K10D Flash Modes

Whilst reading an early review of the K10D, I came across the following flash modes. I understand the first two, but what do the other three do?

• Flash On
• Flash On + Red-eye reduction
• Leading curtain sync (slow)
• Leading curtain sync + Red-eye
• Trailing curtain sync (slow)

Graham

These are all modes for the popup flash.

* Leading curtain (the default): Shutter opens, flash fires, shutter waits, shutter closes.

* Trailing curtain: Shutter opens, shutter waits, flash fires, shutter closes.

Doesn't sound like a lot of difference, but the net result is that when using trailing curtain with a slow shutter speed and a moving object it looks far more natural - the "trail" is effectively back in time.

HTH!
Matt

Thanks Matt
Would I be right, therefore, in saying that leading curtain, at a slow shutter speed, will leave a trail going "into the future"?

Would I also be right in saying that if the shutter speed is set at flash sync speed, whatever that may be for a particular camera, there will be no trail either forward or backward?

Graham

Graham,
Yes, you're right - leading flash will give a "future" trail. That's why it looks so "wrong" in moving subjects.

You can still get blur at the flash sync speed. Don't forget the flash duration is something like 1/10000s, so it depends just how fast the subject is moving as to whether the 1/180 or 1/150 makes a blur

Matt