External flash issue

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Keith Fusco

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Keith Fusco
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Got my external flash the other day, and set it all up. Was taking some pictures of various things on my Canon 400D, using TV mode, and set it to 1/200. However, then I go below that, there's a black line appears at the bottom on all of the pictures, like there's no light getting to it.

Any ideas on what the problem is? Would like to shoot faster than 1/200, but it's not allowing me.
 
It's the trailing blind of the shutter. The maximum speed for flash on that camera is 1/200. If you have a canon flashgun you can set the gun to use "High Speed Flash" which effectivly pulses the gun to allow it to be used at faster speeds. You do lose about 35% of the output though
 
he says when he goes below 200th ,,although as you say this is what i'd expect if it was over that shutter speed .
 
donutagain said:
he says when he goes below 200th ,,although as you say this is what i'd expect if it was over that shutter speed .
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Soz m8 but I think you're looking at it the wrong way to Chappers (and me), below 1/200th would be a faster shutter speed i.e. 1/500th whereas above would be i.e. 1/60th

Just depends how you look at it :)

D
 
Keith Fusco said:
Any ideas on what the problem is? Would like to shoot faster than 1/200, but it's not allowing me.
Click to expand...

It won't. That's the maximum synch speed for the camera.

Basically the first curtain moves across the frame and while it is open the flash fires, the second curtain moves to close the shutter and if the flash is firing as it moves to close, you get a black portion of your image. That gap between the two curtains is your maximum sync speed.

It's a design limitation of the curtain shutter, leaf shutters can go a lot higher. My Mamiya medium format that's 20 years old will do 1/500. That's progress for you! :bonk:
 
DiddyDave said:
Soz m8 but I think you're looking at it the wrong way to Chappers (and me), below 1/200th would be a faster shutter speed i.e. 1/500th whereas above would be i.e. 1/60th

Just depends how you look at it :)

D
Click to expand...

well to me below implies less than ,,
 
donutagain said:
well to me below implies less than ,,
Click to expand...

Exactly m8 !!!

Less than 1/200th second is 1/250 sec or 1/1,000th sec not 1/125th sec - you have to remember that in maths this is now the inverse of being in front of the decimal point

Less than 200 seconds is 125 seconds - ok?

(y)

DD
 
yes sorry dave ,,,of course you are right ,,but my brain cell tells me below 200th ---125th so any shutter speed below that will work ,,,,,,,but i think we knew it was the shutter getting in the way anyway .....i dont mean to be an a- hole ....it comes naturally ...:)
 
That's why I stick to faster and slower. Less confusing! ;)
 
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