1/200 sec flash x-sync on 5D

I am about to purchased a DSLR camera and some high quality lenses. I am
seriously considering Canon EOS 5D because it offers most of the features I
need for studio/portraiture photography. However, the 1/200 sec x-sync (vs.
1/250 on 20D and 1D series cameras) concerns me. I have been told that this
means I will be limited to shutter speeds of 1/200 sec or slower when using
non-Canon strobes and professional studio power packs. Is this true? If so,
I would like to ask the professionals out there whether this is limiting in
studio photography (or in general) and if there is a solution. If you were
in my position, would you pick the new 1D Mark II N over 5D because of this
limitation? Thanks in advance.



Jay

"J Miro" wrote in message
...
I am about to purchased a DSLR camera and some high quality lenses. I am
seriously considering Canon EOS 5D because it offers most of the features I
need for studio/portraiture photography. However, the 1/200 sec x-sync (vs.
1/250 on 20D and 1D series cameras) concerns me. I have been told that this
means I will be limited to shutter speeds of 1/200 sec or slower when using
non-Canon strobes and professional studio power packs. Is this true? If so,
I would like to ask the professionals out there whether this is limiting in
studio photography (or in general) and if there is a solution. If you were
in my position, would you pick the new 1D Mark II N over 5D because of this
limitation? Thanks in advance.



Jay


Since I normally shoot at 1/125 sec in studio with strobes, I don't find it
limiting at all. And the difference between 1/250 and 1/200 would be pretty
negligeable, I'd think. (1/3 stop?) With Canon flashes, you can use high
speed synch, are you sure you can't on non Canon flashes, too?

--
Skip Middleton
http://www.shadowcatcherimagery.com

In article "J Miro" writes:
$ I have been told that this
$means I will be limited to shutter speeds of 1/200 sec or slower when using
$non-Canon strobes and professional studio power packs. Is this true?

Essentially, yes.

It may be possible to get good results with shutter speeds
*slightly* in excess of 1/200 with some strobes, as the maximum
X-sync speed is often quoted rather conservatively, but you ought
not to count on anything above 1/200 working.

Canon's EX flash units, along with a few third-party flashes,
can work with this body at any speed up to its top shutter speed of
1/8000, but to work at speeds above 1/200 they switch into a
special mode called high-speed sync or FP flash, and this greatly
reduces the power available. Generally, that cuts the range to
only a few meters.
--
Stephen M. Dunn
---------------- http://www.stevedunn.ca/ ----------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
Say hi to my cat -- http://www.stevedunn.ca/photos/toby/

I am about to purchased a DSLR camera and some high quality lenses. I am
seriously considering Canon EOS 5D because it offers most of the features I
need for studio/portraiture photography. However, the 1/200 sec x-sync (vs.
1/250 on 20D and 1D series cameras) concerns me. I have been told that this
means I will be limited to shutter speeds of 1/200 sec or slower when using
non-Canon strobes and professional studio power packs. Is this true? If so,
I would like to ask the professionals out there whether this is limiting in
studio photography (or in general) and if there is a solution. If you were
in my position, would you pick the new 1D Mark II N over 5D because of this
limitation? Thanks in advance.


I don't do a lot of studio work, but I doubt that this would be a very
serious limitation. There's not a lot of difference really between 1/200
and 1/250, only 1/4 of a stop. Actually I can't see a situation where it
would matter at all. Why would you ever need to do over 1/200 in a
studio environment? In a studio shutter speed becomes virtually
irrelevant. It's all about the aperture. Where it could make a very
slight difference is when you're using fill-flash outdoors with a
non-Canon strobe.

Honestly if I were in your situation this would not be a deciding factor.

"J Miro" wrote in message
...
I am about to purchased a DSLR camera and some high quality lenses. I am
seriously considering Canon EOS 5D because it offers most of the features I
need for studio/portraiture photography. However, the 1/200 sec x-sync (vs.
1/250 on 20D and 1D series cameras) concerns me. I have been told that this
means I will be limited to shutter speeds of 1/200 sec or slower when using
non-Canon strobes and professional studio power packs. Is this true? If so,
I would like to ask the professionals out there whether this is limiting in
studio photography (or in general) and if there is a solution. If you were
in my position, would you pick the new 1D Mark II N over 5D because of this
limitation? Thanks in advance.

Shouldn't matter too much in the studio- all other variables remaining
constant, a shot at 1/60 and 1/250 should look pretty much the same. The
actual flash duration is generally much smaller.

In general use, it is marginally more restricting to use 1/200 than 1/250.
It's also a bloody stupid sync speed for Canon to have chosen, in my
opinion.

