[tabl10s]

What does HSS accomplish? I know flash with a slow SS is beneficial for fill.

[jase036]

What does HSS accomplish? I know flash with a slow SS is beneficial for fill.

It allows you to sync the flash at shutter speeds above the x-sync speed (on Pentax cameras the x-sync speed is 1/180s) this means that you can use fill flash in very sunny settings where 1/180s would mean very small apertures. So for example you could use your flash for fill at 1/1000s. Of course the flash is not able to output it's full power when set to HSS and it requires that the flash have dedication to the camera system you are using as well as using TTL metering (which means it can't be used with radio triggers).

[tabl10s]

What's the highest SS that can be used with HSS?

[jase036]

What's the highest SS that can be used with HSS?

I believe it will sync at the max speed your camera allows (I haven't really tried it). Don't expect to get much power out of the flash at those speeds though!

[tabl10s]

I wonder if the Minolta 9xi had HSS@it's rated speed of 1/9000?

[Timd]

The servo mode in Metz flashes is indeed just a dumb slave mode set to ignore preflash, you can test this out by grabbing any other flash, setting it to the lowest power and firing off 2 flashes in quick succesion, the metz in servo mode will fire along with the second flash (I tried this with a Vivitar HV285), which means it will sync with any other camera or flash system that uses pre-flash for metering, it works very well with the onboard set to regular flash (more proof that the Metz in servo mode does not use or require Pentax's wireless P-TTL specification).
I was able to get the onboard flash to sync with the Metz in servo mode using the onboard as controller which I thought was pretty cool, but since I normally use radio triggers with the flashes on manual control it seems pretty moot to want to use optical sync with manual flash control (seeing as how I get better range and reliabilty using radio).

Ok, had a weekend to play. The servo mode requires the pre-flash to trigger, although it can be any pre-flash. I used an ancient flash (film days one) to try to act as the trigger with no joy as the trigger flash had no pre-flash. However, a friend using his Canon 7D pop up triggered the Metz very well (he ended up using my Pentax-Metz behind an umbrella as well as his Canon flash wirelessly to great effect at my daughter's 21st).

Well I learnt something new about my flash - thanks.

[sharonboggi]

Boy, I actually started this thread. I think you need at least a bachelors' in Engineering to figure out that flash. I just wanted a flash to use indoors when I would otherwise have to crank up the ISO. And to use in bird photography. I have a K5 and have not really used the Metz yet cause I have not had time to go to the library and read the manual and my books on Exposure. I have so much reading to do, I think I should at least get a few credits toward my degree! I don't think my degree in music is very helpful. I wanted to sit that flash on the hot shoe, using P-TTL Auto Mode, use aperture priority which is my usual setting, set a low ISO and just let the camera and the flash figure it out. But in my experiments it did not work too well.

[tabl10s]

Selli to me to aleviate the stress.

[sharonboggi]

hahaha…….no
I am going to learn how to use the darn thing!
I wish there were a Pentax K5/Metz person close to my home and that we could go on a shoot together. I would bake them a pie!

[tabl10s]

I'll take a Banana Pudding w/Nilla Wafers...pie crust only...please.

[uptheriver]

HSS will sync right up to 1/8000 but the Guide Number is reduced so much you must be very close to your subject. The LCD display will tell you how close you need to be.
Also forget about using the flash off camera unless you have a sync cord. HSS will not work above 1/180 in wireless mode.
All in all still a wonderful bit of technology to confuse us. Whoever wrote the manual should be forced to read it.

[tabl10s]

Given the same distance, how does flash with a slow shutter speed differ from it's HSS counterpart?

[uptheriver]

At speeds lower than 1/180th the flash fires one burst at up to full power if necessary (FULL GUIDE NUMBER) while at speeds greater than 1/180th the flash fires several bursts at reduced power as the shutter curtain moves across the focal plane as a narrow slit. The width of the narrow slit varies according to the shutter speed and the guide number reduces accordingly as the shutter speed is increased. As the shutter speed is increased the slit gets narrower and more bursts at lower power are required to illuminate the image on the sensor.

[tabl10s]

I assume the resulting image would look about the same for both modes. Which would be better for macro work? Can you use two flashes in HSS?

[Timd]

HSS is mainly an advantage when shooting in high ambient light. In dark conditions, while the synch speed is 1/180th the flash duration can be 1/10000th second, thus shutter speed is irrelavant HSS is mainly for fill. That is also when you need most power too. Now if Pentax had a synch speed of 1/250th like Canikon we would need HSS less.