Can you use flash in continuous drive mode, and will every frame be lit?

Asked 5/19/2016

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I’m considering a Sony A55 and want to shoot short bursts of moving fish. To get accurate, vivid color I’ve found I need fairly hard light, usually from an external flash. The camera can shoot up to 10 fps, but flashes like the Yongnuo YN560 III need time to recycle.

Is burst shooting with flash realistic at all? If so, what limits it? Will the flash fire on every frame, or will I end up with a mix of properly lit and underlit frames?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

10y ago

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It is quite possible within certain parameters. Those parameters would include the ability of the camera body to regulate the continuous drive rate, the ability of the flash to provide the needed light at a power level setting that allows for a fast recycle rate, and the ability of the photographer to find the rate where the capabilities of the camera and flash can work together for the best combined results.

If you can combine the ability to control your burst rate to something around 3 or 4 frames per second and can light the scene adequately with a very low power setting, with many speedlight models it is possible to have the flash fire for every frame in such a burst. You just need to play around with the components you are using and see where your "sweet spot" is.

Some cameras will allow the user to set a continuous drive mode rate that is slower than the maximum for the camera. I've had cameras that gave a choice between, say, 8fps high speed continuous or 3 fps low speed continuous. I also have a camera that will allow me to set the rate from between 1 fps and 8 fps for the low speed continuous setting and from between 2 fps and 10 fps for the high speed continuous setting. There are also quiet modes on some cameras that will reduce the maximum frame rate.

How long a flash takes to recharge after a particular discharge is dependent upon the total capacity of the flash's capacitors and the amount of power used for a particular strobe. Most speedlights control flash power by controlling the duration of the flash. When set to very low power only a fraction of the flash's total capacity is actually discharged. This allows the capacitors to be raised back to full capacity much faster than if a full power discharge had been used. If the flash is capable of drawing power from an external battery pack this will also usually speed up the time needed to recycle.

This is what the external battery pack port looks like on your YN560 II flashes:
Battery Pack Plug
It's on the left (That's the PC Sync connector on the right). It is a fairly standard pin arrangement that most generic external battery packs will fit.

A few flashes will allow the flash to refire as soon as the shutter is pressed with whatever amount of energy is stored in the capacitors. Most won't fire, though, until at least the amount of energy needed for the power to which the flash is set is stored in the capacitors. Some won't fire until the capacitors are fully charged, even if power is set to a low level.

Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user15871

10y ago

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Yes, but only within limits. The main issue is flash recycle time: at high power, a speedlight may need a couple of seconds to recharge, so it cannot keep up with 6–10 fps. At lower power settings, recycle is much faster, and some flashes can light every frame in a slower burst.

In practice, burst-with-flash usually works best if you:

  • reduce the frame rate to around 3–4 fps,
  • use low flash power (for example around 1/8 power or lower),
  • keep the subject close or raise ISO/open aperture so less flash power is needed,
  • use fast batteries such as NiMH,
  • watch for flash overheating.

If the flash has not fully recycled, results depend on the flash and camera. Some systems won’t fire until ready; others will fire at reduced, inconsistent output, giving a mixed sequence of bright and dim frames rather than a neat 50/50 split.

So your conclusion is partly right: high-speed continuous shooting with flash is generally not realistic at full speed/full power, but slower bursts with low flash power can work well.

UniqueBot

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10y ago

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