Originally posted by enoeske When the pre-flash goes off matters. Imaging you are trying to snap a shot of a dancer jumping in the air. You fire a shot mid jump. But due to the pre-flash delay, the dancer is already on the ground and onto the next move when your flash finally goes off. You'd have to try and memorize the exact amount of delay and shoot before the move is performed.
Tanks, of course it matters... but above was stated the preflash delay was fixed but the final flash exposure still came 'late',
that's why I don't value the 'faster pre-flash' : what counts is the time it takes 'the whole system' to do what it needs doing
---------- Post added 06-30-15 at 05:33 AM ----------
Originally posted by stevebrot Or shoot with available light and call the blur "art".
BTW...the dancer and everyone else on stage will thank you for not using flash during the performance.
Steve
The K3 cought my attention by its high ISO capabilities, thus being able to avoid flash for (mostly well lit) stage performances
At parties where lighting is constantly changing and flickering I like subject-motion blur, frozen at the end by some extra flash in 2nd ctn
With the K3 I would try to play with ISO/flash ratio to find a ratio where flash output is minimised without losing the effect,
an extra bonus would be faster flash recycle times
btw, I won't be going with 'fast primes', at indoor parties I like to have zoom range and will stop it down anyway to get reasonable dof
---------- Post added 06-30-15 at 06:00 AM ----------
Originally posted by stevebrot It occurred to me that the comment above might be read as being flippant, but that was not the intent. As with most tasks, the intent (use case) determines best practice in terms of tools and techniques. From my perspective, on-camera flash automation (P-TTL, TTL, and auto-thyristor) has its best use for documentary photography where little is predictable and the photographer cannot completely control the staging of the subject. On the other side of the spectrum you have the strobist approach where the photographer has almost complete creative control over light and how it plays on the subject. In between is the realm of multi-flash automation using P-TTL, TTL, and auto-thryristor where the intent is to control as much of the light as possible, but the real-time settings are not predictable.
In both the first and third cases, automation in real time is preferable and allows for flash discharge as soon after the shutter-press as possible. Of the three types, only true TTL and auto-thyristor adjust flash duration in real time. P-TTL will always result in a lag between shutter press and the main flash. The duration of that lag may vary by subject, ambient light, and system vendor, but it will always be there. In this thread, we have discussed the latency of the Pentax P-TTL implementation on the K-3. Total latency (AF, shutter actuation, etc) may or may not be better/worse than other Pentax models or P-TTL systems from other manufacturers. For some subjects, a few milliseconds make little difference. For others, say the dancers referenced above, the lag may result in a total loss of the shot.
Oh...and there is always the option of available light. A question might be, why am I using flash? A good example might be stage lighting. In many cases the light striking your subject on stage is at least as bright as full daylight. So, put the camera in M-mode at ISO 1600, 1/2000s, and f/8 and shoot at will.
Steve
oops...
got to read this after replying to your your previous post ...
but we seem to think +- alike
I got pretty wel used to dealing with shutter lag (calling it that because what counts is when the pic is taken)
got a bit scared when I read all these 'delay reportings',
guess pre-visualisation will always be necessary for what I want to obtain
so all that matters is : is the delay consistent...
(my present m.o. for fast spinning salsa-girls is depressing shutter when I see theyr back...
that usually gets me a pic of their face with the hair whizzing around )