YN 603 flash triggers and synch speed

Granarystudio

Granarystudio

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Neil
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Guys,

Set up my home studio for the first time today, 2 canon speedlites and Canon 5dmkii. YN 603 triggers.

Quick question set shutter speed to 1/250, found that first set of pics had back stripe across part of frame. Worked it out, shutter speed to fast for flash.

Worked backwards to about 1/125th as a synch speed for full frame exposure, no black stripe.

Is this a function of the triggers, or a function of the 5Dii?

I do not have the 603's connected with any cord, simply fitted to hot shoe camera, and flash bracket on stands with speedlite attached. Spedlites on manual setting.

I have a 7d as well but have used the Canon wireless system (pop up flash ) to control the speedlites, yet to try the yn triggers.

Tell me that you have all been here before?

Thanks Neil.
 
Hi Neil,

flash sync speed is always a function of the camera shutter, not the flash itself or any triggers and is caused by the way the camera shutter works.

Rather than being a single 'thing' that opens and closes like a diaphragm, the shutter is made of 2 'curtains' which cover the sensor. At the start of the exposure the first curtain pulls back revealing the sensor followed by the second curtain at the end of the exposure which moves across to cover the sensor again. This is why we can choose first curtain flash (it fires just after the first curtain opens) or second curtain flash (which fires just before the second curtain starts to close)

Obviously as the exposure time gets shorter, the second curtain closes quicker behind the first until it reaches a point where the second curtain starts to close before the first has completely opened. The shutter speed just before this happens is the cameras flash sync speed because at any higher speed there is no point in time when the sensor is completely uncovered. This is why you get the black stripe - no matter when the flash fires part of the sensor is being covered.
 
Make sure you are using new batteries in the triggers, not ones you think should be ok because they work in the tv remote, but new, and not the ones that came with the triggers (if there were any), as they may have been lying around for months, or even years, before shipping.
 
Hi,
In addition to the above...

I've the RF602's and a couple of canons X0D range.
The cameras max synch speed is 1/250th but 1/200th worked better to avoid the black band.
Its a shame that you have to drop down to 1/125th with that camera.
Since the 7D is rated to 1/250th you'll likely be able to achieve 1/200th ok.

Also note that the 602's do not have any screw mechanism to keep it locked on the camera. I'm not sure if thats the case with the 603's but its worth noting that as its easy to knock the trigger slightly off its spot and then you'll see banding across the image in the same way. So check your screen regularly.

With regards to batteries, I've not found the banding to be an symptom but simply a case of the lights not firing as often.
 
Thanks guys for the replies, have searched the net, looks like quite a few reports of the 603's and Canon 5DMKII only working at 1/160 without the black stripe.

Not critical and can work round for most pics.

Any other cheapish triggers to get a higher synch speed??

Neil.
 
SnapperMatt said:
Hi Neil,

flash sync speed is always a function of the camera shutter, not the flash itself or any triggers and is caused by the way the camera shutter works.
Click to expand...

Whilst you're right about on camera flash being governed by the shutter leaves, with OCF it's also affected by the trigger and speed of signal transmission. Hence you'd usually want to shoot at least one to two thirds slower than your max sync speed, depending on the unit.
 
DemiLion said:
Whilst you're right about on camera flash being governed by the shutter leaves, with OCF it's also affected by the trigger and speed of signal transmission. Hence you'd usually want to shoot at least one to two thirds slower than your max sync speed, depending on the unit.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I was unaware of this. I guess I just assumed that the transmission would be effectively instantaneous... you know what they say about assumptions! Apologies if anyone has been misled.
 
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