Why can’t I enable second-curtain sync on my Canon 5D Mark IV with a 600EX II-RT?
Asked 7/21/2019
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I’m trying to use second-curtain sync on a Canon 5D Mark IV with a Canon 600EX II-RT, but the camera only shows first-curtain sync and high-speed sync. I’ve tried the flash in both Manual and E-TTL, set the camera to Manual exposure, tested slow shutter speeds like 1/50s, and even tried Bulb mode. I also checked the hot-shoe contacts. What conditions are required for second-curtain sync to appear and work on this setup?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
5
With most Canon EOS cameras, second curtain sync is only available with shutter times longer than 1/30 second. However, the camera will usually allow one to set second curtain sync with a compatible flash, it just won't be used if the exposure time is shorter than the threshold.
Any manual control of flash sync is only allowed in P/Tv/Av/M exposure modes. If you are using the camera's Fully Automatic Shooting (Scene Intelligent) exposure mode the camera will insist on making those decisions for you.
Second curtain sync is excluded in Bulb exposure mode since the camera can't "anticipate" the beginning of the second curtain closing before the shutter button is released. The camera needs enough time to trigger the flash to allow for the flash duration before the second curtain begins to close. But in B mode, the second curtain begins to close the instant the signal from the shutter button (or button on the wired remote, or signal from the radio remote) is received. If the flash doesn't fire until the second curtain begins to close, the exposure will be uneven across the frame as the shutter curtain moves across the sensor (or film) while the flash releases its energy over time.
If you are in one of the P/Tv/Av/M exposure modes and you still can't select second curtain sync, the issue is probably with the current settings on the 600EX II-RT. In general, if a "non default" setting is selected using the flash's own menu, Canon EOS cameras will not override that setting. In order to control the flash settings from the camera's menu, the corresponding setting on the flash itself should be set to the default value. For example, exposure compensation should be set to "0", manual power should be set to 1/1 (full power), zoom head should be set to "Auto", etc. In the case of flash sync, the default setting in the flash's menu is "First curtain." If "second curtain" is already selected on the flash, the camera will not allow you to override that using the camera's menu.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Second-curtain sync on Canon can be limited by mode and setup.
What to check:
- Use a creative mode: P, Tv, Av, or M. It won’t be user-selectable in full auto/scene modes.
- Use a shutter speed slower than about 1/30s. At faster speeds, second-curtain sync may be unavailable or not actually used.
- Don’t use Bulb mode. Second-curtain sync is excluded there.
- If possible, mount the 600EX II-RT directly on the camera hot shoe. A compatible on-camera Canon flash should support it.
Important limitation:
- If you’re trying to use the flash off-camera via Canon RT radio, wireless second-curtain sync was historically not supported on this system except in very limited later combinations, and not generally for a 5D Mark IV setup.
So on a 5D Mark IV, the most likely reasons are: shutter speed not slow enough, unsupported exposure mode, Bulb mode, or trying to use RT wireless off-camera. For best results, put the flash on-camera, switch to M/Av/Tv/P, and use a shutter speed longer than 1/30s.
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