work out exactly which moment you want to record.
Some of the biggest flashes will recycle fast enough to capture the best moment but burst mode mainly guarantees that you'll miss it.
You'll also have to decide whether you want the scene to have some ambient light in it. If so you'll need HSS to freeze motion. If you want the scene to be purely flash lit you'll need a short flash duration, but also enough power to render the ambient negligible.
If you've got lots of players to shoot then a speedlite with HSS is likely to overheat in no time.
You might consider hiring something like a Godox QT1200 with sine wave inverter battery system. That has short flash duration, recycles quickly and has lots of power. It also has HSS.
Let me see if I can find a couple of examples..
AD600Pro in HSS, 2 attempts, quite a lot of ambient
Lots of ambient but powerful short duration flash to defeat it, moment selected by videoing the move first
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I did some water splash shots with ad600 pro at 14fps for ad shoot. Not a problem at 1/16 with modelling light off. The trick is to back it off a bit from full power
Garry Edwards
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The trick is to back off a lot - shoot at the lowest power to get the shortest flash duration. This applies to all IGBT tech flashes