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Author Topic: High Speed flash sync with 35mm DSLR cameras.  (Read 8255 times)

FredBGG

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High Speed flash sync with 35mm DSLR cameras.
« on: October 23, 2012, 06:45:35 am »

Phase One has a video on their home page where Frederico Martins is putting the high speed flash sync of the phase one to good use.

However he claims that it is impossible to do the same thing (flash with high shutter speed) with a 35mm DSLR. This is not true.

The video even shows him trying to do so with a Nikon.

Well it is possible and it is possible to go even faster than a DF with leaf shutter lenses.

All he needed to do is use the Pocket Wizard Flex TT5 flash sync radio slaves with the hypersync function.

No problem with this setup, direct flash and an aperture of 5.6 (he said he was shooting at 1/1600th at 5.6).

Here is an example of hypersync used with strobe and a 35mm DSLR.


shot at 1/2500, F7.1, ISO 100


Nikon D300s, 24-70mm, ISO 200, 1/8000 at F5.

See the photographers article here http://tombolphoto.com/blog/more-rangerhypersync-news/

Here is another interesting example too though the image was used in a composite, it was still shot outside over poweing the sun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=jYKoNm0cxoY

Aslo here is a method without using a Flex TT5 and getting high speed sync with broncolor strobes.

http://www.prophotonut.com/2010/05/23/18000th-flash-sync-with-broncolor-mobil-and-canon-5d-mk2/


Now that said it would be interesting to see if it were possible to use hypersync to go even faster using the
focal plane shutter of the DF. It may be a bit of a problem as the duration of the shutter swipe of the DF might be too long due to the flash sync without hypersync and the focal plane shutter is 1/125. Might be possible with a relatively long duration strobe like an Elinchrom 6,000 classic pack or the older 404.

Hypersync does take a bit of callibration. I am getting clean full frame exposure at a 1/4000th of a second using the elinchrom 6,000 pack.
However the 6,000 pack has to use a dual head to use all 6,000 so the duration is not quite as good as the 404 that can discharge in a single tube 4000 head.
I should be able to get a clean 1/800th using a 404 head with the 6,000 pack set to 4,000.

This may sound confusing, but here is how it works.

This is how the shutter works on the D800 for examnple.
At the fastest flash sync, 1/320th the first curtain opens fully. The flash goes off and then the second curtain closes.

For faster shutter speeds the second curtain stats to shut before the first shutter finishes opening.

At 1/8000th of a second this is what happens. The first curtain opens, but 1/8000th of a second after it starts to move the second curtain starts to close.
So there only a crack open between the two curtains. This crack scans over the sensor exposing each pixel for 1/8000th of a second.
To make this work the flash has to be illuminating for the duration of the scan. That is just under 1/320th of a second.

The Flex TT5 is calibrated so as to have the flash illuminating at the right time.

At the very highest speeds there may be a bit of underexposes area at the bottom of the frame. Depends on the flash/camera combination.

While the Phase One leaf shutter systems fastest flash sync speed with the most recent backs is 1/1600th it is simpler to use
and can be used with ultra fast flash.
« Last Edit: October 23, 2012, 01:34:44 pm by FredBGG »
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FredBGG

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Re: High Speed flash sync with 35mm DSLR cameras.
« Reply #1 on: October 23, 2012, 06:52:40 am »

If anyone else is doing hypersync add some examples here and tell us what flash you are using.
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FredBGG

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Re: High Speed flash sync with 35mm DSLR cameras.
« Reply #2 on: October 23, 2012, 07:09:54 am »

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rogan

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Re: High Speed flash sync with 35mm DSLR cameras.
« Reply #3 on: October 23, 2012, 11:30:52 am »

Been playing a bit. Flash exposure is not even but there with no black bars. I read everyone was raving about the ranger "A's for this and bought one but found my acutes do just as well so returned the ranger. I truly belive a company can make this work with only designing a new head with longer flash duration. First one to do it sells a ton of gear
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Ellis Vener

