Off Camera Flash failure...

MichiganFarts · Jan 10, 2011

Well, my flash sync cable is missing.

I have no way to fire an off camera flash, but I've been attempting to do so by holding the flash in my hand, and firing it with the red test button, while I press the shutter button on my camera.

So far I haven't been able to time it out, and I really wish we had a real camera shop in town still so I wasn't running around the house trying to be a human flash sync.

mrpink · Jan 10, 2011

MichiganFarts said:
I have no way to fire an off camera flash, but I've been attempting to do so by holding the flash in my hand, and firing it with the red test button, while I press the shutter button on my camera.

You mean you don't have a 1/200th of a second reaction time? :lmao::lmao:

The only way what you are trying is going to work is if you go for a 1sec or longer exposure on a tripod.

Buy some cactus triggers off eBay.

p!nK

MichiganFarts · Jan 10, 2011

yeah, but then it'll turn out all blurry :lol:

.

it'd be nice if I had a real camera shop in town.

GeorgieGirl · Jan 10, 2011

MichiganFarts said:
Well, my flash sync cable is missing.

I have no way to fire an off camera flash, but I've been attempting to do so by holding the flash in my hand, and firing it with the red test button, while I press the shutter button on my camera.

So far I haven't been able to time it out, and I really wish we had a real camera shop in town still so I wasn't running around the house trying to be a human flash sync.

Maybe your wife took it and is trying to slow you down. I know you think you are meaner than her, but I think she might have the edge and you just dont know it.

jsachs99 · Jan 11, 2011

I do this kind of manual flash firing, but always shooting at at least 1/4 of a second, if not longer. You have to wait till the shutter opens, then set off the flash. You can get some great creative effects this way.

Garbz · Jan 11, 2011

MichiganFarts said:
yeah, but then it'll turn out all blurry .

it'd be nice if I had a real camera shop in town.

Only if you're actually capturing light in that time. Set the flash to full power, stop down the lens, then indoors a 1second shutter won't expose much at all. Your flash however will.

pgriz · Jan 12, 2011

Garbz! I assume you're on dry land! What DID your countrymen do to bring on that biblical flood upon themselves?

(To OP, sorry for the thread hijack, but I haven't seen Garbz pop up in many threads since Queensland got inundated...)

Robin Usagani · Jan 12, 2011

dude, if you cut out the ambient light, just shoot it at like 1 second. I am sure you wont miss the flash.

MichiganFarts · Jan 12, 2011

A 1 sec shutter speed for kids?! That's just plain nuts! Not that what I was doing wasn't...and not that you knew what I was shooting...but I like my nuts...not your nuts!! :lmao:

Robin Usagani · Jan 12, 2011

I think you havent learned about stop motion with flash yet. I could shoot something for 10 seconds and it will look very sharp.

jcolman · Jan 12, 2011

There is this thing called the "internet". You can buy stuff like sync cables and whatnot and have it shipped right to your house!

MichiganFarts · Jan 12, 2011

Ahh yes...I see now. I just skipped the reading part and went straight to the answering part. That's how I get my posts in yo!

MichiganFarts · Jan 12, 2011

jcolman said:
There is this thing called the "internet". You can buy stuff like sync cables and whatnot and have it shipped right to your house!

Wow...impressive knowledge...however, even if I paid for one day shipping....I'd still have a lot of time to spend doing the most impractical things I can think of eh?

jcolman · Jan 12, 2011

MichiganFarts said:
jcolman said:

There is this thing called the "internet". You can buy stuff like sync cables and whatnot and have it shipped right to your house!

Click to expand...

Wow...impressive knowledge...however, even if I paid for one day shipping....I'd still have a lot of time to spend doing the most impractical things I can think of eh?

Indeed! You could spend that time honing your mad reaction skillz yo!

KmH · Jan 12, 2011

MichiganFarts said:
A 1 sec shutter speed for kids?! That's just plain nuts!

With strobed light (flash) the flash duration stops motion, not shutter speed.

A speed light at full poweer has a flash duration of about 1/1000 second. At lower power settings the duration gets even shorter. an SB-600 at 1/128 power has a flash duration of about 1/40,000 of a second.

You have to be mindful of which of the 2 shutter curtains the strobed light is synced to, and the x-sync speed of your camera (to make sure a shutter curtain isn't in your shot).

Exposure is controlled differently too when using strobed light.

Shutter speed controls the ambient light exposure, and aperture controls the strobed light exposure.