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A55 & wireless flash with HSS : UNusable

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oddjobb57

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Hi,

Just bought this camera today. Doing my first tests, I found out that pictures taken (indoor) with wireless flash & HSS are completely underexposed, almost dark... :-(

I am doing studio shootings and here is one of my set up which I won't be able to do anymore in the same conditions than before :

F1.4 1/4000 wireless flash (this is mandatory when I want to achieve a shallow depth of field with no ambient light in the image).

I didn't have this issue with my old A550 and don't see how the SLT technology can limit this usage ?

I hope there will be a firmware update soon for this point.

P-S : I saw a similar thread mentioning that the A55 can't be properly used with studio stobes. Here I am talking about using the flahes F58AM and F42AM in wireless HSS, I don't have the issue with the viewfinder becoming dark (although the final image IS).

--
 
What about the rest of the camera? most of us don't really care about this.
thanks
oddjobb57 said:
Hi,

Just bought this camera today. Doing my first tests, I found out that pictures taken (indoor) with wireless flash & HSS are completely underexposed, almost dark... :-(

I am doing studio shootings and here is one of my set up which I won't be able to do anymore in the same conditions than before :

F1.4 1/4000 wireless flash (this is mandatory when I want to achieve a shallow depth of field with no ambient light in the image).

I didn't have this issue with my old A550 and don't see how the SLT technology can limit this usage ?

I hope there will be a firmware update soon for this point.

P-S : I saw a similar thread mentioning that the A55 can't be properly used with studio stobes. Here I am talking about using the flahes F58AM and F42AM in wireless HSS, I don't have the issue with the viewfinder becoming dark (although the final image IS).
Click to expand...
--
'More mega-pixels does not mean better photos!'
 
oddjobb57 said:
Hi,
Click to expand...
Are there any options that can be set in the camera for HSS?
oddjobb57 said:
Just bought this camera today. Doing my first tests, I found out that pictures taken (indoor) with wireless flash & HSS are completely underexposed, almost dark... :-(

I am doing studio shootings and here is one of my set up which I won't be able to do anymore in the same conditions than before :

F1.4 1/4000 wireless flash (this is mandatory when I want to achieve a shallow depth of field with no ambient light in the image).

I didn't have this issue with my old A550 and don't see how the SLT technology can limit this usage ?

I hope there will be a firmware update soon for this point.

P-S : I saw a similar thread mentioning that the A55 can't be properly used with studio stobes. Here I am talking about using the flahes F58AM and F42AM in wireless HSS, I don't have the issue with the viewfinder becoming dark (although the final image IS).

--
Click to expand...
--
FEM2008
 
waThe rest looks good, :-) I only have a few hours of testing behind so I prefer to post my impressions after doing more testing.

But I may post that in another topic as in this one I would emphasize the issue I mentioned above. I hope that other people than me "care" about this so we can hope a firmware update which I think is feasible...

EDIT : was replying to NeilJones
 
Dan Vincent said:
Are the flashes actually firing? What's your ISO set to? Is the camera actually on WL mode?

If you can use HSS with the flash on the camera body, it should work exactly the same when WL.

--
http://www.dvincentphotography.com
http://www.kefkafloyd.com
Click to expand...
Yes all the flashes fire. ISO 100 (but 1m from the subject, it is not a power issue), camera on WL mode yes.

On body it works fine. With wireless at F1.4 1/200 - speed which triggers HSS - the image is completely dark, so to me it looks like a big bug.
 
Same issue with Sony 50 1.4 & Minolta 28-75 2.8, both lenses @wider aperture.

Internal & external flash in WL.

By not changing any other setting, shooting with WL in Manual mode, ISO 100 :

F2.8 1/125 : image correctly exposed

F2.8 1/200 (HSS thus) : image completely dark

--
http://www.photo-production.net/vincentpham
 
do you have any -FEV dialed in?
--
Film is a four letter word
 
Also try switching between ADI and TTL (if the option is there) I have found TTL better than ADI.
--
Film is a four letter word
 
I don't have the camera or the A55 manual. I downloaded the A33 manual and this is what it says:

"When using the HVL-F58AM/HVL-F42AM Flash (sold separately), you
can shoot with the High-speed sync feature at any shutter speed. For
details, refer to the operating instructions supplied with the flash."

I assume the A55 will do the same.

By the way, did you try shutter priority mode?
--
FEM2008
 
I do not see any indication of how far the subject is from the subject. I am pretty sure at 1/4000 sec the flash range is extremely limited. I do not have an instruction book here at work, where we use Canon and Fuji, but use HSS with my A100 and A550 regularly. I have not shot at that high a speed but can tell you at 1/500 sec it is only good for a few feet at f2.8. Please consult your instruction book as this may be the problem. Remember at the synch speed or less the flash can use more power as it only fires once. For lack of a better word it "burps" multiple flashes to achieve the higher speed because the shutter never actually opens completely during the exposure. A longer flash duration, with less available power from the capacitor, is needed to cover the entire frame. I hope this makes sense and helps as it has been a long day and I am really tired.
--
Don't Panic!

Sony A100 with kit lens, Maxxum 9xi, Sigma 14, Tamron 20-40, Tamron 70-210 f2.8, Tamron 1.4X, Minolta 50 F1.4 Pentax 645, Brooks Veriwide 100, and big pile of lighting crap!
 
