Using Canon 6D for OCF?

I currently own a t4i and have been messing around with flash mounted on my camera and have been wanting to venture into OCF as well. I have also been wanting to upgrade to a full frame camera (Canon 6d) since I primarily like to shoot portraits of my 3 year old and soon to be newborn as well as some landscape. Occasionally I'll do some things for my business as well and am looking to perhaps start to do some things on the side.

My big concern is with the Canon 6D and it's flash sync of 180. I also realize that if I plan to use radio triggers with them that it will most likely need to be 160 sync speed to make sure the signal gets there and I get no black parts of my picture. I was wondering if all of you who might have the 6D have really been limited with OCF due to the sync speed of the 6D. I really love the look that OCF can give to pictures and it really ups the creativity level of what you can do. I just want to make sure that if I invest in the 6D that I'm not shooting myself in the foot due to the sync speed. I realize that the sync speed will really be an issue when try to use fill flash outside in the sun...atleast that is what i have heard.

Just looking for some advice or if any 6D owners have had experience with using their camera with OCF.

Its a third of a stop of ambient control....

In the day, I shoot wide open with a variable ND filter in front to reduce shutter speed to slightly below the sync speed.

or you could get a flash the that supports HSS.

kohza wrote in post #16838256
In the day, I shoot wide open with a variable ND filter in front to reduce shutter speed to slightly below the sync speed.

Definitely one option if you've got a beefy enough flash to do this.

I've never really found I'm limited, sure I wish I had a leaf shutter sometimes but staying at sync is not a huge issue to me.

jmikolich wrote in post #16838285
Definitely one option if you've got a beefy enough flash to do this.

I've never really found I'm limited, sure I wish I had a leaf shutter sometimes but staying at sync is not a huge issue to me.

Why do you need a flash beefy enough ?
"Wide open + ND" is the same amount of light hitting the sensor as "stopped down, no ND"
Your flash will need to output the same amount of power.

Echo63 wrote in post #16838311
Why do you need a flash beefy enough ?
"Wide open + ND" is the same amount of light hitting the sensor as "stopped down, no ND"
Your flash will need to output the same amount of power.

But even under the best of circumstances a hotshoe flash barely keeps up with the midday sun. Its basically good for fill and thats if you dont add a modifier to the mix.

I use mine with multiple strobes almost every time I shoot. It's usually inside the studio. I haven't had any kind of issues with the 1/180th sync speed yet. Even outdoors, if 1/180th isn't fast enough, chances are a slightly faster sync speed isn't going to fix your problems.

However if it's a concern, you can upgrade to a 5Dmk3 if you want a 1/200th second sync speed or if that still isn't fast enough for you, you can get a 1Dx and have a 1/250th of a second max sync speed. Neither results in even a full stop of ambient difference.

I went from a Rebel to the 6D and there are times I wish it could sync at 1/250th. I get around it between ND filters and flash(es) or strobe though, and in the scheme of things the sync speed wouldn't go high on my list of reasons to buy or not buy a body.

cc1995 wrote in post #16838135
My big concern is with the Canon 6D and it's flash sync of 180. I also realize that if I plan to use radio triggers with them that it will most likely need to be 160 sync speed to make sure the signal gets there and I get no black parts of my picture. I was wondering if all of you who might have the 6D have really been limited with OCF due to the sync speed of the 6D. I really love the look that OCF can give to pictures and it really ups the creativity level of what you can do. I just want to make sure that if I invest in the 6D that I'm not shooting myself in the foot due to the sync speed. I realize that the sync speed will really be an issue when try to use fill flash outside in the sun...atleast that is what i have heard.

Just looking for some advice or if any 6D owners have had experience with using their camera with OCF.

Yeah, shooting with the 6D can feel a lil limited due to its low sync speed. But as mentioned, its not insurmountable.

I know this is apples and oranges, but Joey L used a medium format body, ND filter, and studio strobes to shoot his "Cradle of Mankind" project. Max sync speed on that camera?

1/125th.

Just for perspective.

Things develop over time, and with that our expectations. When I bought my first Canon camera ever, the concurrent top notch model (F-1) had a sync speed of - 1/60 s.
The Canon EF I purchased was really high-tech in that field, as it supported 1/125 s for flash. It took until the T90 for me to get to 1/250 s flash sync speed.

I'm surprised no one mentioned, you're T4i has a max sync speed of 1/200th. So if you're basing your decision on sync speed, you're T4i does better. Oh and yes I have a T4i, and a couple of flashes, and have been shooting OCF using Yongnuo YN 622s.

Just my opinion, the reasons you've stated for purchasing the 6D, you might be better off just staying with the T4i, and spending the difference on your soon to arrive newborn..

im not sure why you feel this is a problem, the only time its really a problem is when the ambient is very strong and you want a wide aperture making it difficult to drop the shutter speed that low or if you need to freeze your subject Indoors supplementing with flash as fill. in which case you need to look to HSS.

to be honest, i would find the 1/4000 max shutter more limiting for portraits.

CC.
Going from my 7D to 5D Mark III, my sync speed (SS) dropped from 1/250 to 1/200. Not really a big deal. Dropping to 160th would become a deal breaker for me either. Since you have the 6D which is 2012 model, you may want to consider investing in the Canon 600 EX-RT and ST-E3 combination. Full wireless triggering with all the features, group mode and High Speed Sync, for those situations where you want to drop the ambient light, your 160th SS to a 1/500 for example.