Shutter chopping my flash....i think

gus · June 4, 2005

:scratch Is this what greaper mentioned the other day ?

I appear to loose a lot of my onboard flash with this chop ...it looks like the lens is blocking it. You cant see the bottom of the 7 pound box below.

Whats the cure ?

Date Taken:2005-06-03 15:40:11Date Modified:2005-06-04 15:52:15Make:CanonModel: Canon EOS 20D Size: 3504x2336 Bytes: 537560 Aperture: f/11.0 ISO: 200 Focal Length: 19mm Exposure Time: 0.004s (1/250)Flash:Flash fired, compulsory flash mode, red-eye reduction modeExposure Program:Aperture priority

Shay Stephens · June 4, 2005

Yes, it does look like the flash is being blocked by the lens. The cure is to use a flash that sits higher on the camera. If you are using the on-board flash,then any hotshoe flash will probably do the job. You just need some height clearance.

The other type s when you use a shutter speed that is to fast to sync with the flash. In that case, the shutter is still in mid travel when the flash goes off. The shutter curtain then blocks a portion of the flash from reaching the sensor, and you wind up with a horizontal band (never curved) of darkness across the image.

Humungus wrote:

Is this what greaper mentioned the other day ?

I appear to loose a lot of my onboard flash with this chop ...it looks like the lens is blocking it. You cant see the bottom of the 7 pound box below.

Whats the cure ?

Date Taken:2005-06-03 15:40:11Date Modified:2005-06-04 15:52:15Make:CanonModel: Canon EOS 20D Size: 3504x2336 Bytes: 537560 Aperture: f/11.0 ISO: 200 Focal Length: 19mm Exposure Time: 0.004s (1/250)Flash:Flash fired, compulsory flash mode, red-eye reduction modeExposure Program:Aperture priority

gus · June 4, 2005

Thanks shay...i have just spent the past 30 mins loolking for my old AE-1 flash (its a 177 from memory)

Cant find it to experiment with...guswife is the keeper of all precious things so i will have to wait til she comes home tomorrow to go look for it.

Gus

Mongrel · June 4, 2005

Gus-be careful with those old speedlights...
they aren't really rated for use on the newer EOS cameras. Some hocus-pocus involving voltage and other dark and mysterious forces

Seriously, some of the older units can cause damage to the hot shoe circuitry if the trigger voltage is over a certain voltage. I'll try to google up the link for it....

hang on a minute...

Mongrel · June 4, 2005

Ok I'm back...
What? You're offline? Sheesshh, I hope you're not burning up that 20D...

Anyway, I found this link:

http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/index2.html#trigger

and this link (actually, this is a pretty comprehensive one on older flash compatibility with newer EOS cams):

http://www.botzilla.com/photo/strobeVolts.html

It discusses what I referred to above, and a whole lot of other Canon flash info that may be of help.

Regarding the pic posted above-

Did you have the lens hood on? I know that may sound like a dumb question, but I had to ask it. Also, when a subject is that close to the lens you are more liable to get that kind of effect.

As Shay already said, you need to get the flash up higher, which in the case of the 20D means at least a hot shoe mounted flash.

If the 177 does'nt work out, there are many alternatives that work fine with the 20D.

Mongrel

gus · June 4, 2005

your cool...i havnt found it yet..thanks heaps for stopping me though. I dont really want a flash that size but will eventually have to pony up for one.

No lens hood..its my 10-22mm.

I will have a good read of the sites though.
Hey thanks again mate

dragon300zx · June 4, 2005

Gus. Try the shot at a shutter speed of 1/125. That might solve your problem.

gus · June 5, 2005

Tks drags...will give it a go.

In the middle of moving house atm...need a big bowl of kava :uhoh

Gus

ginger_55 · June 5, 2005

I have a Sunpak that I bought for my Rebel. Turns out that it does not work with the 20D.

It was not made for digital cameras, only works in manual or auto. I called the company. NONE of their flashes were made for digitals. They expect to come out with one.

Before I dug the Sunpak out again, I was using the on camera flash. After using the Sunpak quite unsuccessfully for a few weeks, I decided to do a baptism the easy way: on camera.

Damn thing wouldn't pop up. I sweated bullets on that. Finally got the monopod, put it on daylight and men held all the doors open. The photo takes place just inside the doors.

But I couldn't get the on camera thing to pop up, so I had no flash for a few weeks. I finally called Canon, it worked kind of like taking the baby to the doctor. I got Canon on the phone and the darn thing popped up. They had all sorts of reasons why it was not a supernatural happening, but I think the Sunpak had hurt the oncamera, in some way. There are warnings that it can.

I am not using it anymore, I did hear from Sunpak, it is not for digital. Did not see that on their website. Worked fine with my Rebel. If I get brave, I will try it in the auto mode, but I have no real incentive to do that right now.
no money to put out for a new flash either. It was not a priority. And I really like buying lenses. A flash: only if I start making money using it. For me, I would buy a really wide like your 10-22 first.

ginger

Shay Stephens · June 5, 2005

What Sunpak flash? I have the 383 and the 555 and use both with the 20D, 10D, D30, Sony 828, and the Sony 717. All digital cameras.

Now if you mean it won't do TTL, then that I can understand. I shoot manually with the flashes, setting my own power and exposure settings. But, the 383 and the 555 both have an auto setting. I could set the flash to auto f/4 for example, and the flash will determine how much power to deliver. As long as my camera is also set to f/4 (Av or manual mode) then the exposure should work out most of the time (hey it is auto after all hehehe)

However, with the Sunpak 555, you can get a Canon module and cord that will allow TTL:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=52865&is=REG - module
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=52885&is=REG - cord

ginger_55 wrote:

I have a Sunpak that I bought for my Rebel. Turns out that it does not work with the 20D.

It was not made for digital cameras, only works in manual or auto. I called the company. NONE of their flashes were made for digitals. They expect to come out with one.

Shutter chopping my flash....i think

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