Was planning on D80, but oh no! slow sync speed!

[jonahr]

I have been planning on buying a D80 in the next couple months, but just realized that it has the rather slow flash sync speed of 1/200 of a second. Will this be a problem when shooting skateboarding and snowboarding?
I was looking at the Nikon d70s because that has a sync speed of 1/500 of a second. Any major issues with that or things where it is not as good as the D80? How big could one print from the 6.1 megapixels of the d70s?

 

[kundalini]

Good question. I don't know, but 1/200s is still pretty damn fast. Pair either one up with a SB-600 or 800 flash and you're on your way. The D80 is newer technology and a bit more robust (I think). I don't shoot boarding, but I've not had an issue with synch speed on the D80. You can probably find the D70 cheaper as well. Either one will give you great images or the opposite. If memory serves me correctly (and don't count on that), 6MPX should yield 8x10s really good, provided the source material is there to support.

 

[Flash Harry]

For about the tenth time on this fora, your sync speed is irrelevant to stopping motion, flash/light travels at 186,000 mpsecond, it is this light that captures your exposure. Sync speed is only there to allow the shutter to fully clear the frame/sensor, use of a higher speed will produce a black band on your picture, meaning the shutter has closed during exposure, the D80/D90/D200/D300 etc will all work fine to "freeze" the action of your skate shots. In days of old flash sync was normally 1/60th sec, I even have an old bronica that synced at 1/40th and never had a blurred shot when using flash. H

 

[Dubious Drewski]

Won't a slow sync speed still blur anything not lit by the strobe? You know what I mean, like dragging a shutter using rear-sync flash (Not my photo).

Now, this isn't a bad thing and in fact it looks pretty neat, because you subject will still be frozen perfectly. But I think it should be noted.

 

[Big Mike]

Won't a slow sync speed still blur anything not lit by the strobe?

It can, yes...but 1/200 is probably fast enough to avoid that when you need to.

 

[Flash Harry]

But we aren't talking about dragging the shutter, hi speed photography, bursting balloons, bullets etc does not rely on shutter speed to freeze motion, it relies on the flash which is usually triggered by sound/motion or other method, I personally did a self portrait with the shutter on bulb with the flash triggered by the object passing through a laser to capture the shot with no blur on either myself or the object, (an egg) The only time I see sync speed affecting the shot is if shooting at wide apertures which will allow more ambient light to expose the subjects that aren't lit by the flash, at 1/200 sec this sync will freeze motion of any human in the frame unless he's a terrorist who actually detonates himself as your shutter is open. H

 

[Dubious Drewski]

But we aren't talking about dragging the shutter, hi speed photography, bursting balloons, bullets etc does not rely on shutter speed to freeze motion, it relies on the flash

That's exactly what I said.

 

[dmatsui]

hate to interrupt but if the shutter speed does not stop motion but the flash does then what is the point in having a really high flash sync speed?

 

[Flash Harry]

so you can use higher iso's, wider apertures and fill flash in bright conditions over extended distances, balancing flash with ambient light without overexposing your subject, in this type of scenario the higher shutter will freeze motion as the purpose of the flash is to eliminate the shadows, (racoon eyes etc) H

 

[Flash Harry]

Oh, also, the d80 custom menu will allow FP shoot mode with certain flash guns which basically allows high speed sync up to 1/4000th sec, to answer the OP's querie regards this camera. H

 

[Do'Urden's Eyes]

Most flashes have a highspeed sync mode that allows you to shoot up to your cameras fastest shutter speed. i believe the way it works is that it fires off multiple flashes while the shutter is open instead of just one. THINK

 

[Early]

hate to interrupt but if the shutter speed does not stop motion but the flash does then what is the point in having a really high flash sync speed?

You sorta/kinda answered your own question. If you've ever took a flash shot of a moving subject with a sync speed of 1/60 th of a sec, you'd get blur or ghosting. The higher the sync speed, the more ambient light is blocked out.