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Re: High Speed flash sync with 35mm DSLR cameras.
« Reply #4 on: October 23, 2012, 12:58:08 pm »

Using Pocketwizard ControlTL gear, I've been able to use a Canon EOS 1D Mark IV  to sync with a Profoto Acute 6B  and 580 EX II combination at up to 1/3,200.
The trick with gear more powerful than speedlites /speedlights is to use flash gear that has a longish  flash duration, like 1/250th of a second (t0.5 measurement). The long flash duration means that for  the length of time it takes  between the first shutter curtain clearing the shutter gate and the rear shutter curtain closing the shutter gate (this is also known as the X-Sync speed) the electronic flash will essentially be a "constant" light source.

Flash gear with very short flash duration ( the Paul C. Buff Einstein 640 comes immediately to mind, as wel las the A series Elinchroms, the Profoto 7 freeze, and a couple of Broncolor packs ) is not suited for this.
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FredBGG

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Re: High Speed flash sync with 35mm DSLR cameras.
« Reply #5 on: October 23, 2012, 01:47:06 pm »

Been playing a bit. Flash exposure is not even but there with no black bars. I read everyone was raving about the ranger "A's for this and bought one but found my acutes do just as well so returned the ranger. I truly belive a company can make this work with only designing a new head with longer flash duration. First one to do it sells a ton of gear

The S head would be better. The A head is specifically designed for shorter flash duration.

Quote
The S head would be better. The A head is specifically designed for shorter flash durations.


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HarperPhotos

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Re: High Speed flash sync with 35mm DSLR cameras.
« Reply #6 on: October 23, 2012, 03:55:06 pm »

Hello,

This shot was the first time I had use the Pocket Wizard TTL system and since then it has become part of my location kit as they are simply superb.

Stats:

Nikon D3X
Sigma 100-300mm F4.0 lens @ F4.0
1,250th Sec
100 ISO
1 Nikon SB900 flash unit

Cheers

Simon
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Simon Harper
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FredBGG

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Re: High Speed flash sync with 35mm DSLR cameras.
« Reply #7 on: October 30, 2012, 06:36:11 pm »


1/5000 at f4.0

This guy is doing high speed sync with Sony SLR cameras using an Optical Hot Shoe Trigger and Strobes with pocket wizards.

How he did it:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/thread/2519553
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MarkL

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Re: High Speed flash sync with 35mm DSLR cameras.
« Reply #8 on: October 31, 2012, 08:21:36 am »

I have the flexTT5s from PW and hardly ever use hypersync, I can get to about 1/500 without any serious loss of flash exposure with my profoto acuteb2 600 but it is uneven. Any more than that and I am just taking out hunks of my flash making it pretty pointless when I could just use an ND filter and be able to meter properly. If you shoot action where being limited to the sync speed causes blurring due to ambient light it may be useful though.
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Bernd B.

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Re: High Speed flash sync with 35mm DSLR cameras.
« Reply #9 on: October 31, 2012, 03:47:58 pm »

I´ve played around with my Nikon TT1 and TT5 and some Balcar and Norman equipment , but I found it absolutely useless.

When I´m on a job I want to use my cameras and flashes in a free manner. I cannot limit myself on a flash that syncs only at full power at a certain sync time or so. My Hasselblad gives me much more freedom with its leaf shutter up to 1/800.

An interesting thing is high speed sync of 35mm cameras with system flashes, where the power of the flash is cut into strobo like slices. I wished a manufacturer of power packs like Profoto or Elinchrom would make this work with their flashes. I think this will be the next big step in studio flash technology, leaving everything else behind the moment it appears on the market.

