I need lighting help please. :) - DPChallenge Forums

Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM for Nikon

12/29/2006 07:00:05 PM · #1

After seeing IreneM's blue ribbon shot for the brown challenge, I was inspired to try some water drop shots of my own. problem is when using the strobes the 1/200 of a second time is too slow mostly. the splashes I got were blurred. so I tried to just use the lights but even with 4 AB800's at full power with in inches of the water and one light tent light it still only got to 1/200 at a 2.8ap in AV mode. Am I doing something wrong? any suggestions?

p.s. I did just realize I never changed the ISO. it was at 160 the whole time. but with all that light I still should have gotten a faster shutter speed I think.

Crystal

jdannels

Nikon D300s

12/29/2006 07:04:20 PM · #2

did you try maybe shooting in the dark without ambient light to pick up the blur?
I know the D50 can sync up to 1/500 which helps out alot. I don't know what your sync speed is with the 5D, but it seems like it is 1/200 and then you can't set a higher shutterspeed. Maybe try a rear curtain sync instead so it freezes the motion right before the shutter closes instead of at the beginning.

Message edited by author 2006-12-29 19:07:41.

dwterry

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

12/29/2006 07:04:23 PM · #3

The 5D is limited to a flash sync speed of 1/200th of a second. It doesn't matter how much you juice it.

If you have a Canon 550 or 580, put it in to high speed sync mode and then you can go beyond 1/200th. This works by having the flash stay on LONGER than 1/200th of a second. So you actually slow your flash down in order to get a faster shutter speed (which, in turn, uses up more batteries, but at least it's possible to exceed 1/200th that way).

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

12/29/2006 07:07:36 PM · #4

Originally posted by dwterry:

I dont have a canon 550 or 580. thanks. What i meant when i said i couldnt get beyond 1/200 in av was when I was trying to use the strobe light without having it plugged in to "fire" so to speak. does that make sense? i was just hoping the light they gave off without being used as strobes would be enough. but it wasnt which shocked me,. it seems like a ton of light.

quiet_observation

Canon EOS-7D

12/29/2006 07:08:14 PM · #5

IreneM used these settings:

Aperture: f16
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/500 s

12/29/2006 07:08:15 PM · #6

Originally posted by jdannels:

did you try maybe shooting in the dark without ambient light to pick up the blur?

nope. I didnt. great idea. I never even thought about that. thanks.

12/29/2006 07:08:54 PM · #7

Originally posted by quiet_observation:

IreneM used these settings:

Aperture: f16
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/500 s

yeah. I cant get a shutter speed that fast though. :(

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

12/29/2006 07:13:46 PM · #8

Originally posted by jaded_youth:

Originally posted by jdannels:
did you try maybe shooting in the dark without ambient light to pick up the blur?

nope. I didnt. great idea. I never even thought about that. thanks.

That's what I was gonna suggest...

Actually, flash guns ( the on-camera type) are better suited for freezing motion than studio strobes. The burst of studio strobes last longer than typical flash bursts.

You might try using the strobes at lower power, which will shorten their burst times a bit. (I think).

quiet_observation

Canon EOS-7D

12/29/2006 07:15:04 PM · #9

I must have misread your settings -you are using an aperature of f2.8?

Fisher Price Kid-Tough Digital

12/29/2006 07:16:24 PM · #10

Originally posted by quiet_observation:

I must have misread your settings -you are using an aperature of f2.8?

no. I only had it at that when i attempted to get a faster shutter speed with light but no strobes in av mode. that didnt help me though so I went back to shooting in manual with the strobes on at 1/200 sec. and an aperature of 32 actually.

I originally had the lights farther away and an aperature of 11 but then when i moved the lights close I was too lazy too move them back,. thus the 32 ap. these arent ribbon winnign shots. right now I was just getting a feel for timing and such.

Message edited by author 2006-12-29 19:18:40.

LalliSig

12/29/2006 07:19:42 PM · #11

Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

Originally posted by jaded_youth:

Originally posted by jdannels:
did you try maybe shooting in the dark without ambient light to pick up the blur?

nope. I didnt. great idea. I never even thought about that. thanks.

That's what I was gonna suggest...

