Daan B wrote:
I don't own a 5D2 nor have I read its manual... but IIRC someone stated in this thread that according to the 5D2 manual the flash sync speed is 1/200... Furthermore, the OP gets 1/200 with one flash on the hot shoe... So what is going on here? My bet is still on a delay in the trigger system
we are confusing sync speed with speedlights and sync speed with strobes. the 5D can sync just fine with a speedlight at 1/200. with strobes, it is much lower.
blonde wrote:
we are confusing sync speed with speedlights and sync speed with strobes. the 5D can sync just fine with a speedlight at 1/200. with strobes, it is much lower.
This is the same for all cameras. The specified best sync time is for Speedlites only. Anything else including triggers and strobes is slower - usually just 1/3 stop with a fast Elinchrom system.
Not quite right. The 5D, and based on what I know, the 5DII, will sync at 1/200 with on-camera Canon speedlights. Off camera, both strobes and speedlights will sync at up to 1/160 using sync cords or Skyports/PWs.
cineski wrote:
The 5d I/II has a disabled shutter/sync. The mark 1 will only sync to 1/160th with pocket wizards. It's just a limitation that Canon built into the 5 series. You can step down or up to the 1D2/3 to get 1/250th. This is Canon being Canon, and it sucks.
I shoot sync'd in studio all the time with pocket wizards to monolights at 1/200th on my 5D. Haven't tried my 5D MkII yet.
lidesun wrote:
No way, i used 5D with PW to triger ELs @ 1/200 sec all the time, never had a problem...
Yes, some people get sync at 1/200, but I know more people that don't than do. Canon only guarantees 1/200 for on-camera Canon speedlights. The manual tells you to use 1/160 for strobes. If you're lucky and get 1/200, great. But thinking your camera is malfunctioning cuz you only get 1/160 for off camera lights is incorrect.
Chris Sorensen wrote:
Yes, some people get sync at 1/200, but I know more people that don't than do. Canon only guarantees 1/200 for on-camera Canon speedlights. The manual tells you to use 1/160 for strobes. If you're lucky and get 1/200, great. But thinking your camera is malfunctioning cuz you only get 1/160 for off camera lights is incorrect.
No, for on camera Canon speedlights, like 580 EX, you can use the highest shutter speed the camera has, say for 1D Maek II, III, 1/8000sec...but you have to set you flash at H-Syn...
lidesun wrote:
No, for on camera Canon speedlights, like 580 EX, you can use the highest shutter speed the camera has, say for 1D Maek II, III, 1/8000sec...
I'm not talking High Speed Sync, I'm talking regular sync. The original poster referred to the stated spec sync speed of 1/200th which is regular sync.
lidesun wrote:
The original post has nothing to do with the on camera flash anyway....right ?
Except for the fact that the original poster thinks he should be getting 1/200 when Canon states that's only guaranteed for on-camera flash. Hence my referring to it to correct his assumption.
Same here - no problems at all with 1/200 sync & Pocket Wizards with my 5D....firing my AB's & off shoe mounted & manually fired 580EX's & Broncolor Strobes at my local hire studio.......
Chris Sorensen wrote:
Except for the fact that the original poster thinks he should be getting 1/200 when Canon states that's only guaranteed for on-camera flash. Hence my referring to it to correct his assumption.
meaningless discussion here, 1/200 or 1/160 are all normal for strobe sync speed, it just depends on what strobe systems we use, also the strobe powers etc...usually high power systems have problem with 1/200 etc...
CMOS wrote:
I'm totally ignorant on flash issues, really, but I thought I'd point out that with the 5D2 I noticed that, when using my 580EX, I can now see the flash firing through the viewfinder. On the original 5D, I always had viewfinder blackout during the flash.
Maybe the viewfinder blackout time is reduced for the 5D2 vs the 5D1? Or maybe there is something else at work.
Sorry to distract with what has probably nothing to do with your issue.
your probably seeing the pre flash because if you can see the actual flash thru the VF the sensor cant.
I am seeing the same issue as the OP with my 5D MKII using an Elinchrom Ranger Kit with PWs. Using my 5D MKI, I was able to sync at 1/200. Using my 5D MKII, I am only able to sync at 1/160. Very disappointing.
The 5d I/II has a disabled shutter/sync. The mark 1 will only sync to 1/160th with pocket wizards. It's just a limitation that Canon built into the 5 series. You can step down or up to the 1D2/3 to get 1/250th. This is Canon being Canon, and it sucks.
The camera has no way to know that a PW is attached rather than any other dumb-sync hotshoe flash.
blonde wrote:
from the 5DmarkII manual:
"with studio flash units, since the flash duration is longer, set the sync speed within 1/60 sec to 1/30 sec."
Daan B wrote: It depends on the studio strobe (flash duration etc) and the (wireless) trigger system how fast you can sync with studio strobes. But a max of 1/60 is not good IMO.
I'm here to tell you, it ain't a max of 1/60. I finished an annual portrait shoot of a local civic club last week, shooting at my customary 1/160 (from my 5D1) with White Lightning flash units and low-end AC radio triggers. Zero problem.
As the manual said, "with studio flash units, since the flash duration is longer, set the sync speed within 1/60 sec to 1/30 sec." They are placing that limitation on the flash unit, not the camera. There are some HUGE studio flash units that have a quite long duration at maximum power, but I can't imagine why the Canon tech writer had to go that far.
A slower sync is the result of a slower shutter, that is, shutter blades with a slower travel in a less expensive shutter. The faster each curtain can move across the sensor, the higher the shutter sync. This has been known for decades--we saw it when shutters went from horizontal travel across the long side (1/60 maximum sync) to vertical travel across the short side (leaping to 1/125 maximum sync). More expensive shutters drive the curtains faster.
Yes, it's a difference between the 5D and the 1Ds. Yes, it's horrible that Canon puts more expensive hardware in their more expensive camera.
