Flash-sync speed question.

[Baaaark]

Is a camera having a low maximum flash sync speed a large limiting factor in the purchase of a new camera? Is obtaining a camera with a high sync speed worth compromising image quality?

I was looking at Sony's new A33 which is sweet but has a 1/160 sync speed. But the Alpha 390 uses a CCD sensor and will consequently let you sync up to crazy fast speeds in manual mode. But the image quality at high ISO is better on the A33 than the 390.

Am I worrying too much about a fairly irrelevant factor, or is having a slow sync speed going to be something that drives me crazy for as long as I have my camera. Keep in mind I do a lot of indoor photography so both high-ISO image quality and flash are important.

 

[Big Mike]

A higher shutter sync speed is useful when you are using flash in rather bright conditions. For example, if you are outdoors and you want to keep the ambient exposure low, so that your flash exposure can be more prominent, then having a faster sync speed would be useful (or having really powerful lights).

For example, these were shot in the afternoon, with fairly bright overcast clouds.

I used a fast shutter speed and a powerful strobe so that I could overpower the ambient light. My camera syncs up to 1/250, but I think I stuck to about 1/200 because of the radio triggers etc.

If I could have shot at 1/500 or 1/1000, I may not have needed to use a studio strobe and might have been able to use a small flash unit.

In darker situation, you are likely going to be using slower shutter speeds, so the flash sync isn't much of an issue.

 

[Baaaark]

So in your opinion, as a suggestion to a beginner mostly interested in people photography, is having the ability to set a high flash sync speed worth a significant compromise to high ISO clarity?

Is a low flash sync something that I can work around with aperture settings and ND filters?

 

[Village Idiot]

So in your opinion, as a suggestion to a beginner mostly interested in people photography, is having the ability to set a high flash sync speed worth a significant compromise to high ISO clarity?

Is a low flash sync something that I can work around with aperture settings and ND filters?

Yes. I have a 6 stop ND and I'm going to be purchasing a 3 stop just so I can do outdoors shoots with lighting and wider apertures or when I just want to completely kill the sun.

 

[Big Mike]

So in your opinion, as a suggestion to a beginner mostly interested in people photography, is having the ability to set a high flash sync speed worth a significant compromise to high ISO clarity?

Probably not. I'd certainly prefer better high-ISO performance over a higher sync speed.

 

[KmH]

So in your opinion, as a suggestion to a beginner mostly interested in people photography, is having the ability to set a high flash sync speed worth a significant compromise to high ISO clarity?

Is a low flash sync something that I can work around with aperture settings and ND filters?

What do you consider a high flash sync speed?

In the days of film many cameras had an x-sync speed of 1/60, so 1/160 is high speed sync in comparison.

I don't think you understand how shutter speed is used during flash photography. It's not used to stop motion. It's used to control the ambient light exposure and is affected by the lens aperture choosen to control the strobed light exposure. )The stopping of motion is accomplished by the flash duration and the choice of which shutter curtain the strobed light is synced to.)

So to a large degree, as Mike demonstrated, it depends how much flash power you have available and the ambient to strobed light ratio you want to acheive.

 

[Baaaark]

I'm pretty sure I'm understanding shutter speed. W

What I want is the ability to go out on a sunny day in the middle of summer and still be able to have my artificial light be the predominant source (as in the photos above) without having to compromise to a less than desirable aperture setting to do so.

Now granted I understand you don't go out in midday sun in summer--you use diffusers, reflectors, ND filters etc. But my question was really more about the number since I have no basis for real-world comparison. I didn't know if having a sync speed of 1/160 is a number most photographers would find adequate with their work, or if it is a limitation that I will be repeatedly running in to and wishing was higher.

 

[radiorickm]

I have read this a couple of times and have a few comments.

First, you say the Sony has a fast sync speed because of the CCD sensor. I don't think that is actually the case. The sensor, in and of it's self, should have no bearing on the flash sync speed.

The sync speed is determined by the way the shutter works. Both curtains of the shutter have to be totally open when the flash fires, or the curtain will shade the sensor and create the infamous black band on the image.

Where there is no ambient lite in question, the image should be the same whether you use 1/10, 1/60 or 1/160. The "exposure" is determined by the aperture setting and the amount of "flash light".

"So in your opinion, as a suggestion to a beginner mostly interested in people photography, is having the ability to set a high flash sync speed worth a significant compromise to high ISO clarity"?

I totally do not understand this part of the comment..."significant compromise to high ISO clarity" Can you please explain your thought process for this comment??

You are right, that once you start adding in a bright ambient light, you can control that to a point with the shutter speed.

I know in the old days Maxims and some of the other SLRs had incredible sync speeds and I am not sure exactly how they accomplished it. Maybe not dual curtain shutters, I don't know. What is the synce speed of the Sony anyway

Good luck with you venture on this and the new camera by the way