Yes I tried shutter speed as well.

Distance is around one meter and I mentioned previously that it is not a flash power issue due to HSS, if I set up the flash manually at full power, the image is overexposed.

I don't need to choose 1/4000 to get a dark result with HSS WL flash, I achieve the same think @ 1/200.

And the last test I did is to remove the steady shot and shoot at 1/200 (wich is the flash synchro limit with steady shot off), as expected --> image properly exposed.

Wireless HSS is really the issue there, I don't think this is due to a camera set up.

Anyone with a compatible Sony flash & A55 can try. Use these settings for example :

-Distance (flash/camera - subject) : 1 meter
-ISO : 100
-All flashes on WL, make sure HSS light is on on the remote flash

-M mode, widest aperture, 1/250 (to make sure it will triggers HSS regardless of your steady shot setting)

--
http://www.photo-production.net/vincentpham
 
oddjobb57 said:
Hi,

Just bought this camera today. Doing my first tests, I found out that pictures taken (indoor) with wireless flash & HSS are completely underexposed, almost dark... :-(

I am doing studio shootings and here is one of my set up which I won't be able to do anymore in the same conditions than before :

F1.4 1/4000 wireless flash (this is mandatory when I want to achieve a shallow depth of field with no ambient light in the image).
Click to expand...
1/4000s! wireless HSS will have almost no impact! In HSS mode the flash pulses at 40,000 pulses per second, so in 1/4000s you would only have 10 pulses with 40KHz equivalent duty cycle, even if you assumed full power delivery a very tiny light will make it to the subject. I am not even sure if HSS will work at that shutter speed reliably.

My mistake, HSS does supply enough light even at 1/8000s with HV 56!

You can experiment with the same setup with flash on camera and it would make almost no difference.

You need to experiment differently. Just go above the X-sync speed (speed at which the HSS activates) and see if the flash works. If it does then there is no problem with wireless part of it.

Keep increasing the shutter speed till you find the place where it does not work well. That is your usable range.
oddjobb57 said:
I didn't have this issue with my old A550 and don't see how the SLT technology can limit this usage ?
Click to expand...
Maybe HSS is not working at all. Do you get the "H" in viewfinder?

I would be very surprised if you had any light at 1/4000s !

Ok. I was wrong! There is enough light. I just tested 1/8000s with A700.
oddjobb57 said:
P-S : I saw a similar thread mentioning that the A55 can't be properly used with studio stobes. Here I am talking about using the flahes F58AM and F42AM in wireless HSS, I don't have the issue with the viewfinder becoming dark (although the final image IS).
Click to expand...
Completely unrelated, that was about not "seeing" the subject in viewfinder, the pictures are perfectly fine.

Hope this helps,

N
 
Please have a look at my post just above. Flash power is not an issue here and I detailed my methodology. Even at 1/250 the image is dark.

You can also have a look at the studio pictures from my signature, most of the close portraits indoors were shot with this 1/4000 setting. No issue, pics were taken with Sony A550, A850 and D5D, never had this problem before.

If there is no firmware update, I won't be able to achieve the same results with the current camera behavior.

--
http://www.photo-production.net/vincentpham
 
My apologies, (I have updated my previous response) I tested it with A700 and HV 56 and sure enough there is enough power even at 1/8000s.

It does look like the HSS maybe not working either on the flash or the camera.

If both camera and flash are in HSS mode then very likely your HSS is not working.

You probably know this already, but just in case, Quick way to get camera in HSS mode is to mount flash on camera and change the shutter speed to go to HSS and flash mode to wireless, on the camera and it will change it on the flash automatically. you can take out the flash off the mount and it will retain all the settings.

Cheers,

N
oddjobb57 said:
Please have a look at my post just above. Flash power is not an issue here and I detailed my methodology. Even at 1/250 the image is dark.

You can also have a look at the studio pictures from my signature, most of the close portraits indoors were shot with this 1/4000 setting. No issue, pics were taken with Sony A550, A850 and D5D, never had this problem before.

If there is no firmware update, I won't be able to achieve the same results with the current camera behavior.

--
http://www.photo-production.net/vincentpham
Click to expand...
 
HSS works perfectly fine when the flash is mounted on the camera.

The issue is only in wireless HSS mode. I just tried your latest suggestion and it didn't solve the issue.

For the moment I don't think that my camera is defective, but more that this function was not properly implemented (but how come ?), if other A55 with compatible wireless flashes could confirm ?

I re-post the way to replicate the issue :

Anyone with a compatible Sony flash & A55 can try. Use these settings for example :

-Distance (flash/camera - subject) : 1 meter
-ISO : 100
-All flashes on WL, make sure HSS light is on on the remote flash

-M mode, widest aperture, 1/250 (to make sure it will triggers HSS regardless of your steady shot setting).

--
http://www.photo-production.net/vincentpham
 
Sounds silly, but does the pre-flash fire in WL mode? Could it be that the flash is firing with the pre-flash from the camera instead of with the shutter? Just a thought, since I've read in a few places that pre-flash can mess this sort of thing up....

I might take my F58 with me when I go to try out the A55 and see what happens.
 
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