stan_meissner

Thanks for filling me in on HSS. I understand where the faster shutter speeds are used for "fill flash" and that is something that I can't do right now. I'd need a higher sync speed to be able to take these type of photos when the sun starts going down. I have managed to hit a few but mostly at the shorter tracks where the speeds (of the cars) aren't as high. In this type of photography we usually take a spot in the turns where the cars scrub off some speed and get a little sideways. On the bigger tracks we're talking 130-140 mph straightaway speeds and they don't scrub off much in the turn because the wings enable them to stay on the throttle. It's a very challenging form of photography and probably unlike anything most people have ever dealt with. The goals during daylight are to get the car sharp and blur the background and lettering on the tires which gives the feeling of motion. Once one does it for a while they figure out the best film speeds, aperature and shutter speeds to produce this effect in their photos.

 

Tracks have good lighting nowadays, much like a high school football field, so there is a lot of ambient light after dark. High shutter sync speeds in the 1/250th range coupled with the Normal flashes and external batteries so you can get a quick recycle are common. What you're saying makes sense and I want to thank you because I couldn't find an answer to my question on the usual spec rundowns for the 5600. The Maxxum 5 would not be a good choice for me.

 

If I were to step it up to a Maxxum 7 I might as well be looking at some of the slr type digitals. The ones such as the Maxxum Dimage 7hi have sync terminals and fast sync speeds that don't require HSS to be used on the flash. My photos are mostly used on my website and some are used in racing publications. Most of the racing papers I'm submitting my work to require 150dpi and the web doesn't require the highest resolution of the digitals. Money is an issue so I need to research every possible option because it's going to be a big purchase for me.

 

Thanks again, I think I got the info I need about HSS. It's not going to work because I need the distance too.

Here's a sample photo taken using ISO 400, 100mm fixed lense, hotshoe flash GN 113, shutter 1/60th second and a steady panning motion. The car was probably going close to 100 mph when I took this photo.<div></div>

I have been taking auto racing photos at dirt oval tracks for several

years and this past summer I bought a hotshoe flash with a GN 113 for

my trusty old Canon AL-1. I had been taking daylight photos for

several years and this season was my first attempt at night

photography. I got good results in spite of using a 20+ year old

manual focus camera that syncs at a feeble 1/60th. Photos were

probably 50% waste after dark but results were good enough that I was

encouraged to step up to the next level.

 

Anyone who has taken fast action photos at a distance with ambient

lighting knows the challenges. The ideal thing would be a pro camera

with a sync speed of 1/250th-1/500th and a Norman strobe but that

kind of gear isn't going to be within my budget anytime soon. I made

the mistake of borrowing a friend's Nikon F5 one night and his D1-H

on two other occasions. I'm hooked on the night action photos and

would like to upgrade my gear but pro cameras are way out of my price

range.

 

I read with interest about the Maxxum 5's high speed sync

capabilities coupled with the 5600 HS (D) flash. The flash boasts a

GN of something like 184 at ISO 100 and with an external battery

cluster might work for me. The thing that concerns me is that I keep

seeing statements about the Maxxum 5 in high speed sync that lead me

to believe the HSS function limits the distance that the flash will

cover. My needs would require a sync speed of 1/250th minimum and

coverage of at least an 85mm lense. Does anyone know if the HSS

function would limit the coverage distance of the 5600 to the point

where this wouldn't work. Reading the specs on the Maxxum 5 coupled

with the 5600 it looks like this might work out but I don't want to

spend (estimate) $750 for a new outfit only to find that the flash

won't cover adequately at 85mm.

 

Any experiences would be appreciated.

 

I realize that what I'm doing pushes the limits of a "consumer" type

camera but I did the seemingly impossible with the old Canon and am

looking for ways to get the sync speed I need on a buget.