Bernd
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kers

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Re: High Speed flash sync with 35mm DSLR cameras.
« Reply #10 on: October 31, 2012, 08:34:51 pm »

Nikon makes it able to use 1/8000 with their flashunits. The only problem is they are not so powerful at 1/8000, so you have to use it with the more or less open aperture.
But you can add more flash units. I did some photos with 4 of them -  so then you have 2 stops more flashlight and it is still easy to carry around
« Last Edit: November 01, 2012, 03:26:58 am by kers »
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FredBGG

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Re: High Speed flash sync with 35mm DSLR cameras.
« Reply #11 on: November 30, 2012, 12:56:03 am »

Here are the results of my tests with the D800 and my Elinchrom packs:

Flash Elinchrom 6,000 w/s pack.

Elinchrom  X 6000 N double tube flash head.

SB-910 set to manual at 1/128th power covered just on the camera to activate Auto FP mode.

Nikon D800 connected via a flash sync cable to the Elinchrom flash pack.

So I can give this some more accurate numbers I did a test with the D800 and Elinchrom strobes.
Here is the setup
Flash Elinchrom 6,000 w/s pack.
Elinchrom X 6000 N double tube flash head.
SB-910 set to manual at 1/128th power covered just on the camera to activate Auto FP mode.
Nikon D800 connected via a flash sync cable to the Elinchrom flash pack.

The result is even exposure over the full frame at all flash pack power setting with no color shift.
I tested all shutter speeds from 1/320 all the way to 1/8000th
Flash pack power setting from 1/16th to full power.
To get an idea of flexibility with the head at 20ft I could shoot correct exposure at 1/1600th at f16 all the way to 1/8000th at f1.4
The fact that the focal plane shutter "wastes" flash power at high sync speeds actually gives range than working with the Phase One.

More tests:

Same setup, but with the Elinchron 3000 Micro AS. This is not an old flash system.
It's Elinchrom's top of the line fully asymmetric digitally controlled flash pack. It goes from 188w/s to 3000w/s total (as low as 64w/s if 3 heads are connected.

With the S-Head 1/1,600th has an aperture range from f3.5 to F16

With the S-Head 1/8,000th has an aperture range from f1.4 to F8

With the x 3000 N twin tube head using one tube 1/1,600th has an aperture of f2.8 at 188ws

With the x 3000 N twin tube head using one tube 1/8,000th has an aperture range of f1.4 to f8. However if I discharges the same 3,000 w/s total (2x 1,500) I could get F11
So I get an exposure change by simply adding the second tube. This is because it speeds up the flash duration putting more of the light into the shutter scan time.

-----------------------------------------

I also did a test with an A 3000 N. The high speed flash head.

With this head I could not get an even exposure over the whole frame.

However no area was completely dark. It may be possible to adjust this by using the timming adjustments with a Pocket wizard Flex TT%, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

How I have to order an couple more s-heads.
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TMARK

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Re: High Speed flash sync with 35mm DSLR cameras.
« Reply #12 on: December 01, 2012, 07:59:26 am »

The Profoto Acute 2400 at max power into one head has a slow duration, like 1/320 at t.05. Seems ideal for this. I don't have one anymore otherwise I'd test it!
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FredBGG

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Re: High Speed flash sync with 35mm DSLR cameras.
« Reply #13 on: December 01, 2012, 02:48:56 pm »

Should work.

I don't know the exact durration of the Elinchroms I tested.

I know that the Pocket Wizard TT5 and Mini TT1 let you make adjustments to the
autoFP timming. I think it lets you add a bit of a delay to fine tune overall frame exposure
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FredBGG

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Re: High Speed flash sync with 35mm DSLR cameras.
« Reply #14 on: December 30, 2012, 10:08:57 pm »

This looks very interesting. 400 w/s mono light with high speed flash sync ability.

They say it retains 50% power even in high speed sync mode and is battery powered with an LED
pilot light.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.279341228844987.58918.122001131245665&type=1



Another really nice touch is the type of flash tube it uses. The overlapping full circle flash tube will produce nice clean crisp shadows when used directly to "move the sun".

Started a new thread here:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=73706.msg586227#msg586227
« Last Edit: December 30, 2012, 11:25:59 pm by FredBGG »
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