Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

Hi there.

I'm a rookie in Studio flash, I only have two SB 900s and a Nikon D90.

Recently I bought the Pocket Wizard system, and I found out that SB 900 still can't

conquer the sun during HyperSync.

I'm going to buy a E640 for sure, but there are too many light modifiers.

Your official site have description,but without the photo to compare,

rookie like me still can't tell the difference.

The PLM systems, reflectors, and softboxes...

I'm really confused about all these accessories.


I shoot products and motorcycle mainly.

Which modifier do I need most?

or could you please recommend some basic books

that teach me about the "light modifier" for studio flash.


English is not my native, hope you can understand.

Does any company in Taiwan come to you and talk about becoming a

authorized dealer of Paul.C.Buff ?

Then maybe I'll wait a little bit for dealer in Taiwan rather than buying grey products.

Thanks.

Just about any type of photography can be done with just about any type of modifier. You have to know what kind of look you want to know what kind of modifier to get. It is a somewhat vicious circle of where to start. But, this is where the artistic side of photography lies.

Popular and versatile modifiers are the PLM (specifically the 64" soft silver), beauty dish, and octaboxes with grids. There may be better choices for a specific look and subject.

Customer service can help you figure out specific modifiers, but generally, larger modifiers have softer edges/transitions to shadow. White modifiers have a wide spread, while silver modifiers can have (though they do not have to have) a more controlled/tighter spread. Silver will be more specular than white.

http://www.blogspot.strobist.com (there is a drop down on the lower right to select both archives and language). This covers a lot of basic flash photography, and covers modifiers. Yes, it is mostly about speedlites, but the techniques can apply to pretty much any flash.

Also, you mention HyperSync. I would suggest fully researching that before you purchase. A B1600 may be a better solution. And, no, we have no immediate plans for a distributor in Asia.

Please enlighten me.

I thoguht E640 with PowerMC2 and Mini-TT1 was the

best solution for HyperSync?!

HyperSync is a function of PocketWizard, so they will need to be the go to for absolute information.

However, HyperSync uses a relatively long flash duration, triggers the flash early, and has the shutter open and closes while the flash burns. Einstein has a short flash duration (at anything significantly below full), and if triggered early, it would finish its burn before the shutter finished its transition across the frame.

I would suggest researching the topic from users who do use it to see if it will work for your needs.

Unless the Einstein is at full power, the flash pulse is too short to use Hypersync effectively. The B1600 has a longer pulse than other units even at less than full power so it works well w/ Hypersync...

You mean if I use E640 during HyperSync. Other steps except full power won't meet it original

brightness,because E640's pulse is too short.Trigger early, fade out early.

Then my light control becomes restricted.

I can only use full power to have the right exposure.


Since you have a specific receiver designed for E640 to coordinate with PW,

I thought E640 with MC2 was the perfect solution, and I choose it because it's

the most expensive one.


Will the firm-update change this fact?

No, a firmware change will not affect this. We (well, Paul) designed the Einstein to have fast flash durations, getting faster as you dial the power down, which is reverse of virtually all monolights.

Once Einstein and CyberCommander were released, PocketWizard designed and released the MC2 module for their already existing HyperSync/C-TL capable remotes. (Actually, the receiver has little to do with HyperSync, as HyperSync is a function of timing at the camera and transmitter.) Anyway, the MC2 is 100% a PocketWizard product, we carry it as a convenience to those purchasing Einsteins.

Since HyperSync is a transmitter function, each combination of camera model (and even specimen of model) and flash unit and power setting of flash unit and shutter speed of camera will potentially yield a different result.

Again, HyperSync is a PocketWizard product, and they will be the ones to ask with regards to what results to expect.

I have benefited greatly from all the replies.

I'm glad I asked and really appreciated your patient, because English is not my native...

Ill ask Pocket Wizard about E640 with MC2.

Thanks.

It's because Hypersync tries to do something like this:

Pulse:
_____|-----\\\\\_____
Hypersync
________||______

The Einstein freezes motion better because at less than full power, it looks like this:
____|--|_________
So Hypersync can miss the flash pulse or only small catch part of it. It's just the way it works. The B1600 looks more like this:
____|--\\\\\\\\____
even at lower power, so Hypersync can catch more of the light, though the \\\\\\ part will be weaker.

More important . . . A "normal" light, such as an AB 1600 or Elinchrom RX600, particularly at full power, dissipates 600 to 640WS per flash and recycles at two second (wall output) or slower with VML.

But when you apply a Hyper Sync hack, you use only a small slice of the output (the faster you make it sync, the less power you get). But it still eats 640WS even though you may only get a few WS worth of exposure. The rest is there, but not used. Same thing happens at lower power settings . . . you start with a smaller amount of light, and throw all but a small fraction of it away.

Compare this the Einstein™, particularly if you use it with a leaf shutter camera like Fuji X100, etc. If you dial the Einstein™ down to, say 160WS, the recycle drops to about 1/2.5 second, the t.1 time drops to 1/4460 second (Action Mode). And you expose the whole 160WS (better than two speedlights at full power). Drop it to 80ws and you can shoot at 5fps at the power of a speedlight on full power.

Can't do this with Hyper Sync hacks.