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Flash sync speed


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#1
bobbyjo007

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I always assumed that a camera only had one sync speed and that I must only use that sync speed with flash. But my manual says that my flash sync speed defaults to 1/250s, and right below that, it says the "flash shutter speed" defaults to 1/60s.  Does this mean I can safely use my flash with any shutter speed between 1/60 and 1/250?



#2
Merco_61

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The sync speed is the fastest one where the first curtain has finished moving before the second one starts to move. You can use any slower speed than this with flash. 

 

I would suggest Neil van Niekerk's blog article about dragging the shutter as a starting point to better understand how to mix flash with ambient lighting.

flash photography - dragging the shutter

 

I often set the aperture I need for the DOF, ISO to get in the ballpark for the reach of the flash and a shutter speed to underexpose the ambient light somewhere between 1/3 and a full stop to let the TTL flash handle the exposure on the subject without getting a too dark background. Using this technique, shooting with balanced fill flash gets surprisingly easy.


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#3
Ron

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I would suggest Neil van Niekerk's blog article about dragging the shutter as a starting point to better understand how to mix flash with ambient lighting.

flash photography - dragging the shutter

 

 

That's an excellent tutorial.

 

--Ron