new flash questions

i just got my new sigma ef 530 dg super flash. one thing i dont understand is no matter what mode i set my camera at it wont let me adjust the shutter speed above my camera max sync of 1/200. is this a safeguard so you dont overflash your pictures or a ettl feature? i did some test shooting with it last night and had mixed results. first of all do i really need a shutter speed over 200? shooting birds in the woods. should i shoot in manual mode or tv mode? or just use the auotmatic mode>? so far it seem my best shots have been in M iso 200 f9 1/200. but the whole not being able to raise shutterspeed is troubling. i also tried the ettl high speed sync. but it appears that it turns itself off after every shot. should i use the flash in manual? or ettl? and should i even bother with the high speed snyc mode? any imput would be great i am very new at all this flash technology. this setup is with a 500mm zoom lens with a better beamer flash extender

mrbass111 wrote in post #5974865
i just got my new sigma ef 530 dg super flash. one thing i dont understand is no matter what mode i set my camera at it wont let me adjust the shutter speed above my camera max sync of 1/200.

That's your MAX sync speed. It's a limitation of your camera. Your camera is doing exactly what it is supposed to do.

Wasn't most of this already explained in this thread you started?

mrbass111 wrote in post #5974865
i just got my new sigma ef 530 dg super flash. one thing i dont understand is no matter what mode i set my camera at it wont let me adjust the shutter speed above my camera max sync of 1/200. is this a safeguard so you dont overflash your pictures or a ettl feature? i did some test shooting with it last night and had mixed results. first of all do i really need a shutter speed over 200? shooting birds in the woods. should i shoot in manual mode or tv mode? or just use the auotmatic mode>? so far it seem my best shots have been in M iso 200 f9 1/200. but the whole not being able to raise shutterspeed is troubling. i also tried the ettl high speed sync. but it appears that it turns itself off after every shot. should i use the flash in manual? or ettl? and should i even bother with the high speed snyc mode? any imput would be great i am very new at all this flash technology. this setup is with a 500mm zoom lens with a better beamer flash extender

If you want to shoot with a shutter speed faster than 1/200, switch the flash to FP mode (equivalent to HSS, high speed sync, mode on Canon flashes).

Edit: Looks like you already know about the FP mode. From what I understand, the flash should stay in FP mode as long as the shutter speed is set above the max sync speed and only turn off if you drop the shutter speed to max sync speed or slower. If FP is turning off after every shot, that's the first time I've heard of it doing that.

Gatorboy wrote in post #5974913
That's your MAX sync speed. It's a limitation of your camera. Your camera is doing exactly what it is supposed to do.

Wasn't most of this already explained in this thread you started?

in that threa i thought that i could use i higher shutter speed and so far i cant set my shutter speed above 200/ this is what i am trying to figure out.

PacAce wrote in post #5974933
If you want to shoot with a shutter speed faster than 1/200, switch the flash to FP mode (equivalent to HSS, high speed sync, mode on Canon flashes).

Edit: Looks like you already know about the FP mode. From what I understand, the flash should stay in FP mode as long as the shutter speed is set above the max sync speed and only turn off if you drop the shutter speed to max sync speed or slower. If FP is turning off after every shot, that's the first time I've heard of it doing that.

i put it in ep mode and still could not get my shutter speed over 200. maybee i am doing something wrong. the only time i got my shutter speed over 200 was by turning the flash off.

mrbass111 wrote in post #5975073
in that threa i thought that i could use i higher shutter speed and so far i cant set my shutter speed above 200/ this is what i am trying to figure out.



i put it in ep mode and still could not get my shutter speed over 200. maybee i am doing something wrong. the only time i got my shutter speed over 200 was by turning the flash off.

When you switch the flash to FP mode, does the FP icon show up on the LCD screen?

Maybe what you need to do is set the camera to the shutter speed you want first before turning on the flash and setting the FP mode.

PacAce wrote in post #5975141
When you switch the flash to FP mode, does the FP icon show up on the LCD screen?

Maybe what you need to do is set the camera to the shutter speed you want first before turning on the flash and setting the FP mode.

ya it does show the fp icon. but after i take the shot the icon goes away. maybee your right about setting the shutter speed prior to setting the flash.