Flashpoint Xplor 600 PRO Misfires

Hey all!

I took my Xpro-N and Xplor 600 PRO out last night to do some nighttime cityscape backdrop portraits. I noticed I was having an issue with my camera shutter syncing up with the flash pop. About 1/2 to 2/3 of my photos, the flash fired, but my subject wasn’t illuminated; like the timing between shutter and flash wasn’t lining up. I had the Xpro-N on my D850, set in manual, with front-curtain sync.

I had my shutter speed set anywhere between 1/30 to 1/400, aperture between f/4 and f/11 for varying DOF, ISO between 100 and 3200.

Anybody have any ideas?

Two boring sample pictures for reference.

Are the shots over x sync the problem shots?

Yes, I have an idea...

You're shooting over your max sync speed, which is 1/250th, but not far enough away from it. At 1/320-1/400 I've seen this issue. Move to 1/500th and above, shooting in HSS, and it goes away.

I’ll have to go pull the files up in Lightroom to see what shutter the problem shots mostly fall under! Thanks for the ideas, guys! But the weird thing to me is it’d be fine for one shot, then apparently unsync’d the next, or vice versa.

I always leave my flash sync on 1/250 Auto FP (HSS). And I tried enabling and disabling the HSS on the XPro-N, to no avail. Maybe I need to actually stop being lazy and set the sync speed in the camera to what I’m actually shooting at? I had the lower shutter speeds for trying to get the city lit up behind my subjects.

Previous reply also responds to your comment! Thanks for the tips!

Alright! I've got more information. These are the shutter speeds where I had my sync issues:

1/30
1/60
1/100
1/125
1/160
1/250
1/640

So, pretty much, over the entire spectrum of shutter speeds I was using. I used front curtain sync, 1/250 (Auto FP) flash sync speed, and I was alternating between high speed sync on/off on the XPro-N trigger (didn't seem to make a difference).

I'm still new to learning how to properly use my strobe. Should I have been adjusting my flash sync speed in-camera while changing shutter speeds? Or is everything supposed to sync up slower than the sync speed you've selected automatically?

I would start with using your speed light instead of the strobe unless you absolutely need F11 and you don't want any ambient light. Here is a video from a fellow forum member, great tips...

Hey, this is actually one of the first videos I watched when I started delving into portraiture. Blast from the past!

If you have any suggestions on helping with the flash sync issue, I'm all ears! Being told to use one of my five speed-lights that I have no issue with doesn't help me master my strobe.

He opened the video about using TTL

Was your transmitter properly seated in the hotshoe and do you have the most updated firmware for your transmitter? Those were two culprits that plagued me with misfires when I fist started out.

Hey! Yes, properly seated! I actually turned camera and transmitter off, removed transmitter, and reinstalled several times to be sure.

I actually JUST updated the firmware of my D750, D850, Xpro-N Transmitter, and am looking for updates to the Xplor 600 PRO, but can't find any!

As far as I can tell, nothing should have changed with D750/D850 updates, but I skipped from version 1.3 to 1.5 on my Xpro-N, and can't find any documentation on what 1.4 changed. Lol

FWIW I'm shooting Nikon, I have the XPro trigger (1.4), shooting D850 sometimes, but mostly D810. Apart from the issue I mentioned above, I have no issue triggering. So your issue is frustrating, even remotely for me. I can imagine how aggravating it must be for you.

I'd suggest you look to see if you accidentally got the strobe in Multi mode? Or your camera in bracketing mode?

Crashing now and I'll check back in soon. Hope you get to the bottom of the issue.

GESWhoPhoto wrote in post #18709412
Hey! Yes, properly seated! I actually turned camera and transmitter off, removed transmitter, and reinstalled several times to be sure.

I actually JUST updated the firmware of my D750, D850, Xpro-N Transmitter, and am looking for updates to the Xplor 600 PRO, but can't find any!

As far as I can tell, nothing should have changed with D750/D850 updates, but I skipped from version 1.3 to 1.5 on my Xpro-N, and can't find any documentation on what 1.4 changed. Lol

V1.3 for X AD600PRO listed http://www.godox.com/E​N/Download.html

Mike

Sorry. Obvious questions that have to be asked:

• Are you sure you're waiting for the strobe to recycle between shots? (Are you using the recycle beep?)
  
• Did you try changing channels in case of radio interference?
  
• How far away are you from the AD600? / How is the C.Fn DIST set on the Xpro-N?
  

GESWhoPhoto wrote in post #18709412
... I skipped from version 1.3 to 1.5 on my Xpro-N, and can't find any documentation on what 1.4 changed. Lol

The revision history is listed in the PDF file that's wrapped inside the .rar with the firmware update file:

dpe wrote in post #18709562
V1.3 for X AD600PRO listed http://www.godox.com/E​N/Download.html

Yeah, but the changes listed are:

1. Compatible with Godox wireless PENTAX X system
   
2. To change the step adjustment from 0.3 to 0.1
   
3. To optimize battery management and temperature protection program
   

These are really good bits of info, all! Thank you so much for trying to help me! Answers to above questions:

1. Strobe Multi Mode: I was thinking about that when I started to look into the issue last night. I know my Xpro-N was set to TTL, and I thought I set my strobe to TTL as well (or shouldn't it receive the command from the Xpro?), but this could be a possibility!

2. Bracketing: I hardly ever shoot in any kind of a bracketed situation, and had to just look up where that button is on the D850 (last time I used it, I only had the D750 lol). That WOULD make complete sense, but nah. I was just getting one picture at a time to my camera roll and reviewing most individually once I discovered the issue!

3. Recycling: I am ashamed to say I was not using the recycle beep. Once I discovered the issue, I was mindful to wait a second or two between shots, but as I was using TTL, maybe there WERE some full-power pops that didn't get a chance to reload?

4. Changing Channels: I was not! Is that a common thing? I also was shooting right by the water, and I hear water can have interference with the waves?

5. Distance: I was within a couple of feet of the Xplor 600 PRO; I know the flash was popping off, because I could see it in my periphery while looking down the viewfinder, but it just didn't seem to be syncing up right.

6. C.Fn DIST: 0-30 meters! Just checked.

Obvious question 2.0 fresh batteries in trigger?
Re speedlights, will it happen with them too?