Shutter speed: Hello all, My question is this: I'm using the Canon 7D. I wanted to take some action shots freezing the motion. I set the shutter speed at 1000, yet when I went to edit...

dparker708

Hello all,

My question is this: I'm using the Canon 7D. I wanted to take some action shots freezing the motion. I set the shutter speed at 1000, yet when I went to edit the photos I noticed the shutter speed was set at 250. What happened?

Adubin Loc: Indialantic, Florida

Were you using a flash when you took this photo? Was you camera set-up in manual mode?

dparker708

Yes, I was using a flash and the mode was set at TV.

Adubin Loc: Indialantic, Florida

It looks like when you use a flash, the Max speed that is available is 1/250sec, because that is Max sync speed for your flash with this camera. Arnold

dparker708 wrote:

Yes, I was using a flash and the mode was set at TV.

lowbone

You have to set your flash to high speed synch in order to shoot as speeds higher then 1/250 of a second.

Adubin Loc: Indialantic, Florida

Can you do that on the Canon 7D?

lowbone wrote:

You have to set your flash to high speed synch in order to shoot as speeds higher then 1/250 of a second.

Greg Loc: Maryland

Adubin wrote:

Can you do that on the Canon 7D?

lowbone wrote:

You have to set your flash to high speed synch in order to shoot as speeds higher then 1/250 of a second.

I don't have Canon, but from what I've read, yes it does. Something to keep in mind with HSS, is your flash power will be severly reduced. So if you are streching way out there, likely you won't have the flash power to make a difference.

aaron Loc: brooklyn ny

if in doubt, call Canon at 800 828 4040 and ask them; or else read the flash manual, or dont use flash when shooting at a high shutter speed; remember, flash can also freeze motion; remember Harold Edgerton and and the milk drop?

Greg Loc: Maryland

aaron wrote:

if in doubt, call Canon at 800 828 4040 and ask them; or else read the flash manual, or dont use flash when shooting at a high shutter speed; remember, flash can also freeze motion; remember Harold Edgerton and and the milk drop?

Yes, and depending on your flash and power setting, it can more much more effective. My flash duration is anywhere from 1/300 to 1/30000 depending on flash power setting.

lowbone

Assuming you have a Canon flash you set high speed synch on the flash unit, not on the camera. It is explained in the manual. Greg is partially correct,. Naturally if you shoot at 1/8000 of a second your flash distance will be limited probably to only a few feet but a speed of 1/000 of a second should not limit it too much. A device called a better beamer can be mounted on the flash and this will extend the range of the flash quite bit but you have to remember that in most cases outdoor light will overpower a flash units output by quite a bit and flash is used mostly to fill in shadows. I am wondering why the photographer needed a flash at all in the posted photo. Bumping up the ISO speed would have solved the problem.

Rich Maher Loc: Sonoma County, CA

You can also go to Canon.com Their techs are really sharp and they actually get back to you.

robert-photos Loc: Chicago

dparker708 wrote:

Hello all,

My question is this: I'm using the Canon 7D. I wanted to take some action shots freezing the motion. I set the shutter speed at 1000, yet when I went to edit the photos I noticed the shutter speed was set at 250. What happened?

A suggestion:
Set your Canon flash to second-curtain sync ETTL.
The flash will fire just before the shutter closes and depending on your exposure settings freeze the subject while leaving a blur showing the action. See:
http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/index2.html

ShakyShutter Loc: Arizona

That photo of the surfer is a little far away for any battery operated strobe.

alaskanfrog Loc: Alaska

I had to compromise on my Canon Rebel when shooting action shots. To compensate, I actually set my camera to "Multi-shot" mode in the settings. In bright sunny conditions, I pushed my ISO to 1000. It takes a bit of experimentation to get it right, but I would set my shutter speed at 200 and adjust up, or down from there. Usually on very brightly light sunshine days, shutter speeds of 1200, or higher usually works best. When I'm shooting something in motion after I have my shutter and ISO settings the way I want, I'll focus on my subject, then take the shot and hold the button down, taking a rapid series of photographs in succession. Some will be blurred, but others will be in sharp focus. I discard the out of focus images and save the good ones. From there I choose the one I like best and go from there.

I only set up my action shots because my camera isn't as fast or as advanced as yours, so I have to find a way to compensate for the deficiencies in my camera.

now regarding your daylight photos, if it's bright enough you don't need a flash, you only need to get your camera settings right, ISO, Shutter, aperture opening Etc.

Try doing some outdoor photos without your flash or strobe. Play with your settings. Most importantly, set your light balance setting on your camera. If you aren't certain which setting would work best, then set it to automatic.

I do most of my photography with my camera set to full automatic except for my auto focus. My eyes aren't as good as they used to be and I'm never sure if I'm in good focus, so I use the auto focus. Good luck and don't be afraid to experiment with your camera. Get to know its features, abilities and limitations...

alaskanfrog Loc: Alaska

Sorry, I said "Light Balance," I meant to say; "White Balance." White balancing your camera will do wonders in getting good photos.

My camera is showing its age and I'll probably need to replace it sometime within the next year. It's almost 6 years old and I've snapped more than 35,000 photos with it...