HankOsaurus
Member
Hello Forum.
Modern cameras and flash units support a feature called "High Speed Sync."
As far as I can tell, this is a matter of an electronic flash unit pulsing for longer than the time of the sync shutter speed, so that light is available to the whole frame even if only a tiny open slit is running across the film/sensor.
As most of you know, FP flash bulbs did this a generation or two ago.
Here is my question:
Does anyone here know of a flash which provides, or can be hacked to provide, flashed pulses for an amount of time which equals or exceeds the sync speed of a classic film camera like M3 or whatever?
Electronic FP flash emulation for manual focal plane shutter equipped cameras, in other words.
Thanks !
Modern cameras and flash units support a feature called "High Speed Sync."
As far as I can tell, this is a matter of an electronic flash unit pulsing for longer than the time of the sync shutter speed, so that light is available to the whole frame even if only a tiny open slit is running across the film/sensor.
As most of you know, FP flash bulbs did this a generation or two ago.
Here is my question:
Does anyone here know of a flash which provides, or can be hacked to provide, flashed pulses for an amount of time which equals or exceeds the sync speed of a classic film camera like M3 or whatever?
Electronic FP flash emulation for manual focal plane shutter equipped cameras, in other words.
Thanks !
alfisti
Member
I would like to know too...
I would like to know too...
I could use an answer to this as well. Anyone know? I have an M8 and would like to use fill flash on a bright day.
Thanks
-Glenn
I would like to know too...
I could use an answer to this as well. Anyone know? I have an M8 and would like to use fill flash on a bright day.
Thanks
-Glenn
oftheherd
Veteran
Typically, as you may both know, this is done with a slow shutter speed so that both curtains are open when the electronic flash fires. I can't imagine how the camera could be set up to accurately measure where the second curtain was and trip the flash so only the next set of unexposed film would be exposed, and no part missed.
Easier to set your camera for its electronic flash sycn speed and use that. The same for fill flash. Your best bet there is a flash with variable power or careful use of distance. I think you can google 'fill flash' for useful information.
The last alternative would be an older flash and pick up some FP bulbs if any of the few bulb manufacturers are still making them, or check ebay. Flash bulbs tend to have a unique 'look' about their flash that I think is quite pleasing.
Easier to set your camera for its electronic flash sycn speed and use that. The same for fill flash. Your best bet there is a flash with variable power or careful use of distance. I think you can google 'fill flash' for useful information.
The last alternative would be an older flash and pick up some FP bulbs if any of the few bulb manufacturers are still making them, or check ebay. Flash bulbs tend to have a unique 'look' about their flash that I think is quite pleasing.
sevo
Fokutorendaburando
None of the current system flashes with that feature will work on a alien camera - these use electronic communication with the camera to determine the first curtain start and shutter run time, and won't even work with older same brand DSLRs that lack that particular communication feature.
No old camera has a first curtain start sync - X is first curtain end, and the various bulb modes have predelays ahead of the first curtain start, as the bulbs have some initial delay. So even if some of the current flashes could be tricked into running in that mode without the matching camera body, it would misfire and fail to expose the entire frame.
To be useful with a mechanical FP flash capable camera, the flash would have to have a mode where it fires up after the defined FP predelay and offers a user selectable burn (shutter) speed - so far, nobody seems to have built such a thing, but it would not be impossible.
No old camera has a first curtain start sync - X is first curtain end, and the various bulb modes have predelays ahead of the first curtain start, as the bulbs have some initial delay. So even if some of the current flashes could be tricked into running in that mode without the matching camera body, it would misfire and fail to expose the entire frame.
To be useful with a mechanical FP flash capable camera, the flash would have to have a mode where it fires up after the defined FP predelay and offers a user selectable burn (shutter) speed - so far, nobody seems to have built such a thing, but it would not be impossible.