The Time Machine - DPChallenge Forums

02/23/2006 02:40:37 AM · #1

I just purchased the Time Machine to use as a remote trigger. Here is my first attempt to capture a popping balloon. The flash was triggered with a microphone reacting to the balloon's pop

Has anyone else used this device?

crayon

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH1

02/23/2006 02:45:58 AM · #2

hmm, maybe a faster shutter speed + ISO would help?

EDIT: silly me, I thought it was controlled by camera settings. Now I realize it's not (hit head on the wall)

Message edited by author 2006-02-23 03:03:22.

02/23/2006 02:59:35 AM · #3

There is no control over the shutter speed. It is a dark room exposed only for the duration of the flash itself. The time of the event is incredibly fast. So fast that if you place the microphone 8 feet away instead of 4 feet so the flash if fired later by the time it takes sound to travel 4 feet the balloon is completely collapsed. Using a speed of sound of 1100 feet/sec that mean it takes about 4/1100 ~ 3 or 4 miliseconds to collapse the balloon. Since the flash duration is ~ 1/6 of a milisecond it seems to me that the balloon will collapse about 5% during the actual flash so there is significant movement. I am going to try to reduce the flash duration by using lower power to see if I can actually freeze the motion.

I am very much on a learning curve here and am not really asking people about the quality of the image but what experience they have trying to capture high speed events.

crayon

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH1

02/23/2006 03:05:38 AM · #4

I have always liked these sort of "high speed frozen" photos, since back in the days when I looked at photos of bullets going through an apple, or a bursting baloon from a needle prick...

Can the light go any faster? Maybe set it to the fastest, but I'm not sure if you camera is sensitive enough to pick it up. Again, maybe a higher ISO may help?

Cant wait to see more from you!

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical IF for Canon

02/23/2006 03:40:48 AM · #5

Ok here is another attempt. I cut the AB400 to 1/32 power which should cut the flash time significantly, boosted ISO to 400 and opened up the aperture from f/22 to f/11. Motion is definitely reduced and the image is sharper but significantly underexposed. Back to the drawing board :-)

SDW

Canon EOS-60D

02/23/2006 03:56:47 AM · #6

What is the temp in the room you are shooting in relation to speed of sound?
68deg = 343.59999999999996 m/s or 1127.2965879265091 ft/s (speed of sound)
72deg = 344.95555555555555 m/s or 1131.7439486730823 ft/s (speed of sound)