Need help with strobes.

Here is the deal. I have a nikon d90 that i have become very comfortable shooting in manual mode so I am not an entire newbie. I got a pretty good grasp on exposure and iso an etc. Now the thing is that i never use the flash. I recently got 2 square perfect strobes and light boxes for some indoor shooting. I have a wireless transmitter and the strobes trigger just fine. What i am having trouble understanding is why i am limited to certain shutter speeds. If i try to shot faster than 1/200 the lower part of the photo is black. Now I Know my way around my menu and manual for the camera, but the ttl mode and commander mode is really losing me. So how would you shot someone who is jumping in the air and you cant shot 1/500 or faster? Thanks for any input.

 

The flash sync for the D90 is 1/200. Therefore to sync your shutter with the flash you must be at 1/200 or below. That is why when you go higher the lower part of the image is black. The black part is your shutter.

 

This happens because under 1/200th your sensor is fully exposed and can catch the entire scene with a flash...anything over 1/200th, the rear curtain is starting to close before the front curtain has reach the end of it's travel, so the entire sensor isn't open during the flash. The faster the shutter speed, the sooner the rear curtain follows, thus the narrower the slit that is moving across the sensor (or film).

 

And as a side note 1/200 is a lot better than it used to be. Back in the day it was 1/60 that was where your flash synced. So, you can stop more action than before but not all of it. Use available light or go with the blur. There are some other things you can do but since you are just starting out using flash, work on getting exposure correct and creating beautiful images.

 

This is one particular reason why I miss my D70s, and am considering picking up another one....1/500th sync speed.

 

The newer cameras and flashes from Nikon and Canon allow for high speed flash syncs, but require ETTL connectivity to make it work. If that's important to your shooting, it can be done.

 

Just remember this is on speed lights, ETTL and iTTL do not work with full strobes.

 

I can do that with my SB800, but I don't think it's possible with studio strobes, as the OP is inquiring.


EDIT: Speedtrap beat me to it....

 

Yeah, I know. I thought that was obvious. Maybe more obvious if I bold it in red and underline it...

I'm just saying, IF it's important to the OP's shooting that he be able to get high speed flash sync'd photos, it can be done - obviously, only with the gear that will allow that.

 

Ahhh what's going on here?!?!? Ok ok ok..the sync speed refers to the on camera flash only. With a flash like the sb-600 on the D90, you can shoot at any shutter speed, and this is the same with the strobe off camera. There is a setting, and it's in your manual. That's how I found mine.

 

I just love it when people post things and don't explain what they are talking about.

If your camera is connected to your flash be it a sync cord or the hotshoe you have a certain shutter speed that your camera will sync at. For the D90 it is 1/200. There are other ways just like I mentioned in my earlier post that can be done but everyone needs to learn the basics first otherwise they get confused.

Trades2cash let us know if you have any more questions.

 

Yea, that's why I NEVER shoot with my sb-600 with that set sync speed. I shoot with it at ANY shutter speed, and I didn't do anything that was stated in this post.