High speed sync with Fuji S2 pro and a good nikon flash

[Red_Kanga]

Hi

I have bought my S2 pro

is there anyway I can get the 1/125sec high speed sync to be ncreased, im hoping near 1/1000sec

also wht would be a good flash for the camera. I need one that has wideangle coverage of 17mm, multi flash, quite powerful

thanks

 

[Laszlo Szakalos]

Is not possible.

I'm uisng Metz 54MZ and 40MZ (almost identical by the electronics, the latter is discontinuied)

Here are some tests:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1020&message=5674148

 

[Guillermo M.P.]

FP sync mode with S2 and sb80dx doesnt works ....

maby with sb800 ??????

Is not possible.

I'm uisng Metz 54MZ and 40MZ (almost identical by the electronics,
the latter is discontinuied)

Here are some tests:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1020&message=5674148

 

[Charles Bandes]

If you use a PC cord instead of the hotshoe, you can get 1/180 synch, but that's the top speed you can hope for.

 

[Tom Ferguson]

Sadly, you are asking for things that are not availble to S2 owners.

Our S2s (and most DSLRs and 35mm SLRs I can think of) use "focal plane" shutters.

This is the limiting factor on our sync speed. Above 1/180 second the entire sensor is not illuminated all at once. At 1/1000 the shutter actually "wipes" a sliver of the image accross the sensor. At any point on the sensor the light hits it for 1/1000, but not at the same exact time! There are high speed flash systems that attempt to "strobe" (repeat flash really really fast) long enough to get all of the sensor covered. But, they are low powered compared to a standard strobe :-(

I'm not sure if any of these high speed/low powered systems will work with the S2.

Most of the pro wedding/portrait photogs who want/need high speed sync for outdoor flash fill work with a "leaf shutter" camera system. Most of these systems are medium format cameras. They will sync at any available shutter speed. They do have other limitation. They are not typically real fast. The Mamiya RZ I use at a studio job maxes out at 1/400, I think the classic Hassy's max out at 1/500. Each lens has its own shutter, so they are expensive.

I had a student with a Nikon D1x that claimed it used an electronic shutter above it's sync speed and could thus be synced at any speed. Check and see if she is correct (I didn't test).

Oddly your (reasonably priced) answer may be in getting a cheaper digital "all in one" camera. Many P&S digitals use an electronic or leaf shutter and will sync at all speeds. My Sony F707 will sync at all speeds. It seems to under expose slightly with flash at 1/1000 it is fine at 1/500.

Hope that helps.

Hi

I have bought my S2 pro
is there anyway I can get the 1/125sec high speed sync to be
ncreased, im hoping near 1/1000sec
also wht would be a good flash for the camera. I need one that has
wideangle coverage of 17mm, multi flash, quite powerful

thanks

--
Tom Ferguson
http://www.ferguson-photo-design.com

 

[graphius]

Hi

I have bought my S2 pro
is there anyway I can get the 1/125sec high speed sync to be
ncreased, im hoping near 1/1000sec
also wht would be a good flash for the camera. I need one that has
wideangle coverage of 17mm, multi flash, quite powerful

thanks

I have an old sb-25 that I use on my s2. it has a high speed fp mode I used once or twice on my f90. I will try to take some photos today and let you know.....

Alan

 

[Brein]

Hi

I have bought my S2 pro
is there anyway I can get the 1/125sec high speed sync to be
ncreased, im hoping near 1/1000sec
also wht would be a good flash for the camera. I need one that has
wideangle coverage of 17mm, multi flash, quite powerful

thanks

Hi Wayne,

I've had the same problem ... and still have it. Since the S2 Pro is based on the Nikon F80, HSS is not possible. You need at least an F90.

The SB-80DX specs tell you that HSS is possible with F100, F5 and D1(x). The new D2H will also work I guess. So Nikon's D100 also has this problem. It's a consumer camera and not a pro-camera.

The funny thing is that one of my few years old Minolta analogue SLR can do HSS with the right flash.

Anyway, just wait till the prices of Nikon's pro-DSLR's will drop A 2nd hand D1 might do the job ...

Reinoud

 

[Robert J. Gonzalez]

Sadly, you are asking for things that are not availble to S2 owners.

Our S2s (and most DSLRs and 35mm SLRs I can think of) use "focal
plane" shutters.

This is the limiting factor on our sync speed. Above 1/180 second
the entire sensor is not illuminated all at once.

You can shoot at 1/180 because the sensor is smaller than 35mm.

You can shoot at 1/250 with the loss of just the top 1/4 of the screen and with grid lines turned on, you can frame easily.

