[Scootatheschool1990]

Is there any Pentax camera that can go faster than 1/180th? I'm new to photography (3 years) and Pentax ( 6 months).


How is it that I captured this photo at 1/800th of a second with pop-up flash and on my DMC-Fz30 (plus two strobes) but can only go to 1/180th on my K5?
Here is a link to the photo. Skate session with Alex Murry | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Does the DmcFz30 have a faster sync speed?
I hope not, because I want to capture more action shots like this with my K5's resolution.

[twitch]

Lots of small cameras have fast sync speeds, they have different shutters and smaller distances to travel.

You can shoot in HSS up to 1/8000 on a K-5 with an external flash.

[JohnX]

IMO you'd capture that boarder ok at 1/180th. Have you tried?

[amoringello]

Most action is captured by the speed of the flash, not the shutter. (look at water droplets, bullets through an apple, etc... almost always with long or constant open shutter)

Faster shutter speed will be useful to further cut the ambient light and reduce the need for ultra-powerful strobes to overpower the sun (ambient light).
If you're doing night or dusk shots, your shutter speed has little or no bearing on the images you're making.

But I would suspect the DMC-Fz30 has an electronic shutter and can sync with its internal flash at a much higher rate. It is difficult to make the mirror and mechanical shutter close that fast... High Speed Sync will help with the DSLR use flash at higher effective sync speeds, and you can read up on how that works, but it cuts the useful light output tremendously.

[maxfield_photo]

Yes. The PZ-1 and PZ-1p, The Q with it's non toy lenses, and several of the 67 lenses with leaf shutters. Oh, and apparently the new K to Q adapter has a 1/1000th leaf shutter, so basically all K mount lenses can have a 1/1000th sync speed, but... you have to own a Q, and you have to put up with a 5.5x crop factor.

[Marc Sabatella]

Most action is captured by the speed of the flash, not the shutter. (look at water droplets, bullets through an apple, etc... almost always with long or constant open shutter)

Yes. The shutter might be open for longer at 1/180" than at 1/800", but the flash still only lasts an even shorter time, so it will stop the motion of the skateboarder exactly as well. And If you try it, you'll probably find the picture comes out *better* at 1/180" than at 1/800", because the ambient light will render the background more pleasingly.

[maxfield_photo]

I was just thinking how much I like the absence of ambient light in the photo, but then that's why I want a super fast sync speed. Maybe put some specials on the background to accent a few things here and there and an edge light or two on your skateboarder. You could even set your white balance to Tungsten and put a Full CTO on your key and edge lights for a really wild effect.

[elliott]

The only DSLR I know of with truly fast sync speed is the Nikon D70, which has a hybrid shutter, something I don't believe is possible on newer CMOS cameras.

[Adam]

Is there any Pentax camera that can go faster than 1/180th? I'm new to photography (3 years) and Pentax ( 6 months).

645's with LS lenses can do 1/500s, and the Q can do 1/2000s - but K-mount DSLRs are currently limited to 1/180s with the built-in flash. Of course you can do HSS with an external flash, though.

[Ponosby Britt]

Is there any Pentax camera that can go faster than 1/180th? I'm new to photography (3 years) and Pentax ( 6 months).


How is it that I captured this photo at 1/800th of a second with pop-up flash and on my DMC-Fz30 (plus two strobes) but can only go to 1/180th on my K5?
Here is a link to the photo. Skate session with Alex Murry | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Does the DmcFz30 have a faster sync speed?
I hope not, because I want to capture more action shots like this with my K5's resolution.

P&S cameras have electronic shutters but your $45 Chinese knock-off Canon flashes are what made the picture. The flash duration is a lot faster than your shutter. Strobes stop bullets in flight, not shutter speeds. Since you are new to photography, I recommend using a library card. Investing in learning will make better photographs than spending on equipment.

[Scootatheschool1990]

Awesome! Thanks guys! So it's the flash that freezes action (almost instantaneous). Thank you everyone!

[maxfield_photo]

Awesome! Thanks guys! So it's the flash that freezes action (almost instantaneous). Thank you everyone!

Yep, but it's the ultra fast "shutter" speed that gives you the surreal underexposed background. In my opinion that's as integral to this particular photo as the stopped motion. I suppose most folks just want their sunny days to be sunny, there's no accounting for taste I guess.

[elliott]

Yep, but it's the ultra fast "shutter" speed that gives you the surreal underexposed background. In my opinion that's as integral to this particular photo as the stopped motion. I suppose most folks just want their sunny days to be sunny, there's no accounting for taste I guess.

You could still do it with 1/180, you just need a lot more flash power to overpower the sun.

[maxfield_photo]

You could still do it with 1/180, you just need a lot more flash power to overpower the sun.

Bingo. You would also need an ND filter or two, and that's why I argue for a faster sync speed, because there is no downside to it.

[Digitalis]

the bottom line is that with current APS-C pentax cameras and lenses 1/180th is as fast as it is going to get without using HSS - unless you use an exotic leaf shutter lens.