black shadow

[Ygrazi]

I was in the middle of a photoshoot today and everything was going well. Then I noticed a black shadow across the top of the picture. It would get bigger and smaller, then eventually go away. I took about another 100 or so pictures, and it came back. Does it need to be sent in for maintenance or did I do something?

It's a Nikon D200.

 

[Derrel]

Sounds like maybe you exceeded the maximum flash synchronization speed; going higher than the top X-sync speed will leave a black band across the frames. If you were shooting with flash, that could very well be the problem.

 

[inTempus]

It sounds like the shutter.

Were you using a strobe? What was your cameras shutter speed set to?

It could be either the shutter is going bad, or it could be that you had your shutter speed set faster than your sync speed for your strobe.

 

[Ygrazi]

interesting. I did notice that it happened when I upped my ss to 1\500. So how would I freeze motion sharply if I can only go up to 1\250?

 

[Big]

1/250 should stop motion I would think, as long as your not shooting race cars...

 

[Derrel]

interesting. I did notice that it happened when I upped my ss to 1\500. So how would I freeze motion sharply if I can only go up to 1\250?

Well, the FLASH! is what stops motion when using electronic or bulb flash. The flsh burst is quite short, so the shutter serves only to open the gate as it were, to allow the flash light to make the actual exposure. You can freeze motion by using an electronic flashm, even if the shutter speed is realtively slow, like 1/60 second and there is not a "lot" of bright light that will make a secondary or "ghost exposure".

Normally, flash is shot between 1/60 and 1/125, up to 1/200 or 1/250 second with "some" cameras; many cameras will not sync flash at any faster than 1/200 second. Many will not go any faster than 1/160 second.
SO, be advised--it's not necessary to use a fast shutter speed to freeze motion when using flash under normal situations.

 

[Ygrazi]

Thanks!

 

[KmH]

A Nikon hot shoe mounted speedlights set to full power have a flash duration of about 1/1000 of a second. The duration of the flash is even shorter if the power level is lowered and can get as short as 1/40,000 of a second at the bottom end.

 

[kundalini]

Sounds like maybe you exceeded the maximum flash synchronization speed;

This was my first thought also. However, there was a caveat the OP mentioned........

It would get bigger and smaller, then eventually go away.

I'm thinking this could be Auto Bracketing is set to ON. Just a thought.