I use this method for night football, the top of the frame is usually dark sky anyway.

at 4256x2848, the loss of a 4256x712 strip is acceptable. you still have 9mp left 4256x2136

At 1/1000 the

shutter actually "wipes" a sliver of the image accross the sensor.
At any point on the sensor the light hits it for 1/1000, but not at
the same exact time! There are high speed flash systems that
attempt to "strobe" (repeat flash really really fast) long enough
to get all of the sensor covered. But, they are low powered
compared to a standard strobe :-(

I'm not sure if any of these high speed/low powered systems will
work with the S2.

Most of the pro wedding/portrait photogs who want/need high speed
sync for outdoor flash fill work with a "leaf shutter" camera
system. Most of these systems are medium format cameras. They will
sync at any available shutter speed. They do have other limitation.
They are not typically real fast. The Mamiya RZ I use at a studio
job maxes out at 1/400, I think the classic Hassy's max out at
1/500. Each lens has its own shutter, so they are expensive.

I had a student with a Nikon D1x that claimed it used an electronic
shutter above it's sync speed and could thus be synced at any
speed. Check and see if she is correct (I didn't test).

Oddly your (reasonably priced) answer may be in getting a cheaper
digital "all in one" camera. Many P&S digitals use an electronic or
leaf shutter and will sync at all speeds. My Sony F707 will sync at
all speeds. It seems to under expose slightly with flash at 1/1000
it is fine at 1/500.

Hope that helps.

Hi

I have bought my S2 pro
is there anyway I can get the 1/125sec high speed sync to be
ncreased, im hoping near 1/1000sec
also wht would be a good flash for the camera. I need one that has
wideangle coverage of 17mm, multi flash, quite powerful

thanks

--
Tom Ferguson
http://www.ferguson-photo-design.com

 

[Laszlo Szakalos]

If you use a PC cord instead of the hotshoe, you can get 1/180
synch, but that's the top speed you can hope for.

Yes, this is true, I've tried it with simple shoe, S2 does not detectd the flash, and I set the flash to automatic mode.

 

[Greg Marshall]

Good post, Tom. I would add that it certainly is possible (with some image sensors) to have an "electronic shutter" in addition to the mechanical focal-plane shutter, although I do not know if the D1x has this feature.

I'm skeptical about a system that would flash multiple times to cover a faster shutter speed because of the issue of even exposure (how many flashes does each "band" get?). However, what HAS been done before is to use a very SLOW flash that fires BEFORE the shutter opens and stays lit throughout the exposure. Olympus had such a system, and perhaps others as well. This is a neat idea because it gives you full shutter/aperture exposure control, just like continuous light. The disadvantage is that much of the flash energy is wasted unless it knows when the shutter closes and can then stop. Even then, the ramp up and down in light level is wasted because you have to have a steady light level throughout the exposure. In a conventional flash all of the light output adds to the exposure. Also, this "slow flash" system imposes a bottom speed limit rather than a top speed limit because the flash output cannot continue indefinitely. Unfortunately, such a system must be designed into the camera - it cannot be used with a conventional flash sync system.

Greg

Our S2s (and most DSLRs and 35mm SLRs I can think of) use "focal
plane" shutters.

This is the limiting factor on our sync speed. Above 1/180 second
the entire sensor is not illuminated all at once. At 1/1000 the
shutter actually "wipes" a sliver of the image accross the sensor.
At any point on the sensor the light hits it for 1/1000, but not at
the same exact time! There are high speed flash systems that
attempt to "strobe" (repeat flash really really fast) long enough
to get all of the sensor covered. But, they are low powered
compared to a standard strobe :-(

I'm not sure if any of these high speed/low powered systems will
work with the S2.

Most of the pro wedding/portrait photogs who want/need high speed
sync for outdoor flash fill work with a "leaf shutter" camera
system. Most of these systems are medium format cameras. They will
sync at any available shutter speed. They do have other limitation.
They are not typically real fast. The Mamiya RZ I use at a studio
job maxes out at 1/400, I think the classic Hassy's max out at
1/500. Each lens has its own shutter, so they are expensive.

I had a student with a Nikon D1x that claimed it used an electronic
shutter above it's sync speed and could thus be synced at any
speed. Check and see if she is correct (I didn't test).

Oddly your (reasonably priced) answer may be in getting a cheaper
digital "all in one" camera. Many P&S digitals use an electronic or
leaf shutter and will sync at all speeds. My Sony F707 will sync at
all speeds. It seems to under expose slightly with flash at 1/1000
it is fine at 1/500.

Hope that helps.

Hi

I have bought my S2 pro
is there anyway I can get the 1/125sec high speed sync to be
ncreased, im hoping near 1/1000sec
also wht would be a good flash for the camera. I need one that has
wideangle coverage of 17mm, multi flash, quite powerful

thanks

--
Tom Ferguson
http://www.ferguson-photo-design.com