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bowens gemini espirit 500 with K10d flash sync

Posted 10/08/2007 - 13:23 Link
Hi All,

any ideas why I get part of the shutter curtain on the bottom of my pic, when I sync upto the k10d and use 180th or x setting. Is this setting only for use with the dedicated flash not a studio flash?

As always thatnks for your expertise

Bluewhistle
Proud owner of: Pentax Me Super, Pentax MZ5n, Pentax ist D*, Pentax K10D, Pentax 540 FGZ Flash
McBrian
Posted 11/08/2007 - 07:20 Link
Bluewhistle wrote:
Hi All,

any ideas why I get part of the shutter curtain on the bottom of my pic, when I sync upto the k10d and use 180th or x setting. Is this setting only for use with the dedicated flash not a studio flash?

As always thatnks for your expertise

Bluewhistle

How are you triggering the Bowens? if your using the pop-up flash to do the triggering it won't work because the pre-flash will set of the strobes.

Since I broke my AF360FGZ (I was using this on M mode and 1/32 power to trigger my strobes) I've been using a radio trigger, I can only get it to sync upto 1/160, no problem at 1/180 if I use a sync cable attached to the hot shoe with a cheapo shoe adaptor.

EDIT: forgot this bit, any manual flash head (I have a Sunpak 88 attached to the hot shoe will also sync upto 1/180, a tilt or tilt/swivel head gun like the AF400FTZ would do.
Cheers
Brian.
LBA is good for you, a Lens a day helps you work, rest and play.
Posted 14/08/2007 - 13:01 Link
Hi

I'm triggering using one of those cheap chinee radio thingies. I have only just recieved the sync cable.

hmmm... funny one I will try shooting at 1/60 but the 1/80 feature will just be good for certain things!

ta
Proud owner of: Pentax Me Super, Pentax MZ5n, Pentax ist D*, Pentax K10D, Pentax 540 FGZ Flash
K5Bob
Posted 25/01/2012 - 11:16 Link
She's alive!! Resurrecting a 2007 thread.

Similar issue for me:

My friend has Bowens Gemini 400 with a wireless trigger.

With my Pentax K5 I cant get faster than 1/180 and as much as I like the results I seem to be really limited as to what settings I can chose - often with complete white out results.

With her Canon 500D she gets part of the shutter (as described above) ie a darkening at the bottom of the picture (or right hand side when in portrait).

Any comments?
gartmore
Posted 26/01/2012 - 09:05 Link
I have Bowens heads and one of those 'one of those cheap chinee radio thingies' and yes there is very occasionally a slight delay in firing the shutter resulting in that black band. The solution is either to shoot at 125 or buy a pair of Bowens Pulsar triggers; shooting at 125 is much cheaper. I'm slightly confused by why you are using two devices to trigger the Bowens head? Your Sunpak should be triggering the Bowens via its built in sensor and you should have no need then for the radio trigger. Not sure if I'm reading your comment correctly though.

@ K5Bob, you cannot use a shutter speed faster than 180th. This is the shortest speed where both shutter curtains are fully open simultaneously. On previous cameras the speed has been 125th and 60th. With the Canon, either she too is setting the wrong shutter speed or the trigger is firing the head a fraction too late.
Ken
“We must avoid however, snapping away, shooting quickly and without thought, overloading ourselves with unnecessary images that clutter our memory and diminish the clarity of the whole.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson -
Edited by gartmore: 26/01/2012 - 09:05
Haworth
Posted 26/01/2012 - 09:57 Link
Hi, I'm familiar with this problem,( as discussed here:link)

The only solution I found was to shoot at around 1/40th of sec. or so. So long as the ambient lighting is low enough it doesnt seem to make a difference - just shoot a frame first at the chosen shutter speed without the flash switched on to see what effect (if any) the ambient light is having. If you get a black frame then it should be ok.

H
'The RAW is the score and the print is the performance' - Apologies to Ansel Adams

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K5Bob
Posted 31/01/2012 - 15:46 Link
Thanks guys.

gartmore:
Canon user and I were both using her 'canon' wireless trigger in the hotshoe to fire Bowens #1 on the receiver. The second was set to slave and fired when it detected the light from the other.

Sunpak? Im assuming you are meaning I should use an external flash unit to trigger the others. Another thread mentioned this but involved pointing the flash upwards or to the side so it didnt interfere with your shot. Correct?
Edited by K5Bob: 31/01/2012 - 15:47
MattMatic
Posted 31/01/2012 - 16:13 Link
Just adding a little here...

Your shutter speed has to be 1/180 or under. Flash does not work above that speed (unless you use a dedicate AF360/AF540 flash that works by firing high frequency bursts of light to 'pepper' the frame with light as the shutter slit moves down... but that's another story). For all studio lights you are fixed at 1/180s maximum speed - no workarounds

You control the exposure of the flash by:
(a) adjusting the output control of the studio light bloc,
(b) changing the distance of the flash-to-subject,
(c) changing the aperture on the camera,
(d) lowering the flash output with a modifier (diffuser etc)
(e) reducing the light coming into the lens with an ND filter

Remember that the shutter speed has NO effect on the exposure of the flash! (You might not believe me on this - but it's true )
The shutter speed only changes the amount of ambient light that comes in - and adjusting shutter speed allows you to balance the light.

So, you can work by: (1) setting a high shutter speed and getting just the flash exposure correct by methods a-e, and then (2) lowering the shutter speed to bring in more ambient light and balance the shot.

HTH
Matt
http://www.mattmatic.co.uk
(For gallery, tips and links)
Edited by MattMatic: 31/01/2012 - 16:15
gartmore
Posted 31/01/2012 - 22:56 Link
K5Bob wrote:
Thanks guys.

gartmore:
Canon user and I were both using her 'canon' wireless trigger in the hotshoe to fire Bowens #1 on the receiver. The second was set to slave and fired when it detected the light from the other.

Sunpak? Im assuming you are meaning I should use an external flash unit to trigger the others. Another thread mentioned this but involved pointing the flash upwards or to the side so it didnt interfere with your shot. Correct?

Sorry, forget that SUNPAK comment, I'd confused your post with another

However, you can use a flash set on mimimum power pointing upwards to trigger the Bowens units but I do think the same way as Matt about the shutter speed being the problem.

Camera set to X or 1/180 or slower and aperture set to manual is the only way you can work.
Ken
“We must avoid however, snapping away, shooting quickly and without thought, overloading ourselves with unnecessary images that clutter our memory and diminish the clarity of the whole.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson -
K5Bob
Posted 06/02/2012 - 13:26 Link
Hi All,

Picked up some 750W Bowens at the weekend. Set at '1' Im still getting a white out so was loath to use even the external SEF54PZF fired up adding more light.
The seller threw in this interfit IR trigger: http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/6995/Show.html

Problem solved. Stick my camera on manual and shoot at any setting I want.
MattMatic
Posted 06/02/2012 - 14:59 Link
Quote:
Stick my camera on manual

Essential to do this whichever mechanism you use to trigger studio flash

You shouldn't be trying to use any auto modes for studio flash (because the camera will meter for ambient!) unless you are using continuous lighting... and even then...

Matt
http://www.mattmatic.co.uk
(For gallery, tips and links)

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