Well Worn

DJW

DJW

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Shot I took today to test "slow synch flash". Basically had a pair of old trainers (no sneering Jamey ;) ) taking natural light from front door. Found the shot to look a bit flat, so added slow synch flash.

Tripod Mounted with 50mm f/1.8 lens
2 secs @ f13

WellWorn.jpg


Seems to work quite well interms of lifting a natural light shot , instead of a normal stark flash shot.

What are other people's use of this flash mode ?
 
was that with the integral flash? If so, it's very well exposed and no harsh shadows. I guess this is due to the slow sync (is that back or front curtain, I can never remember)

I think the only time I've used slow sync is at clubs and such. so as to get the person I'm photographing still and 'crazy' light trails in the background. Bit tacky but can work well sometimes. I've never really tried it for night portraits, which is how it's listed on most compacts.
 
Yep, just the integral flash. Was in "Slow" flash mode, although tried "slow back" curtain which fired twice...once at beginning & once at end (from memory). Not sure of the technicalities without referring to manual.
 
quite pleasant to look at, very well worn!
 
Well they were quite smart until I started to use them in the garden, then decorate & splash white paint on etc. etc.. ;)
 
Well worn?
Theyr'e better than my Sunday trainers :eyesup:

The shot would work better in smellyvision IMO

Slow sync is the way to go!
 
Slow flash Sync is great for indoor shots and groups at 'do's'

What normally happens is the flash is killed as soon as the subjects are properly exposed, which results in the room behind the subjects being pretty dark. If you set the exposure for the ambient room light this will give you a much slower shutter speed. Let the TTL flash handle the flash fill and you get far more evenly lit, natural looking shots - even better if you can bounce the flash.

Depending on how slow the shutter speed is you might just have to ask the subjects to keeps still, to avoid ghostly secondary images from the ambient light.
 
DJW said:
Yep, just the integral flash. Was in "Slow" flash mode, although tried "slow back" curtain which fired twice...once at beginning & once at end (from memory). Not sure of the technicalities without referring to manual.
Click to expand...


IIRC correctly, back curtain fires the start of the exposure and reults in the trails following the exposed subject, and front curtain does the opposite.

Sometimes thinking of these photographic theories and practises has a proportional effect to the result. i.e. the effort of thinking about them pushes my brain out of my ears. Think of a see saw if you can? A bit like I imagine telekinesis to be like!
 
gandhi said:
IIRC correctly, back curtain fires the start of the exposure and reults in the trails following the exposed subject, and front curtain does the opposite.
!
Click to expand...

You got it. But you can develop a serious headache thinking about it! :LOL:
 
gandhi said:
My insanely logical brain just seems to suggest it should work the other way around for some reason.
Click to expand...

LOL I didn't read your post properly mate, it IS the other way round, your brain is standing you in good stead despite all that alcoholic abuse. ;)

First or front curtain sync - the flash fires just after the first curtain has moved across and the shutter is fully open.

Second or back curtain sync - the flash fires just before the second curtain starts to close.

http://www.kjsl.com/~dave/2nd.html
 
And just to add to the confusion, nearly all focal plane shutters travel upwards now rather than across. :)
 
ROTFL! and those 'curtains' are now made from metal.
 
Here's one for you 350 owners with an interest in the first curtain/second curtain thing.

I tried doing some sort of light trail in Steves car a few months ago (with the light trails outside, but the lit dash inside etc).

Set the custom function to Second Curtain flash...what does it do? Fires upon start of exposure, and at the end...?
First Curtain flash just fires it at the start?

Wierd.....
 
Bod, the flash only fires once whether you use first or second curtain sync.

The function is only really useful for shots where objects are passing across the field of view at right angles (more or less) to the camera.

Take this shot in which first curtain sync (normal) sync has been used.

page22-1.jpg


Imagine the camera on a tripod and the girl with the sparkler running across at right angles from right to left. As she comes into shot and you fire the shutter, the first curtain opens, exposing the sensor, and the flash fires. The flash lights up the girl and records her on the sensor straight away at the right edge of the frame. The duration of the flash is extremely brief and dies long before the shutter closes. During this period, she continues to run across the frame but isn't bright enough to record on the sensor, but the sparkler is, and lays that light trail across the sensor. The final result is really strange because it appears she's running backwards. You get the same effect with car lights and flash in the dark.

Take this shot in which 2nd curtain sync has been used..

page22-2.jpg


Now the first curtain opens fully, exposing the sensor, but the flash doesn't fire yet. The girl is crossing the frame but doesn't record because it's dark and she's moving too quickly. The bright sparkler though records it's trail across the sensor. Now just before the second curtain closes to end the exposure, the flash fires, freezing the girl's motion but this time on the left of the frame with the light trail behind her.

That's all there is to it. :woot:
 
Thanks CT, that's exactly as I understood it.
That's why I was so puzzled when it fired both at the start and finish, neither Steve nor I could figure out why it was doing it, because it shouldn't have been.

I'll double check it in the morning, see if it does it again (Havent tried since).
 
Marcel said:
Set the custom function to Second Curtain flash...what does it do? Fires upon start of exposure, and at the end...?
First Curtain flash just fires it at the start?
Click to expand...

This does happen when you have red eye reduction turned on.
 
Dave, thats a cracking shot of an unusual subject.
The lighting and composition are great.
 
Matt said:
This does happen when you have red eye reduction turned on.
Click to expand...

Obvious now that you have said it :ponders: Thanks Matt, you have cleared up a little mystery for me :thumb:
 
Marcel said:
Here's one for you 350 owners with an interest in the first curtain/second curtain thing.

I tried doing some sort of light trail in Steves car a few months ago (with the light trails outside, but the lit dash inside etc).

Set the custom function to Second Curtain flash...what does it do? Fires upon start of exposure, and at the end...?
First Curtain flash just fires it at the start?

Wierd.....
Click to expand...

The first flash is just used for measuring purposes. The second flash is the actual flash used.

This becomes more evident when you use lower shutter speeds.
Now if you want weird..I'll show you weird :D
 
Matt said:
This does happen when you have red eye reduction turned on.
Click to expand...

For a moment I thought you'd hit the nail on the head, then I double checked. Nope, definately turned off, and it still does it.

I think Bachs has it right, but my question is why? With it firing the flash at the start of the exposure, that will surely freeze a part of the shot then, which will stay on the exposure?

(I understand this won't be evident on every single shot, and dependant on shutter times, subject etc, but you see the principle?).
 
Marcel said:
For a moment I thought you'd hit the nail on the head, then I double checked. Nope, definately turned off, and it still does it.

I think Bachs has it right, but my question is why? With it firing the flash at the start of the exposure, that will surely freeze a part of the shot then, which will stay on the exposure?

(I understand this won't be evident on every single shot, and dependant on shutter times, subject etc, but you see the principle?).
Click to expand...

You're thinking of it in the wrong terms Bod. That first flash is a measuring flash - a flash exposure test and it's made before the shutter opens. :)
 
Ahhhh now I getcha. It's with it all happening so quick I thought the shutter was opening, then the flashing started.

I did try a couple of very crude tests, just setting the camera down, couple of seconds expsosure, 2cd curtain flash.
Put my hand in shot on the left side of the shot for the start of the exposure (and thus the first flash), and then moving it to the other side for the second flash. I know this isn't the most technical or controlled of tests :D
It was merely to test if the first flash caught my hand on the left.
 
Not in my hands they're not. I emit a stupidity aura around me :D
 
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