1st Curtain, 2nd Curtain ???

Until a few minutes ago, I had never investigated the flash control menu on any of our cameras.

I got a new Neewer NW-14EXT Macro Ring Flash and was messing around making sure everything was in proper order before the return window closed; thus, I ended up in the camera's flash control menu for my first time.

One section had three choices; 1st Curtain, 2nd Curtain, and Hi-Speed; without me molesting anything, it was set on 2nd Curtain.

We have been using ordinary external flashes, both manual and TTL, and the pictures have been turning out good, as are also the pictures I have taken with the new ring flash.

So far as I know, everything we have done has been on this 2nd Curtain setting.

Is that a good setting where I should leave it as is ?

I don't understand this flash business enough to know which choice is applicable when and why.

Thanks for reading and all help is appreciated.

Second curtain really comes into significance when the target is moving (or camera+lens is being panned).
The exposure registered on film or sensor can be thought of as 'being in two parts'

1. The ambient light portion (if the ambient light underexposues the subject by 1.5EV, the subject registers as 'partual density'
   
2. The flash illumination portion, the subject registers as full density.
   

• With first curtain synch, the subject at A is full density, and and ---> B is partial density
  
• With second curtain synch, the subject A ---> is at partial density, and at B is full density
  

Wilt wrote in post #19152554
Another way of looking at it, photographers for many decades HAD NO CHOICE and yet countless photographs were made very successfully. IOW second curtain is generally a 'creative' setting that came into being in more recent times.

Thanks.
If any of that soaked into my thick skull, I guess what you said is that in most circumstances I probably couldn't tell the difference, right ?
Something moving or that might move = 2nd Curtain
Something still and the camera also still = 1st Curtain, right ?

As always, I very much appreciate you guys patience and understanding in answering my questions.

BuckSkin wrote in post #19152618
Thanks.
If any of that soaked into my thick skull, I guess what you said is that in most circumstances I probably couldn't tell the difference, right ?
Something moving or that might move = 2nd Curtain
Something still and the camera also still = 1st Curtain, right ?

As always, I very much appreciate you guys patience and understanding in answering my questions.

You got the fundamentals right. More information...

• Which curtain sync really matters if the fundamental shutter speed is relatively long duration, so it captures the 'ghost path' of the moving subject (or the panning time used for following a subject)
  

Also, if you shoot with a Canon body, 2nd curtain sync doesn't actually activate unless you're shooting at shutter speeds of 1/20th of a second or longer. So even if you have it set to 2nd curtain but you're shooting at 1/50th or 1/100th, etc you're actually using first curtain sync.

patrick023 wrote in post #19152862
Also, if you shoot with a Canon body, 2nd curtain sync doesn't actually activate unless you're shooting at shutter speeds of 1/20th of a second or longer. So even if you have it set to 2nd curtain but you're shooting at 1/50th or 1/100th, etc you're actually using first curtain sync.

Thanks for that as I do have all Canon.

The camera in question was already set for 2nd Curtain; I do not know whether that is the as-delivered default setting or not; just to satisfy my own curiosity, I intend to see what the rest of them are set at.

Wilt said "photographers for many decades HAD NO CHOICE" ; I assume that only choice would have been 1st Curtain, right ?