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All smiles when I got the post today a new D200 was delivered. so time to off load the d70.

trying to take some shots using some studio type lights (cheapies from ebay) and run into a problem. Whenever the strobes are used bythemselves (no on camera flash) half of the photo is cut off/ very underexposed.

pay no attention to general exposure, just wanted a consistancy between shots

Anyone have any idea what this is. not sure what happens with sb800 as no batteries...

50mm 1.4 f4 @500 on d200. No on board flash. strobe fired by pc sync (same effect when fired by hot shoe mount infra red trigger)



50mm 1.4 f4 @500 on d200. on board flash and stobe fired via pc sync cord (the strobe went off but seems to have no effect)



Then took the smae on my d70 and all is fine!!

50mm 1.4 f4 @500 on d70. On Board flash only



50mm 1.4 f4 @500 on d70. storbe fired via. hot shoe mount infra red light trigger



help

Jonesy wrote:
trying to take some shots using some studio type lights (cheapies from ebay) and run into a problem. Whenever the strobes are used bythemselves (no on camera flash) half of the photo is cut off/ very underexposed.



* 50mm 1.4 f4 @500 on d200.

I take it by @500 you mean 1/500s shutter speed. Drop your shutter speed back to 250 and see how that goes

The D200 has a flash sync speed of 1/250s. The D70 has a sync speed of 1/500s, so in the past these settings would have had no problems at all.

Half exposed images like #1 are symptomatic of exceeding the sync speed of the body.

I have had this issue in my studio as well??

I read it has something to do with the flash. You need to make sure u dont shoot at a higher shutter speed than the maximum flashsync speed or areas of the images will come out dark...i had a big panic when it happened to me.

first pic is the curtain, lower the shutter speed to your cameras max synch, probably 1/250th. repeat setup and see.

Also, as for your flash not firing, what are you using to synch? If your shutter speed is 1/500th, the onboard may trigger, but your shutter appears closed before the studio flash have even fired.

lots of things happen in 1/250th of a second

Hey thanks guys... the heart is starting to slow down a bit. Will give that a go. and to be quite honest didn't even think of different sync speeds. (its all new) will test it later.

many thanks again

That shows clearly the winning D70 on high speed sync @ 1/500 still

As mentioned above, D200's mechanical sync can only handle 1/250.

I used to own a Fuji S1 Pro (Nikon mount, max sync speed of 1/125th of a second) coupled with a Nikon SB26 flash. The camera couldnt tell the flash it's maximum sync speed was only 1/125th of a second, so when I went over it to 1/250th and beyond I used to get those exact symptoms what you are seeing in the top picture as already stated is part of the shutter curtain that's still closing!

With the D70 and my SB600 I've not had this happen, but only b/c the camera and the flash support i-TTL and if you try and exceed 1/500th of a second with these two coupled together it automatically engages the electronic hi-speed flash sync (upto 1/5000th of second?). Obviously hi-speed electronic flash sync reduces the output of your flash power, and you need exponentially more powerful flash unit's (or multiple flashes) as you increase the shutter speed. In other words going from 1/250th to 1/500th you lose 1 stop of flash power, 1/500th to 1/1000th you lose 2 stops etc etc. Electronic flash is bad! Avoid it if you can.

I think the problem is your strobes obviously don't do iTTL and can't tell your D200 they won't sync that fast. As mentioned 1/250th is the sync speed of the D200 so try that and see how you go.

I'm surprised the D200 lets you use FP sync mode with a flash that doesn't support it (such as any flash connected via the sync terminal). It should have protested as soon as the shutter speed went faster than 1/250s (or whatever the D200's sync speed is).

Cheers
Steffen.

Steffen wrote:I'm surprised the D200 lets you use FP sync mode with a flash that doesn't support it

It probably cannot tell.

Nothing in the hotshoe to tell it, and you just set the body onto 1/500 ...

well theres a trap for new players
all is fine now the operator has some idea of whats hes doing

thank you all... disaster has been averted once again!