[texandrews]

I'm having about 80% success, so the difference is not so great.

My typical set-up is with a V6 between the 645z and a Pentax AF160FC ring flash, with an external cactus flash or 540FGZ II on a V6, with with a soft-box. The pass through to the ring-flash is very temperamental (the seating issue) and there is also a delay in the system, subjectively about 100 ms but i have not timed it. But then, every so often the 160 fires but not the slave, although the recharge cycles is good.

Mind you, when it all works it is great

Well, I haven't done pass through yet---my interest in the Cactus was to be completely off camera. Interesting that you've seen the seating issue. Part of my problems may have been waiting long enough for recycles---as the Cactus flashes eat up batteries quicker than the 540, I forget to be cognizant that one of them may be taking longer to recycle. it's the only thing I have against them now---that and the fact that they don't show an accurate battery level when you first turn them on--only after a couple of flashes or so.

One other thing that helped me: since I was outdoors shooting trees in the dark, I had some distance to the subject issues and so was shooting at full power. As much as I like the ease of changing flash ratios with the V6, I've found with the Z that I could more quickly get what I needed by having the flashes dialed in lower, and then quickly changing the iso from 100-200-400 (the shots I'm doing are intentionally harsh and un-natural looking. Long story, but kind of a crime scene aesthetic). With my setup of 3 flashes, it might be I wouldn't see/recognize any timing issues. I have sometimes been surprised that parts of the scene i would have thought would be higher lit were not, but with as many variables as I've got in the field in the dark, it's hard to pin down a problem.

[algrove]

For me the PWIII setup works just fine with the Einstein heads. These are the same PW I used successfully on my Canon 5D3 prior to getting the 645Z.

[645user]

I took the time and made a few pictures to illustrate the story. The link to the images http://www.andruskannel.planet.ee/shutter_vignet Sorry for the boring images. Just studio white wall.
I had not been able to generate problem with Elinchrom and skyport. My most used combo. Worked properly today. Sometimes I see very little black stripes with that combo too. So i took my first radio trigger system-Microsync Digital that I bought many years ago and where I was exposed to this problem for the first time and there they were, those black stripes. I tried to different cameras and all suffered the problem. Flash head I used was Bowens Esprit because Microsync need adapter to connect with Elinchrom.
And I did the test where I connected Microsync Digital trigger to camera sync terminal using the provided cable and that did not solve the problem. So, I can't blame the bad touch in hot shoe.

So my conclusin is that if you see those black stripes ( that is shutter) and you use radio trigger, then radio trigger causes the problem. I'm a photographer, not a physicist so that's why I can't explain why so. And the only solution that I know of - bad solution- use synk cable or optically- flash in hotshoe or good solution, buy a very good radio system.

[jobaumjo]

Hi all,

Nice meeting you here. I may add a few lines to a video report I have seen recently.
It may not perfectly suit the post, just to let you guys know.

I have recently seen a youtube Comparison between Hasselblad H5D-50C, Phase One IQ250 and Pentax 645Z.
The author, Yankov Wong focuses on the usability of the cameras while using studio flashes. Due to the fact that PENTAX doesn't offer leaf shutter, flash sync times are limited times about 1/125. However he manages to achieve quite crispy Photos with the 645Z, with some indications of the slower shutter speed on areas with fast movements, such the kicking foot of a jumping football player.

Best, Jonas

You Tube

You Tube

(around 4:40)

[zoli642]

Pentax indeed offering LS options! I have the 135mm F4 LS lens (the other one is 75mm) and I am able to sync. up to 1/500. Yes, the lenses are manual focus and the special mechanism is a bit difficult to use, but they are great lenses. I have Elinchrom Quadra lights and Skyport transmitter. So far I have no any issues with synchronization (neither regular 1/125 nor LS 1/500 lenses).

[diesal]

Hi there, I am a recent 645z owner and just realized the banding at 1/125 when using strobes.
Also as an user of the cactus v6II I thought that this might be the problem, but when going back to my first images using elinchrom triggers I also got the banding at the bottom of the image.
By the way I am using profoto b1 and b2
Any way to fix that? Is it a general problem or something wrong with my camera body?
thanks

[paulster]

It appears the 1/125 sync speed is right on the edge for the 645Z. Using Cactus V6II triggers I get the problem on my Broncolor Mobil packs, but the Graft packs are fine, so I think it's accumulated latency across the trigger and the pack, and a camera that's borderline stable at x-sync. As soon as I drop below 1/125 the problem goes away on the Mobil packs.

[Pablo Villegas]

Hi everyone, i just recently joined this group so my apologies if this question has already been discussed in other posts but I could not manage to find it and it's pretty urgent...

I just bought my 645Z a couple of months ago and overall I am very satisfied with just about everything this camera has to offer.
I was of course well aware of the sync speed limitation of 1/125 but even at that sync speed I still have a lot of banding issues. A lot of my pictures still have this black strip indicating that the sync speed was to high. When I slowed down at 1/100 the problem seems to be gone.

Any ideas how to overcome this issue?

Thanks a lot!

Frederic

I have the same problem with the 645D, I’m forced to use 1/100.

But like they mentioned earlier, it must be the radio trigger. I haven tried a sync cable. I can live with 1/100 in studio.