The Photographic and Life Exploits of Jacob Vorpahl.
Note: “Here You Go” is a new feature that I’m starting here on the OneBrightSpot blog. If you have a question about a technique, gear, anything you see here on the blog that you need more visual help with or questions answered, send an email to jacob@onebrightspot.com with “Here You Go” in the title line and your question in the body, and if I can answer it, I will and I’ll put it up for everyone else to see. This will also serve as the forum for questions I’m trying to answer, such as today’s topic. Hopefully we can help each other out(and everyone else who reads).
For off camera flash fans, we’ve gotten used to the idea that as far as sync speed is concerned, we’ve hit a ceiling: the good ole shutter speed of 1/250 of a second. Sure, there are a couple of DSLRs out there that can go a little higher, but they are few and far between and are becoming a rarity with each new model refresh. So, those of us who use off camera flash frequently are left to be disappointed by the engineers design decisions. Fortunately, we’re lucky to have at least one option to turn to: the Canon G-series of advanced point-and-shoot cameras.
I’m not sure when it became ‘known’ that the G-series could sync above 1/250, but I know when it became “well known”, and since then, photographers needing a little more punch out of their flashes have had the capability. But as David Hobby pointed out, unless you’re running a cord from your camera to your flash, your ceiling is a shutter speed of 1/1000. The problem lies in the small delay caused by the wireless triggers you would use to pop the flash.
But, I had to ask myself: can it be pushed even further? Or, can I consistently hit a sync of 1/1000 with the G11? Only one way to find out. I pulled out the tripod and white board and put it on the kitchen table (this is only a test, no need to get all compositionally creative, right?) and then I attached a Skyport reciever to an SB800 and put it on the table next to it. For all of these shots, the ISO is kept at 100 and the aperture is kept at 2.8. The white balance is also set to flash just to keep consistency. The only variables are the camera shutter speed and the flash power.
First Shot: G11@ 1/500, SB800@ 1/128
So far, so good. A flash sync speed of 1/500 still puts us 1 stop faster than most DSLRs. Lets take it up a little.
Second shot: G11@ 1/800, SB800@ 1/128
This shot is almost identical to the one before it. However, and you can’t tell without having the pictures side by side, there is a slight loss of light in this one.
Third shot: G11@ 1/1000, SB800@ 1/128
Now we see some obvious light loss. Look at the difference in light hitting the placemat in the upper left corner of the table. Or, look at the flowers in the middle of the table. At the top of the picture, in the first example I provided, you can see a shadow on the wall and then some light on the right side of the flowers. But, in the above example it’s almost all vanished. It appears that pushing a sync speed of 1/1000, at least with Skyports, will cost you some light loss. How much, I’m not certain. I only realized as I wrote this that I didn’t test a different flash power setting at this speed to see if the there was any difference. I’ll have to do that when I get back to my gear tonight and I’ll update this post with the results. Updated: yes, the power of the flash still comes in to play at a sync speed of 1/1000. There’s still some loss, but it’s not much and as you increase flash power you get an obvious increase in light.
Fourth shot: G11@ 1/1250, SB800@ 1/64
And then things went downfill fast. I bumped the shutter up to 1/1250 and decided that, after the dropoff of the light at 1/1000, I’d double the flash power and move it to 1/64 and yet we still have a large drop off in light. I tested to see what a diference in raising the flash power would be at this shutter speed and, instead of showing you each of the pictures, which aren’t too different, I’ll just tell you the results:
1/32 and 1/16 looked the same as 1/64, though 1/16 actually appeared to be a little darker than the first two. Bumping to 1/8 actually made everything a little brighter, but then things got darker at 1/4. 1/2 and full power were the same as 1/4.
After seeing those results, it made me think there are some inconsistencies either on Canon’s part or with the Skyports, and considering that going to 1/1250 of a second is already pushing the speed limits of these wireless triggers I’m guessing fault lies with the Skyports. What I’m seeing though makes me believe that the flash is actually getting triggered somewhere in the 1/500-1/800 range, probably something crazy like 1/650 or something (if it actually existed 1/640 is available on this camera). Updated: After some more testing, from what I can see with my eyes and the histogram, the flash power appears the same at 1/640 and 1/500. When you move up to 1/800 you get a tiny, small decrease in perceived power that stays the same at 1/1000. Not sure where this is coming from.
In the end, we have a some light loss at 1/1000 using the Canon G11 and Elinchrom Skyports, and almost a complete loss at anything higher. If you want a sync speed of of anything higher than the reliable 1/500, or if you’re willing to accept some (slight) loss and push it one stop higher, you’re going to have to use a corded solution. So while we don’t get nice shallow DOF with the smaller sensor G11 compared to its DSLR brothers, we do get flash sync speed, and for some of us that’s a nice capability. However, if any of you out there were thinking of stepping up from a previous G-series camera because of the advertised higher flash sync speed (it actually only applies to the built in flash), save your money as what you have right now is completely capable.
And on a nearly completely difference note, that shot at the beginning of the article, the one with the pen and paper? That was made with the G11 in macro mode – and the flash from my cell phone. Who’d have thought I’d be writing that one day.
[...] Here You Go: Canon G11 and wireless off camera flash sync speed test | [...]
i have just got myself a Canon G11 to use for trips.i am having problems with triggering my off cam strobes.i’m am only useing cheap 2-contact radio triggers but they work fine enough on my other DSLR’S.it works ok in C1, C2, and AUTO.but i really want it to work in MANUAL.i’v played around with settings, checked batt, read the camera user guide. what am i doing wrong? any help please.cheers danny.