p.1 #1 · Fast recharge flash suggestions for macro
Hi Guys,
I am currently trying to use a Godox TT350S on my Sony A7r5 along with a Sony 100mm f2.8. Unfortunately if I try and do photo stacking with the flash activated the flash struggles to keep up and does not activate for every frame captured. I use stacking for mainly macro work.
Does anyone have any recommendations for very fast recycle flashes. I have tried putting in the best quality AA batteries (it takes only two) and it has improved it slightly but still fails to keep up.
I use the mechanical shutter so only get about 10fps. So would need a flash that is capable of maintaining that speed.
I guess the obvious question is why not slow down the fps, unfortunately especially in macro you are trying to capture your shots as quickly as possible before the bug / flower / thing moves
p.1 #2 · Fast recharge flash suggestions for macro
Not a flash, but I see some people use the mini LED video light panels they sell on amazon as a continuous light source. The nicer ones can fully adjust color temperature and also do colors as well. And are high CRI
Plus they’re really small and portable so you use them in the field
p.1 #3 · Fast recharge flash suggestions for macro
robert614 wrote:
Not a flash, but I see some people use the mini LED video light panels they sell on amazon as a continuous light source. The nicer ones can fully adjust color temperature and also do colors as well. And are high CRI
Plus they’re really small and portable so you use them in the field
Thanks Robert that's a good idea I could always mount one of a tripod and try and get it close to the subject.
p.1 #4 · Fast recharge flash suggestions for macro
The main way of getting the recycle time down is to reduce flash power. You might also try energizer lithium batteries instead of alkaline or NiMH. I think the lithium can burst current faster than the others.
If that doesn't work, a brute force method would be to get an Ad200 along with possibly the Ring Flash head. Again to get the flash rate you need to reduce power, but starting at 200WS there is plenty of power.
There is also The Godox MF-R76, I haven't tried it, but looks ideal for a lower cost alternative to the AD200. It comes with ring adapters to mount the head to the lens. The R76 is 76WS, this is about 2x the power of the TT350. Since it uses Li ion it should be a bit faster on the recycle vs power compared to the AA based flash units.
p.1 #5 · Fast recharge flash suggestions for macro
Using a more powerful flash will reduce your recycle time at the same exposure. The TT685 can be powered by an external battery like the PB960. That will further reduce recycling.
p.1 #6 · Fast recharge flash suggestions for macro
I have the Sony 46 and Sigma 140 that I use with the A1 and A9III. They seem faster than your set up. Here is an article from AI.
The recycle time for the Sony HVL-F46RM flash is approximately 1.7 to 2.0 seconds when using standard AA Ni-MH (rechargeable) batteries. Recycle time is how long the flash takes to get ready for the next photo.Here are a few more helpful facts about the flash:Battery Life: A set of four AA batteries can fire the flash up to 320 times on a full charge.Fast Shooting: It can fire up to 60 flashes in a row at a speed of 10 pictures per second.Quicker Speeds: You can get super-fast recycle times of about 0.6 seconds if you use an external battery adapter, like the Sony FA-EBA1.Overheat Protection: The flash uses
p.1 #8 · Fast recharge flash suggestions for macro
Godox flashes/strobes recycle between .01 second at the lowest setting and up to 1.5 seconds at full power. For situations like yours, I use a higher power strobe such as the AD300, and end-up with almost instantaneous recycle times in the lower-power range. Another strobe I like using is the Godox V100 which has 100 wattt-seconds of power and is shoe mount.
I haven't done this in years, but when I used to shoot charity events, I plugged battery packs worn on my shoulder, into my speedlights to get really fast recycle times.
As a note, I found strobe output at lower settings (fast recycle) to be superior to the constant lighting (LED).
EDIT: I just played with my V100. At 1/8 power, I couldn't push the flash button fast enough to challenge the recharge speed. At 1/4 power, the re-cycle time couldn't have been more than a tenth of a second. At half-power is was roughly half a second.