Actually, flash guns ( the on-camera type) are better suited for freezing motion than studio strobes. The burst of studio strobes last longer than typical flash bursts.

You might try using the strobes at lower power, which will shorten their burst times a bit. (I think).

Nope, itÂ´s usually the other way around, strobes have the shortest burst when they are at full power. Like my bowens, they sync at about 1/300th when at full power. I always use flashes though like you say to freeze motion as they are infinately better suited to that cause of the shorter duration and itÂ´s the other way around with flashes, the less power you need from them, the more freeze you get, thatÂ´s why I usually use iso 400-800 in my freeze shotÂ´s instead of iso 100, to better freeze the motion.

LalliSig

Fisher Price Kid-Tough Digital

12/29/2006 07:20:29 PM · #12

In short, freezing stuff like that has nothing to do with how you set your camera but the lightsource is what you are doing wrong, the alienbees are no good for it.

12/29/2006 07:22:02 PM · #13

Originally posted by Larus:

In short, freezing stuff like that has nothing to do with how you set your camera but the lightsource is what you are doing wrong, the alienbees are no good for it.

Gotcha. :( guess I'll need to buy more stuff. I'm sure my husband won't mind....... lol. Maybe I'll give up on this idea for now.

asimchoudhri

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

Fisher Price Kid-Tough Digital

12/29/2006 07:24:29 PM · #14

if you shoot in the dark, then the shutter speed almost doesn't matter... the speed of your flash is your effective shutter speed. for instance, if your shutter is open for 1 second in the dark, but you have a 1/2000 sec flash, then that's the duration of the exposure and allows motion capture much faster than your flash-sync. this is similar to how harold edgerton got his famous shots of bullets going through apples and playing cards. for this to work, though, it has to be done in the dark.

LalliSig

12/29/2006 07:25:38 PM · #15

Well at least you can try setting them on max power and see what happens, not familiar with the alienbees but if they work similar like my bowens they at least freeze the moment best at max power. ThatÂ´s for example why I used max power for this shot, to minimize ghosting.

12/29/2006 07:27:52 PM · #16

Originally posted by jaded_youth:

Gotcha. :( guess I'll need to buy more stuff. I'm sure my husband won't mind....... lol. Maybe I'll give up on this idea for now.

If you have one flash that you can get off camera to use as a key light, you should be able to successfully use the ABs as fill light without getting blur.

But it would really work best if all light sources were flashes.

Message edited by author 2006-12-29 19:29:11.

12/29/2006 07:29:27 PM · #17

"the new 430EX can now be set into manual flash mode (full power~1/64)."

I found this aboout the flash I have that goes on my camera. does that mean the fastest it goes is 1/64? that seems crappy. maybe I do need some new supplies ;)

12/29/2006 07:31:35 PM · #18

Originally posted by jaded_youth:

"the new 430EX can now be set into manual flash mode (full power~1/64)."

No, no... that means it can be set in manual mode from full power (1/1) down to 1/64th of it's full power.

It should sync up to 1/200 sec.

12/29/2006 07:31:59 PM · #19

Originally posted by Larus:

I'm not sure I have enough space to go to max power. The studio is pretty small. I'll try though. Thanks.

12/29/2006 07:33:26 PM · #20

Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

Originally posted by jaded_youth:
"the new 430EX can now be set into manual flash mode (full power~1/64)."

No, no... that means it can be set in manual mode from full power (1/1) down to 1/64th of it's full power.

It should sync up to 1/200 sec.

Oh ok. I still have no idea what the hell that means. Your first sentence went WAY over my head. WAAAAYY. but I get the second sentence. lol

12/29/2006 07:36:12 PM · #21

Full power = 1/1
Half Power = 1/2
Quarter power = 1/4

and so on...

1/64 is low power on your flash.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

12/29/2006 07:37:47 PM · #22

Oh... That makes sense. sorry.

tcmartin

Canon EOS-40D

12/29/2006 07:38:10 PM · #23

Sorry, didn't read the whole thread so I hope this isn't redundant.

The master of water drop shots: Liquid Sculpture

An explanation of the process: process

Here you will find a link to ask the photographer questions: statement