1st or 2nd curtain

Hi,

I don't do much flash photography at present (mostly outdoor stuff). I know that the built ins don't give off good light so am buying a 430ex soon, so wish me luck. From what I understand, it's a bit of lurning curve.
So heres my first question for you all. What does 1st and 2nd curtain sync.
do?
I know how it works, ie: flash fires as shutter opens or closes, but other than projecting light trails in different directions, what else does it do?

Yep, that's pretty much it.
There's an illustration on this page.
Second curtain is a fairly specialized capability.

Curtis N wrote in post #2770338
Yep, that's pretty much it.
There's an illustration on this page.
Second curtain is a fairly specialized capability.

is that all it's used for?

bundybear wrote in post #2770367
is that all it's used for?

I hope so! I've been using this technique for years and if there's another use for it, I'd be pist!!!

samnz wrote in post #2770438
I hope so! I've been using this technique for years and if there's another use for it, I'd be pist!!!

LOL!

Whether the flash fires at the beginning or the end of the exposure won't make any difference unless something is moving, and the shutter speed is slow enough to show the movement. And then, second curtain sync is only useful if the movement is predictable and you plan the shot to create a certain effect.

thanks for the help.