How to stop a bullet?

[Garbz]

To actually freeze a bullet takes a lot more effort than sound triggers and speedlights. The speedlight is too slow as people have already pointed out, but furthermore the speed of sound + electronics delay will result in the event being missed.

Typical frozen bullet shots are done using an air-gap flash and a wire trigger. An air-gap flash basically is a bolt of lightning between two electrodes, it sounds like lightning and the duration is VERY short and very bright. A wire trigger is exactly what it sounds like. A wire. The bullet breaks the wire as it goes through and the air-gap flash triggers. This gives you consistency and you don't need to mess with the speed of sound.

 

[Stradawhovious]

To actually freeze a bullet takes a lot more effort than sound triggers and speedlights. The speedlight is too slow as people have already pointed out, but furthermore the speed of sound + electronics delay will result in the event being missed.

Typical frozen bullet shots are done using an air-gap flash and a wire trigger. An air-gap flash basically is a bolt of lightning between two electrodes, it sounds like lightning and the duration is VERY short and very bright. A wire trigger is exactly what it sounds like. A wire. The bullet breaks the wire as it goes through and the air-gap flash triggers. This gives you consistency and you don't need to mess with the speed of sound.

Sound triggers would work in handgun rounds that are subsonic (some .22, .45 ACP, some 9mm etc,) as I pointed out in a picture on the previous page, but you're right in that they are much, much less than idea and all but useless in the world of hypersonic rounds (1,100fps or faster). I've also heard of laser photogate triggers being used effectively.

All things considered, you're still talking about a major expense on specialty equipment that most photographers would never use. Especially with the light source. Personally I hope to own this stuff someday, but my budget and my wife tend to think otherwise.