Flash Sync Speed Cheaters Anonymous

So before getting on here and asking questions, I'm typically a fan of doing some experimenting and attempting to answer the question myself. So I did that. I've done some testing and in sharing my results wonder if I'm missing anything..

Canon's 5d Mark III has a 'max' flash sync speed of 1/200th. I am wondering if anybody likes being greedy and cheats an extra 1/3 stop (ie, using 1/250sec with flash) to kill more ambient daylight so the aperture can be more open and flash batteries last longer because it doesn't have to be fired as hot.

Using my Yongnuo 560-Iv in the hotshoe mount I was only getting a small band along the bottom 3-5% of the frame Sometimes I didn't get it at all. I can live with that by just standing a bit further back and cropping it out in post. After a few dozen test shots I didn't get a single frame where the curtain shadow jumped up to 15-20% of the frame.

Next thing to test is whether using the YN-560 Tx (the transmitter) might cause more banding. I can see how the wireless communication might be more spastic than firing from the hotshoe. I'll try this out but if anybody already knows the answer you're welcome to pipe up here.

My ultimate diabolical goal would be to conclude that 1/250 is doable. So that way 4 YN flashes firing at say 1/4 to 1/2 power on a bright sunny day could illuminate a large group such as family formals at a wedding. Or do I just need to stop being cheap and buy the damn strobes?

comments?

Strobe sync @ 1/400: Pushing the limits.

Thanks! I guess I can be more greedy than 1/250. From reviewing your discussion to surmise that 1/400 is fine and plenty as long as I leave room for cropping.

I'll go out and practice--pushing the limits!

Buy an older body for next to nothing and you can get insane flash sync


http://strobist.blogsp​ot.co.id …-ultra-high-sync.html?m=1

Put a YN622TX on a camera and trigger a strobe, like the Streaklight, and you can HSS sync much faster than 1/500, supposedly all the way to 1/8000. Whatever your addiction with fast flash sync, for less than $400, you can have a brighter battery powered strobe and really fast shutter speeds.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #17853178
Put a YN622TX on a camera and trigger a strobe, like the Streaklight, and you can HSS sync much faster than 1/500, supposedly all the way to 1/8000. Whatever your addiction with fast flash sync, for less than $400, you can have a brighter battery powered strobe and really fast shutter speeds.

That only works with certain strobes that have long flash durations.

True, but if somebody is looking for a different solution that is pretty cost effective over other Yung Nuo solutions and flashes, this might be something to consider.

Well my interest is in lighting groups in broad daylight. Ergo they're not moving as to necessitate a high flash speed to stop motion. My interest in pushing 1/200 to 1/400 if possible is to kill ambient daylight, so that the aperture doesn't have to and less flash is needed.

HSS in my textbook understanding and in practice chasing my kids at the playground it the worst of both worlds: it drains batteries much faster AND is reduced power output.

Strobes like the streaklight has a battery pack that allows you take hundreds of shots, if not more. Also, if you move the lights closer and run a faster shutter speed beyond 1/400, wouldn't that kill ambient light even more? I didn't have the TX doing Christmas portraits, and if I had, I would have been able to make the background completely black. This sounds like a similar issue.

This was the best I could do at 1/200th, and I really wanted to go HSS, but could only do as good as 1/250th with the wireless devices I had. Most of the shots still showed the curtains.

Silver-Halide wrote in post #17853202
Well my interest is in lighting groups in broad daylight. Ergo they're not moving as to necessitate a high flash speed to stop motion. My interest in pushing 1/200 to 1/400 if possible is to kill ambient daylight, so that the aperture doesn't have to and less flash is needed.

HSS in my textbook understanding and in practice chasing my kids at the playground it the worst of both worlds: it drains batteries much faster AND is reduced power output.

Just get an ND filter if you only need a stop of ambient control.

gonzogolf wrote in post #17853216
Just get an ND filter if you only need a stop of ambient control.

How would that be different than stopping down the aperture? Pushing my shutter speed is really about enabling speedlights to overpower the sun

Perhaps if you can run the flashes full power (assuming you are already doing this though), and get them closer to the subject, coupled with an ND, you can drop the ambient by 1-2 stops, while keeping roughly the same amount of light on the subject.

Here is an article, not sure if it helps.
http://neilvn.com …t-are-my-camera-settings/

Silver-Halide wrote in post #17853250
How would that be different than stopping down the aperture? Pushing my shutter speed is really about enabling speedlights to overpower the sun

It would be different in that your aperture would still be open, allowing for the depth of field control you seem to want. It allows you to use your stobes at full power. The slower shutter speed zeros out the nd factor, your strobe power will be affected but likely not as much as you lose going into hss mode.

Read this thresd. https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1154254

gonzogolf wrote in post #17853280
It would be different in that your aperture would still be open, allowing for the depth of field control you seem to want. It allows you to use your stobes at full power. The slower shutter speed zeros out the nd factor, your strobe power will be affected but likely not as much as you lose going into hss mode.

Read this thresd. https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1154254

yes, thanks. I get it as far as DOF & aperture. For a group of people I want to be at around say f/11 anyway so that everyone is in focus. But insofar as ambient vs flash, both a 1 stop ND filter and dropping from f/11 to f/16 will have the same effect--I'll need more flash power. If I could stay at f/11 and go from 1/200 to 1/400 now the flashes only have to fire half as powerful.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #17853256
Perhaps if you can run the flashes full power (assuming you are already doing this though), and get them closer to the subject, coupled with an ND, you can drop the ambient by 1-2 stops, while keeping roughly the same amount of light on the subject.

Here is an article, not sure if it helps.
http://neilvn.com …t-are-my-camera-settings/

I'd rather run 4 at half power or 8 at 1/4 power than 2 at full power. Reason: Faster recycle time, less changing batteries, less chance of overheating.