Why is my off-camera flash firing late on a Canon A-1 with Godox CT-16 triggers?
Asked 8/18/2023
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2 answers
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I’m using a Canon A-1 film camera with a Godox CT-16 radio trigger to fire a Nissin i40 flash off-camera in manual mode. The same trigger/flash setup works correctly on my digital camera, but on the A-1 my photos are completely black.
I set the shutter to 1/60s, which I believed was the A-1’s sync speed. Watching in slow motion, it appears the flash fires after the shutter has already opened and closed. The shutter and flash both fire, but not in sync.
What could cause this delay on the A-1, and is there a way to make this setup work reliably?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
2y ago
2 Answers
1
The fastest sync speed for the A1 is 1/60 with a Canon TTL flash (199A); but you may need to use a slower sync speed, especially with the flash off camera (communication delay).
Note that radio triggers can have dead/weak zones depending on the antenna orientation and distance to the receiver... I have no idea about the CT-16's; I didn't even know Godox made them.
Originally by user70370. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user70370
2y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The most likely issue is trigger delay. On the Canon A-1, 1/60s is the maximum X-sync speed, but that assumes a compatible on-camera flash system. With off-camera radio triggers, there can be enough communication delay that the flash fires too late at 1/60s.
Try using a slower shutter speed than 1/60s and test from there. That gives more margin for the trigger/receiver delay.
Also check for radio-trigger reliability issues: some triggers can have weak/dead zones depending on antenna orientation, receiver position, and distance. A marginal radio link can make timing inconsistent.
So in short:
- 1/60s may be too fast for this trigger/camera combination
- Use a slower shutter speed
- Check trigger orientation, distance, and signal reliability
Since the setup works on your digital camera, the flash itself is probably not the problem.
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