I've yet to use pocketwizards, but I use a lot of off camera flash stuff. The only big advantage I see is hypersync and the AC3 controller looks very handy. I've watched a couple of videos from pocketwizard but honestly they aren't showing great examples of hypersync.
I'd love to see some shots where hypersync was used and/or necessary.
I haven't really had a chance to use it on a wedding yet (just got my triggers sorted out recently), but in testing the best results for hypersync are at full flash power. At lower than that the usable sync speed goes down. Did an engagement session late yesterday with them, and on 1/8 to 1/4 power the results didn't thrill me. I am at work so I'll try to post some later tonight, but at 1/320th on my 5d2 you could see that the flash only covered about half to 1/3rd of the scene.
Using Hypersync you're supposed to be able to increase output by being able to increase shutterspeed at full output by a specific amount based on your camera model.. 2/3-1 stop benefit would be a reasonable expectation as Mark_L points out, however, some banding might be evident and sometimes even no gain obtained. Losses will generally be incurred when HSS or Optimised HSS is used, although the OHSS with speedlites would exhibit less of a loss due to the increased output imposed.
I would expect that 1/1250s would be OHSS, unless you specifically have it disabled for this speed, otherwise the software switches to it by default, or at the speed you have set.
Increases in output in the OHSS mode will only be possible with Canon flashes as these increases are physical increases in output level. Nikon flashes don't allow this increase.
That said - I have yet to see any examples illustrating any comparative increases using Canon cameras at all. Even users shy away from providing comparisons for some reason.
I forgot to mention I shoot Nikon, but I doubt it matter much.
I never use Nikon's HSS (high speed snyc) for a couple of reasons. It has to be done on camera (or maybe with a snyc cord?), and it has a limited range. The big appeal of Hypersync for me is you can get the flash off camera and I'd have much more flexibility in being able to kill ambient with shutter speeds and keeping low apertures.
So can you use your Nikon flashes in manual mode using hypersync? How about generic flashes like yongnous?
Nathan Padgett wrote:
Perfect example Sheldon. Any chance you have an example of that same shot without flash?
How much flash power do you lose when using hypersync?
Thanks. I didn't save any of the shots without flash, but she was facing into the shade and her face was darker. It wouldn't have looked good at all.
I think you lose a couple stops of power when you cross above the sync speed into high speed sync/hypersync with a speedlight. The Pocketwizard implementation of high speed sync is more efficient than Canon's implementation, but it is still not as powerful as if you'd stayed below the sync speed.
With the Pocketwizard ControlTL system as a wireless sync system ou can use Nikon iTTL speedlights at shutter speeds above your camera's sync limit with the speedlight in either manual or in an iTTL controlled mode. With some higher powered manual flashes you can also shoot atshorter than normal shutterspeeds. Much higher depends on the special model of flash: with some makes and models the additional range can go up to around 1/2500th of a second (if it has a long flash duration and the trigger circuitry in the flash allow the timing of the start of the flash to work with your model of camera. With other manual powered lights there is no additional range. It just depends and you have to experiment.
As another poster writes you don't have as much energy (in the form of light) to work with. With a "smart light" (Nikon iTTL, Canon EX 430 EX II and 580 EX II) the flash starts acting effective like a constant light so the amount of available energy is discharged over a much longer period of time than it normally would be.
Canon's sync timing mechanics in their camera bodies have traditionally been much less efficient than Nikons. The ControlTL system simply makes more efficient use of the available resources than Canon's internal HSS system does. Nikon's by comparison is very efficient.
As someone pointed out you are working at reduced flash output levels however. This is because when in FP or the ControlTL's hyper sync speed mode the flash is pretty much acting as a continuous light source.
Nathan Padgett wrote:
...The big appeal of Hypersync for me is you can get the flash off camera and I'd have much more flexibility in being able to kill ambient with shutter speeds and keeping low apertures.
For low apertures, you'd need to be faster than 1/1000s really. Hypersync at this speed will be pretty much useless as the graduations would be pretty horrific. In some situations you may get away with it.
