Fastest flashes?

[Photographitti]

I've just recently been hired to shoot skateboarding photos for a local mag, but they've asked me to shoot sequences indoor at a skatepark. I've got my Vivitar 283s that I usually shoot with but the recharge time is nowhere near high enough to shoot a sequence.

Does anyone have any recomendations for REALLY fast recharge time? I need it to keep up with my 5fps if possible. 430ex? 580ex? 580 II? 3rd party flash? cash is no problem, i just need the fastest!

[Dbix]

The 430ex was able to keep up with my old 1d at 8fps so you should be good to go with a 430ex on a 30d.

[Wilt]

NO FLASH will be able to keep up for very long at 5fps if the flash is outputting any more than a tiny fraction of its power (< 1/16) and you are merely using the internal batteries.

Also, using a flash at max power for too many consecutive shots without a break can/will severely damage the flash unit via thermally overloading the unit.

If you need fastest recycle, get an external battery pack. But pay attention to thermal overload.

[Photographitti]

It will be about ten frames at the most, but on the canon website the recharge time is .1 second, but I don't know how many times that would run. I'm def planning on running and external battery pack... thanks everyone

[Knightshade]

I was shooting with a Nikon user a couple of weeks ago and her flash recycle time was freekin amazing!!! My 580EX is nowhere near as fast and I went through 3 sets of energizer alkaline batteries that day.

She said she just uses Energizer rechargables, 2500 mah batteries.

[René Damkot]

NiMhs will recycle the flash a *lot* faster then alkalines...

[Photographitti]

i'm planning on using an external powersource already. My local pro shop told me to try quantum flashes w/ external power. I'm shooting eight frame sequences.

Does anyone have experience w/ quantum equipment?

[Topalov Djura]

Speed:

1. 430ex
2.
3. 580ex
4.
5.
6. Metz 54

[Wilt]

Quantums are terrific batteries. I have a Turbo that has been in use for over a decade, and still going strong.

[bieber]

I know on the Canon end the 580EX II is going to give you the fastest recycle time, but I don't know about third party units. I'm hearing a lot about this Metz thing, may have to take a look at it...

[cosworth]

NO FLASH will be able to keep up for very long at 5fps.

Any flashgun yes. If he wants to do skate sequences he'll need something like this:

http://alienbees.com/b400.html

It recycles to ful power in .5 of a second. Run it at half power with some constant light and you can get a decent spat of shots to merge for a sequence.

Other lfahes with a fast recycle time will do as well. Photoshop and layering is a must. Constant light source to make up for the lost light.

That being said, you could get a couple EX flashes on slave system set to multi to pull this off.

One EX flash can do it if it's night time, you have a fast lens and high ISO. But your results will suck donkey balls.

[Photographitti]

i'm planning on using multiple flashes, none set to full power, with a fast lens, and ISO no higher that 400.

[cosworth]

You'll need to have all the same make, all slaved off a main trigger. They will all have to be set to multi and your exposure will have to be the length of the sequence.

Unless there is some magical slave circuit I've not seen that can trigger flashes on PC cords in a sequence. Not impossible, but I've never seen one.

[René Damkot]

Indoor skatepark? I'm with Cosworth on this.
I'd suppose there are mains to power a strobe?

You could do worse then rent one of these (http://www.profoto.se/product.php?catId=68&productId=96) if you don't own a strobe.

[Photographitti]

well i've got multiple pocketwizards, and vivitar 283s, but they arent fast enough, if i'm shooting sequence I may only need one flash... thanks everyone.

[AmpedPhoto]

SHoot at a higher ISO like 800 or even higher, this is a mag ad so quality isn't the biggest issue. The higher ISO will cause your flash to not work as hard. Also exposure compisation will help a ton

[bieber]

Upping the ISO will help. I shot basketball at ISO 3200 once, and used my 580EX as pretty much the sole light source. At f/5.6 and 1/1200 (high speed synch) it could keep up with my 20D for four or five frames before it had to slow down...

[cosworth]

Also exposure compisation will help a ton

This should be shot in M mode for sure. Exp. Comp. will be null.

[Jim M]

I shot with Vivitar 283s on external battery packs for many years. I was dumbfounded at how much faster my 580 EX cycled on rechargeable AA cells. I am also amazed at how much faster it charges on rechargeable batteries than on alkaline batteries. I know it will cost a pile of money, but upgrading to a modern flash will be one of the best moves you will ever make if you are in a hurry. And it will have the features to match your digital camera.

[cosworth]

Yeah, I run into a lot of people at the local skateparks who think the 283s are like some alien technology that needs to be worshipped.

I see them popping in costco batteries and I just chuckle...

[René Damkot]

Another thing to be considered (I think): If your flash is illuminating the front of the skater, he will be moving towards it during the action, so exposure will be more each subsequent shot...

[Jonathan H]

My recommendation is a Sunpak 120J and an external quantum battery. On 1/4 power, recycle time is virtually instant. The ready light doesn't even flicker for the first 5-6 pops. On 1/8 power, I've fired probably as many as 15 frames (at 5 FPS on a 30D) and it kept up just fine.

Thermal overload is also less of an issue because it is not an "enclosed" unit like the 283 but has the flash tube in the open (with a glass protective dome, of course). Lastly, it is significantly more powerful than even the new 580 EX II so it will give you great versatility in the future.

Make sure you're dragging the shutter so there's enough ambient to illuminate the surroundings! If the image is going to CMYK press output (i.e. a magazine), having the darks too dark will reproduce terribly.