Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

Given the D1X sensor's "unlimited" flash sync, it seems I don't need to spend the extra dough for an Einstein and all the benefits of the IGBT circuitry (faster t.1 as power is decreased).

Whereas, sports shooters typically use bodies with 1/250 x-sync and stop action with the flash, and must worry about the flash-ambient balance, the D1X allows me to stop action with the shutter speed. As such, I don't need to be concerned that the t.1 is, for example, 1/600 for a B1600 at full power.

I typically have SS set to 1/1000.

Am I making any sense?

So, Bee or Einstein?

Thanks for reading.

For starters, the 1DX does not appear to have unlimited sync. Pg. 195 of the manual states the max x-sync speed is 1/250 (maybe as low as 1/125, though I would expect higher with the Bees or Einstein). You may be referencing unlimited sync with Canon branded speedlites, which work differently than studio lights.

Furthermore, even if the shutter speed was 1/1000; the flash duration could be longer. If the duration is longer, then the shorter shutter will "close" before all of the flash energy exposes the sensor, thereby reducing the effective power of the flash. The flash duration of a B800 is 1/1100s t.1 at full power, and gets longer as power is reduced. B1600's start even longer.

On the other hand, with a flash duration faster than 1/1000, the flash will end up doing the work of action stopping, making the shutter speed unimportant (at least until you reach the point of letting ambient in). So a 1/4000 flash duration would look the same at 1/100 as it would at 1/1000 (again, assuming no ambient pollution). You can roughly estimate the t.1 times to freeze motion the same as an equivilent shutter speed. Einstein has a (t.1) flash duration of about 1/580s at full, but gets faster as you reduce power. At 320Ws in action mode, the flash duration is almost twice as fast as the B800 at 320Ws.

I would highly recommend the Einstein over the Bee for most things anyway, but this is the ideal environment for Einstein.

Thanks for stoppin' by, TS!

No, I'm speaking of the old, ancient, dinosaur Nikon Dee One Ex (D1X) :D

There are a few peculiar wierdos like me who still love this old beast.

Regardless, I think I see your point about losing power if the shutter speed is faster than the flash duration, and as the SS gets faster, you're sampling a smaller "sliver" of the flash.

Oops, sorry, I misread the title, I thought you were talking about the new Canon. Ok, yes, some of the older Nikon cameras could sync all the way up. With that camera, you should be able to sync up to 1/2500 with CyberSyncs (limited by the delay introduced by the remotes).

Anyhow, not only will you see a decrease in flash, but possibly a shift, or further shift, toward blue. Additionally, that is, unfortunately, a feature that is no longer present in DSLRs (hopefully they will find a way to bring it back). Should something happen to your current camera, the next one will not be able to sync that high. Einstein would sort of future-proof you in that regard.

Einstein. Not a doubt about it.
Never underestimate when the much better performance will save the day.
Plus the RF remote is great. Control over everything.