Not in Sync

[Azriel]

I bought a Canon 5D used. It works great in every way except one. when I am at 200/sec it does not work with my pocket wizards. The shutter seems to be closing too soon.

The Flash works on the camera.

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[Big Mike]

1/200 is the max sync speed on that camera. When using remote flash triggers, you sometimes have to dial the shutter speed back from the max, to account for delays.

That being said, pocket wizards are usually pretty good and should work at the max sync speed.

[Azriel]

I had to take it down a full stop.

I'd hate to think it's because it's an original 5D or worse, something is wrong with it.

[supraman215]

So what is happening? The flash is firing after the shutter is closed or before it opens?

[Azriel]

I tried a couple different combinations too but it doesn't always happen. I have a 50D my pocket wizards always synced with.

lol, I dropped my PW in Toronto a couple months ago and it rattles now, think that's why?

I've been meaning to try a friends set to see if it happens.

[Azriel]

does a Canon shutter plane run from left to right or right to left?

[Ryan L]

I would think if you poseted this in a different area it would get more feedback. I don't think Photo Assignments & Technical Challenges is quite right.

[Derrel]

The original 5D has a bit of a sluggardly shutter action...this was mentioned in the articles about the development of the new Pocket Wizard Hyper Synch triggers; the 5D is the worst-performing Canon in terms of synch speed; it has to traverse a large, 24x36mm frame, and it's basically a lower-cost $400 EOS-level body and subsystems. The Hyper Synch trigger system is designed to allow users to "cheat" a bit, and get higher-than-factory synch speeds in real-world use, and the system works great with the Canon 1D bodies (both 1.3x and 1.x) and the 20-30-40-50D-7D 1.6x cameras, but the 5D's shutter benefits the least of all the Canon bodies. (I own a 5D myself.)

If you can get to 1/160 in the real world, then that ought to be okay, right???