Skyports

The official sync speed for Canon EOS cameras with studio strobes or radio triggers is 1/125th. Use that, if it doesn't work then you can complain. Using equipment out of spec isn't really grounds for complaint.

As for it not staying on the hotshoe... fair call. Duct tape?

tim wrote in post #6031604
The official sync speed for Canon EOS cameras with studio strobes or radio triggers is 1/125th. Use that, if it doesn't work then you can complain. Using equipment out of spec isn't really grounds for complaint.

As for it not staying on the hotshoe... fair call. Duct tape?

I know many have no trouble with this but come on... you buy a brand new product and then are told to use duct tape to make it fit or work properly. Hardly a great solution.

tim wrote in post #6031604
The official sync speed for Canon EOS cameras with studio strobes or radio triggers is 1/125th. Use that, if it doesn't work then you can complain. Using equipment out of spec isn't really grounds for complaint.

1/125th? Really? I guess I didn't read closely enough. The 1/250 is for Canon EX flashes only? Pardon my complaint then :P However, I used to fire my strobes optically, with the 580ex in M, low power and never had an issue. I guess I just got spoiled by that (and the fact that the Skyports do work at 1/200 a lot of the time, just not consistently).

I've never heard that and don't believe it to be true, maybe with radio triggers but certainly not strobes. The reason we spend 3000-4000 for a set of strobes is so we can use them with the said camera sync speed.

my strobes are fine at anything I've thrown at them, but with the radios they're only good for 1/125 as you say. so maybe you mean strobes with radio?

tim wrote in post #6031604
The official sync speed for Canon EOS cameras with studio strobes or radio triggers is 1/125th. Use that, if it doesn't work then you can complain. Using equipment out of spec isn't really grounds for complaint.

As for it not staying on the hotshoe... fair call. Duct tape?

I shoot with a Nikon D300 and it has a maximum shutter sync speed of 1/250 but because of the limitation of the Elinchrom D-Lite I can't shoot above 1/160s without introducing some shutter curtain into the frame.

tim wrote in post #6031604
The official sync speed for Canon EOS cameras with studio strobes or radio triggers is 1/125th. Use that, if it doesn't work then you can complain. Using equipment out of spec isn't really grounds for complaint.

As for it not staying on the hotshoe... fair call. Duct tape?

Doesn't seem like Canon should really be the one setting that number :/ It really depends on the strobe: I'm sure some will sync a 1/250 no problem, but I've also heard of some that have maximum sync speeds in the 1/60 range.

my canon has no problem synching at 1/250 with lots of studio strobes. Where does the 1/125 spec come from exactly?

tim wrote in post #6031604
The official sync speed for Canon EOS cameras with studio strobes or radio triggers is 1/125th. Use that, if it doesn't work then you can complain. Using equipment out of spec isn't really grounds for complaint.

As for it not staying on the hotshoe... fair call. Duct tape?

Tim, that 1/125th sync speed is for large studio strobes. Not all studio strobes are large. On top of that, if it's the RF remote that's having the sync issue, the OP could have the same problem even if he were using the 580EX, for example, with that remote.

[EDIT: Snippets from a couple of Canon DSLR manuals (bold font is mine):

what qualifies as a large studio strobe???

DavidPhoto wrote in post #6032075
what qualifies as a large studio strobe???

Clearly anything that is not a small studio strobe...

LOLO A little levity never hurts.

LOL

There is also the very real issue that everyone seems to overlook.

Just because you set a shutter speed on your dial, does not mean that the camera is delivering that exact speed. Might be a bit faster, and also might be a bit slower.

Also this is not a dispersion on Canon shutters. It is a state of the art thing. Even the highest quality shutters do not necessary deliver shutter speeds dead on the setting specified.

My gut feeling on this is being 1/3 of a stop off (difference between 1/200 and 1/250 second) would not be an unusual situation.

Enjoy! Lon

Lon, I remember that being brought up in the other Skyports discussion. I could see that being the issue from time to time. However, here's an example from a recent shoot where this happened (at 1/160!):

When flash is the main light shutter speed's not really that important anyway. It's only when you're mixing light sources it becomes important, or if you're trying to get some ambient light in the frame. So you can be a pain and the arse and complain it doesn't work at 1/250th, or you can be practical and use it happily at 1/125th. Technology has limits, work within them, not against them.