EOS-1D Mark II, flash sync speed from 500th to 250th?

[johnson]

Can anyone explain if this is a step back from the original 1D? If it is, why did Canon decide to do this? Thanks.

[defordphoto]

Can anyone explain if this is a step back from the original 1D? If it is, why did Canon decide to do this? Thanks.

You'd have to ask Canon. I don't think they've publicly explained. Top shutter speed has also dropped from 1/16000 to 1/8000.

[Pekka]

Top shutter speed has also dropped from 1/16000 to 1/8000

1D (original) has electronic shutter which I recall means it can "dim" CCD very fast. CMOS is probably not capable of that so they had to cope with mechanical shutter speed limit.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Yes,. it was not really a "decision"... but a limitation of the CMOS.

The CCD in the 1D was fast enough to be it's own shutter when required,. it was the CCD ability to turn off and on combined with the shutter that allowed the 1/500 synch and 1/16000

This IS a serious drawback for some sports photographers who thrived on the 1D high synch speed with remote strobes.

For many of us,. in fact probably most of us,. it is not an issue.

But there will be photographers that will hold onto there 1D for this very reason however.

[johnson]

CyberDyne, isnt the 1D family marketed towards sports photography since it has a high fps rating? What type of other photographers need that fast of a shutter? <soaking up info here>

[Cadwell]

CyberDyne, isnt the 1D family marketed towards sports photography since it has a high fps rating? What type of other photographers need that fast of a shutter? <soaking up info here>

Anyone who has shares in compact flash manufacturers ;) :lol:

[johnson]

:wink:, but seriously, just wondering what other photographers will use the 8.5fps to its full potential.

[DaveG]

CyberDyne, isnt the 1D family marketed towards sports photography since it has a high fps rating? What type of other photographers need that fast of a shutter? <soaking up info here>

The higher the x-synch the more choice you have when you are trying to fill flash outside. You could use 1/500 at f5.6, 1/250 @ 8 and so forth. This is not nerly as important as when we were using film. Now if we are using ISO 400 and get 1/500 @ f5.6 we could change the ISO to 200 to shoot 1/250 @ f5.6, and then go back to ISO 400.

But the fast x-synch can also be used to eliminate ambient light. For sports shooters they could select 1/500 of a second at f4 and use radio slaved strobes mounted in the rafters of the building. The slower the shutterspeed the more likely that you'll have ghosting so 1/250 synch is going to let in another stop of ambient light.

You could always go to f5.6 (in this example) to compensate but the strobes you are using may not have the horsepower to get you there. In any case with all the advantages of the Mark II, I doubt if there are very many pro shooters pining for the original D1, even with the faster synch.