Why a minimum shutter speed when you are using flash?

3 years 10 months ago #684498 by Fran Welch
I saw another flash question here and that reminded me, if a flash power determines how much of what you are shooting is frozen, why does shutter speed matter?  Why is there a minimum shutter speed needed if there is enough light?


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3 years 10 months ago - 3 years 10 months ago #684502 by Shadowfixer1
There is a maximum shutter speed which is the flash sync speed. A faster shutter than the flash sync speed will cause a portion of the image to be black. There is no minimum shutter speed. Using a speed slower than the sync speed is necessary to balance the flash exposure with the existing ambient light. If the subject is moving and you use too slow of a shutter speed your image will have a sharp subject from the flash but it will have a lighter ghost of the subject from the available ambient light. Front curtain sync and rear curtain sync will change where the ghosting shows up. Front curtain will have the ghost in front of the sharp subject and rear curtain will have the ghosting effect showing up behind the moving subject. Hope this helps. If not, feel free to ask more questions.
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3 years 10 months ago #684509 by garyrhook
What he said.

I'll add here:

The shutter is a "curtain": there are top and bottom parts, and a gap between. The shutter slides up (?) at a given rate to provide your exposure. With flash, it has to move slow enough to allow the entire sensor to be illuminated when the flash fires, because the flash is pretty short. Only a brief instant matters. But if the curtain is moving too fast, either the top or bottom can occlude the sensor, and cut off the light from the flash.

You're using flash, so assuming good technique, 1/200s is adequate for any/everyone.


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3 years 10 months ago #684538 by 7Wishes

garyrhook wrote:
You're using flash, so assuming good technique, 1/200s is adequate for any/everyone.


Assuming the sync speed is not slower than 1/200s


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3 years 10 months ago #684539 by Nikon Shooter
Years back, a series of shots were produce to promote folkloric
dancing. This was not in the final selection as it was part of the
setting up test shots where all were not in costume.

Rear curtain, 1/4s, ƒ 10, 3 gelled flash heads.


Light is free… capturing it is not!
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