Flashes Behaving Badly
May 15, 2017 21:18:48 #
My buddy and I have been nature photographers for over 25 years. Here is a common problem.
PROBLEM: Flash fails to fire more than one or two shots in a row in high speed burst shooting for no apparent reason. For every 4 or 5 shots, 3 or 4 have to be trashed because the flash didn't fire for them. Happens in both Nikon and Canon systems.
THE SITUATION:Shooting warblers on tripod with 500mm lenses using fill-in flash with Better Beamers.
THE SPECIFICS: Nikon D-500, SB 800 Flash, Slow Synch mode, High Speed Synch On, fresh Eneloop Batteries, ISO 1000, F8, Shutter speed 1/500-1/1000 sec.
Canon 50D with 580II flash. Same relative settings. Auxiliary Power Pac.
THE QUESTION: Good systems. Work as they should most of the time but frustrating when they don't. Why?
PROBLEM: Flash fails to fire more than one or two shots in a row in high speed burst shooting for no apparent reason. For every 4 or 5 shots, 3 or 4 have to be trashed because the flash didn't fire for them. Happens in both Nikon and Canon systems.
THE SITUATION:Shooting warblers on tripod with 500mm lenses using fill-in flash with Better Beamers.
THE SPECIFICS: Nikon D-500, SB 800 Flash, Slow Synch mode, High Speed Synch On, fresh Eneloop Batteries, ISO 1000, F8, Shutter speed 1/500-1/1000 sec.
Canon 50D with 580II flash. Same relative settings. Auxiliary Power Pac.
THE QUESTION: Good systems. Work as they should most of the time but frustrating when they don't. Why?
May 15, 2017 21:29:44 #
How many frames per second did you shoot? The SB800 or any flash that is not designed as high speed won't be able to do 5fps or higher in such condition. High speed sync wastes a lot of flash power and you shoot with a 500mm your subject I assume is quite far away.
May 15, 2017 21:31:59 #
My guess it's power depletion from the batteries and it might require a battery pack. A further question to ask is how fast are your burst because the 580 still needs time to recycle regardless of battery condtion. Remember if you're shooting in high speed sync your flash is sending a series of pulses which eat batteries like crazy. Caution needs to be exhibited with burst because too much abuse will lead to flash tube failure.
May 15, 2017 22:10:03 #
We're shooting around 8-10 fps. The flash is used as fill at –1 1/3. The birds will fit in the palm of your hand. They are around 30 feet away. When the birds are in shadow the TTL Balanced Fill is essential as they move very fast darting between leaves. We're using Better Beamers.
It works fine more than it doesn't. There are a lot of variables here I suppose.
It works fine more than it doesn't. There are a lot of variables here I suppose.
May 15, 2017 22:39:14 #
I think the clue is "high speed burst". It takes time for the capacitors in the strobe to recharge after the flash fires. If you lower the output level of the flash it takes less time, but it is a "time to charge" issue. This is a characteristic of any strobe. So your mentioning of Nikon and Canon means it's a flash issue and that recharge time is the culprit.
--Bob
--Bob
Fotoartist wrote:
My buddy and I have been nature photographers for ... (show quote)
May 15, 2017 22:42:29 #
rmalarz wrote:
I think the clue is "high speed burst". It takes time for the capacitors in the strobe to recharge after the flash fires. If you lower the output level of the flash it takes less time, but it is a "time to charge" issue. This is a characteristic of any strobe. So your mentioning of Nikon and Canon means it's a flash issue and that recharge time is the culprit.
--Bob
--Bob
Unless he uses the type of strobes designed for high speed slow motion camera that could do 1000 flashes per second.
May 15, 2017 23:00:36 #
I'm pretty sure the ones he mentioned aren't in that class.
--Bob
--Bob
BebuLamar wrote:
Unless he uses the type of strobes designed for high speed slow motion camera that could do 1000 flashes per second.
May 15, 2017 23:26:26 #
rmalarz wrote:
I'm pretty sure the ones he mentioned aren't in that class.
--Bob
--Bob
Agreed, seems he referring specifically to speedlights. The further information about 10 fps shooting suggests as mentioned the inability to recharge the flash because of bursts much like both of us have mentioned.
May 16, 2017 00:33:52 #
Leitz
Loc: Solms
With 25 years' experience, someone should have learned something. The title should read Camera Operators Acting Badly!
May 16, 2017 07:17:06 #
There's a difference between 25 years of experience and 1 year of experience 25 times.
--Bob
--Bob
Leitz wrote:
With 25 years' experience, someone should have learned something. The title should read Camera Operators Acting Badly!
May 16, 2017 13:22:46 #
Fotoartist wrote:
My buddy and I have been nature photographers for ... (show quote)
Sounds like you did not give the flash/flashes enough recycle time, when shooting bursts. Some flashes are "kinda" slow in that regard, that sure is one of the features to look for when purchasing!
May 16, 2017 13:37:52 #
May 16, 2017 13:45:43 #
I just did a test in my backyard and took 76 straight flash shots in about 5 seconds at a static plant in shadow. I set a tiny mirror in the scene that would show me that the flash fired. It did all the time and the shots were consistently exposed.
Why it won't at times in the field could be due to several factors. My conclusions:
• Fresh Eneloop batteries are a must. I won't push them past 300 shots now. (I'm not talking full power, this is fill-in flash). Bird shooters know what I mean.
• Flash TTL compensation should probably be kept at (–1 2/3) so the flash doesn't deplete so quickly.
• Better Beamers are essential so the flash doesn't have to pump out so much power because of distance even at (–1 2/3) power.
• Flash compensation needs to be set in camera to tell it to light just the subject and not the background.
Why it won't at times in the field could be due to several factors. My conclusions:
• Fresh Eneloop batteries are a must. I won't push them past 300 shots now. (I'm not talking full power, this is fill-in flash). Bird shooters know what I mean.
• Flash TTL compensation should probably be kept at (–1 2/3) so the flash doesn't deplete so quickly.
• Better Beamers are essential so the flash doesn't have to pump out so much power because of distance even at (–1 2/3) power.
• Flash compensation needs to be set in camera to tell it to light just the subject and not the background.
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