Martin

I am about to purchased a DSLR camera and some high quality lenses. I am
seriously considering Canon EOS 5D because it offers most of the features I
need for studio/portraiture photography. However, the 1/200 sec x-sync (vs.
1/250 on 20D and 1D series cameras) concerns me.

Why are you concerned over a quarter of a stop? If you have anything that
1/200 won't do for you, 1/250 probably isn't going to cut it, either.

steve

"J Miro" wrote in message
...
I am about to purchased a DSLR camera and some high quality lenses. I am
seriously considering Canon EOS 5D because it offers most of the features I
need for studio/portraiture photography. However, the 1/200 sec x-sync (vs.
1/250 on 20D and 1D series cameras) concerns me. I have been told that this
means I will be limited to shutter speeds of 1/200 sec or slower when using
non-Canon strobes and professional studio power packs. Is this true? If so,
I would like to ask the professionals out there whether this is limiting in
studio photography (or in general) and if there is a solution. If you were
in my position, would you pick the new 1D Mark II N over 5D because of this
limitation? Thanks in advance.



Jay

This seems like a very strange sort of question to ask.

Someone is planning on spending a lot of bucks to get the equipment he needs
for studio work.

It sounds as if he is experienced in Studio work, yet is asking an extremely
basic question about sync speeds.

Anyone who has any experience of Flash will know that a high Shutter Speed
is entirely irrelevant, except for Fill In vs Ambient Light.

If it really concerns him, perhaps he should look at the D70 which has a
Sync Speed of 1-500th, but I suspect a Troll may have escaped from under its
bridge.

Roy G

J Miro wrote:
I am about to purchased a DSLR camera and some high quality lenses. I am
seriously considering Canon EOS 5D because it offers most of the features I
need for studio/portraiture photography. However, the 1/200 sec x-sync (vs.
1/250 on 20D and 1D series cameras) concerns me.

The only time you need to sync at a high speed is when you
are using fill flash (aka synchro-sunlight). Even in that
case 1/200 of a second isn't a serious limitation if
you are shooting at ISO 100 or less. If you need to
use a wide aperture, you can use an ND filter over
the lens.

Both of my film SLRs have sync speeds of less than
1/60th. This never causes a problem when the flash
is the major source of light in the picture.

Peter.
--

"Roy" wrote in message
...
"J Miro" wrote in message
...
I am about to purchased a DSLR camera and some high quality lenses. I am
seriously considering Canon EOS 5D because it offers most of the features
I need for studio/portraiture photography. However, the 1/200 sec x-sync
(vs. 1/250 on 20D and 1D series cameras) concerns me. I have been told
that this means I will be limited to shutter speeds of 1/200 sec or slower
when using non-Canon strobes and professional studio power packs. Is this
true? If so, I would like to ask the professionals out there whether this
is limiting in studio photography (or in general) and if there is a
solution. If you were in my position, would you pick the new 1D Mark II N
over 5D because of this limitation? Thanks in advance.



Jay

This seems like a very strange sort of question to ask.

Someone is planning on spending a lot of bucks to get the equipment he
needs for studio work.

It sounds as if he is experienced in Studio work, yet is asking an
extremely basic question about sync speeds.

Anyone who has any experience of Flash will know that a high Shutter Speed
is entirely irrelevant, except for Fill In vs Ambient Light.

If it really concerns him, perhaps he should look at the D70 which has a
Sync Speed of 1-500th, but I suspect a Troll may have escaped from under
its bridge.

Roy G


Roy,

It would have been a strange question if I were experienced or considered
myself experienced and yet asked these questions, but I am not. I am a
beginner who is teaching himself studio photography. I would rather ask
"very strange" questions before spending thousands of dollars on equipment.
And as for the D70 suggestion, yes it does have 1/500 sec flash sync, but
its image quality is not comparable to 5D's. In any case, from other
readers' responses, it seems 1/200 flash sync should work fine.

Jay

Thanks everyone for answering my questions. Now I can make my purchase
decision with confidence.

Jay.

"J Miro" wrote in message
...
I am about to purchased a DSLR camera and some high quality lenses. I am
seriously considering Canon EOS 5D because it offers most of the features I
need for studio/portraiture photography. However, the 1/200 sec x-sync (vs.
1/250 on 20D and 1D series cameras) concerns me. I have been told that this
means I will be limited to shutter speeds of 1/200 sec or slower when using
non-Canon strobes and professional studio power packs. Is this true? If so,
I would like to ask the professionals out there whether this is limiting in
studio photography (or in general) and if there is a solution. If you were
in my position, would you pick the new 1D Mark II N over 5D because of this
limitation? Thanks in advance.



Jay