Hypersync with speedlights is best below 1/800s. Faster than this you will find yourself using HSS, or with Nikon, FP mode. With this, killing ambient is not what it's good for. Where you can balance ambient at around 10ft using regular x-sync, using FP mode your flash will need to be at less than 3ft for the same result.. killing ambient is best left to Hypersync for that reason, or just get more powerful flash units.
So can you use your Nikon flashes in manual mode using hypersync? How about generic flashes like yongnous?
Nikon flashes at 1/1 manual provide the highest output that way, although with compromised graduations. Other manufacturers results will vary - you will need to experiment with settings and try them out.
OK, so here are 3 shots from 2 nights ago. The first is at 1/320th on a 7d and just fine. The second one has a black bar and was from a 4 shot sequence in which 3 of the 4 were fine (see last one) at 1/250 ON A 7D (X-SYNC SPEED btw)
For low apertures, you'd need to be faster than 1/1000s really. Hypersync at this speed will be pretty much useless as the graduations would be pretty horrific. In some situations you may get away with it.
Huh? This doesn't make sense to me. Why do you say "for low apertures you need faster than 1/1000" and why would Hypersync be useless? Look at example with the kid before, shot at 1/1250th. Looks like it works well in that scenerio.
Nathan Padgett wrote: For low apertures, you'd need to be faster than 1/1000s really. Hypersync at this speed will be pretty much useless as the graduations would be pretty horrific. In some situations you may get away with it.
Huh? This doesn't make sense to me. Why do you say "for low apertures you need faster than 1/1000" and why would Hypersync be useless? Look at example with the kid before, shot at 1/1250th. Looks like it works well in that scenerio.
In bright ambient.. you quoted previously 'killing ambient' you would typically be needing around 1/250 f11 to balance your flash exposure. If you just want to shoot in the shade or when it's very overcast you might be happy. At this same - bright ambient - light level, 1/1000s f5.6 would be the same exposure level required. I'd imagine your low apertures would be something a lot wider. Hypersync would be useless because it would introduce banding and at 1/1250s you would be getting severe banding. Heres a D3x with SB900 using Hypersync to illustrate the best I managed: http://www.accoladephotography.co.uk/DPR/compositepw850.jpg
That kid shot is very likely to be HSS not Hypersync as I previously stated, and is in shade. It is at least a 4 stop darker environment than I imagine you're wanting to use, and you're using Nikon with no additional HSS flash benefit. Shutterspeeds that high tend to be HSS as you don't tend to get an even frame coverage using Hypersync and the PW's are by default set to switch to HSS at much lower shutterspeeds. Using HSS with Nikon at these speeds you lose just as much output from your flash as you would if you were not using the PW's.
Ok that made sense, but leaves me with more questions. Do pocketwizards allow you to use HSS?
Can you and/or how does the pocketwizard choose to use hypersync and HSS? Or do they always use HSS if you have a HSS capable flash? When using HSS or hypersync, can your flash be in manual mode? I guess this really wouldn't matter as I assume it will be firing at full power anyway.
Its configurable, but the PW uses hypersync up to a certain shutterspeed and then switches over to native HSS/FP mode. hypersync can also be disabled, but what would be the point? Obviously that threshold depends on the camera, as well as the flash duration time - which is a function of power setting and flash design. My own "lab" testing showed I could get about 1/500th at full power on a 5dm2 with a tiny band at the bottom, and around 1/800 on a 7d with the same constraint (just compose shots a little wider and then crop out the banding). At lower power levels the flash pulse isn't long enough for these shutter speeds - but outside in bright daylight you'll probably be at 1/2 to full power anyway.
I also ran into another problem, but it made sense after I realized it. The PW detects camera type and automatically adjusts the pulse timing to get optimum coverage with the shutter open. However, if you switch the trigger from on type of body to another you have to power off the transmitter and turn it back on in the shoe
I think it's worth pointing out that Hypersync is a Pocket Wizard trademark and that RadioPoppers are incapable of providing Hypersync at all. They simply replicate the FP/HSS sync timing provided by Nikon/Canon by radio. As well as; with HSS there is no such thing as action stopping HSS as it's entirely the shutter speed which does the action stopping, as opposed to a fast 'action stopping' flash.
