 Janet Schill |
Studio Lighting Problem I have a d-SLR (Nikon D80) and when I connect it to my studio lights (Alien Bees) with the sync cord it will take one or two good pictures and then the shutter does not open all the way leaving black along the bottom of my pictures. Has anyone else had this problem? I've sent the camera in once to get it checked out and they said it was fine. To get it out of its "funk", I have to unhook the camera and turn it off and on a few times and then the shutter will open up again.
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Jon Close |
Typically, this (black along the bottom) is caused by using shutter speed faster than can sync with the strobes. The D80 will sync as fast as 1/200 sec. with hotshoe speedlights, but studio strobes like the Alien Bees fire slower and you may be limited to 1/125 or 1/60 when using them.
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John H. Siskin |
Hi Janet, Try using a longer shutter speed. The sync speed on my camera is supposed to be 1/125, but that has problems on occasions. I use 1/90 most of the time, with no problems. The sync trigger is more complex that it was on a film camera and sometimes drags more than it should. So use one speed longer than your sync speed. For more on sync you might look at this article: www.siskinphoto.com/magazine/zpdf/sync.pdf. Thanks, John Siskin
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Tareq M. Alhamrani |
I have many studio shots done by my most cameras at say 1/125 up to 1/250 and I never see that problem, I saw that problem only when I go more faster like 1/320 or 1/400 and above, so really it is a strange problem with your camera. I think that depends on the lighting system itself, some lighting brands can go above 1/300, and some maybe just 1/125 or 1/200, also don't forget that the camera sync for studio lighting can be limited up to 1/200 or 1/250, and John said that he is using 1/90 just to be in safe side, but as I said I am using shutter speed not less than 1/125 most of the time.
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John H. Siskin |
Different camera models, even from the same manufacturer, have different sync speeds, particularly if they have different sensor sizes. So it is necessary to check what the sync speed for your camera model is. Thanks, John Siskin
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Tareq M. Alhamrani |
Yes, we know that, happy that I can go up to 1/800 with my hassy.
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Bunny Snow |
One does not need a Haselblad to have high sync speeds. I had high sync speeds with my between the lens shutter on my 1962 Mamiyaflex C-2. They were unlimited at the time with top speed of that era at 1/500th Sec. and the lowest shutter speed was f/45. Now, I'm perfectly happy with my Canon 20D, even though the shutter and aperture is less. Canon has other things that the Mamiya couldn't do at the time. The camera rather than the lighting demands the difference in shutter speeds. Read your camera manual to be certain. Usually, you can sync at the camera shutter speed or lower --not higher!
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Tareq M. Alhamrani |
I bought Hasselblad not because of that high sync, and you also have MF as well with Mamiya then, and third I have Canon cameras as well to work with, so I don't have any problem with any camera I use even my P&S.
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Bunny Snow |
Hasselblad has always made awesome cameras, for those who can afford them and their high maintenance upkeep. I don't mean to speak negatively about the camera. Only saying that my half decade old Mamiyaflex C-2 had a between the lens shutter and could sync at 1/500th Sec. with an aperture of a mere f/45. The subject here is the shutter synchronization, which is different speeds with different cameras and sometimes within the same camera depending on whether or not it is digital. The camera instruction manual will give the flash synchronization shutter speed and that speed at the highest level can be used, or anything slower. The flash and shutter will NOT work together if the shutter is set for a speed higher than the sync for a particular camera.
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