| Joined: | Mon Apr 2nd, 2012 |
| Location: | South Lakeland, UK |
| Posts: | 4066 |
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Shutter speed with focal plane shutters (Flat curtain shutters close to the sensor or film) are limited to 1/200 to 1/250 Sec That is the fasted speed that they are completely open for. The flash has to be timed for that moment when the shutter is wide open. To achieve 'faster' shutter speeds the curtain doesn't move any faster but the second, closing shutter starts to follow the opening shutter, creating a narrower gap between the two shutters. At really high shutter speeds say over 1/1,000 Sec the gap between the blades is a mere slit, exposing the sensor to the image as it passes. So, if you were to be able to cause a flash at the right time, all you would see would be a narrow band of the image because the flash duration is very short well less than 1/1,000 of a second, more likely 1/10,000 of a second or less.
If you were to use a medium format camera like some of the Hassleblads which have the shutter built into the lens, then you may be able to get a sync speed of 1/500 Sec. But that's a different ball game!
As for the black images... Without knowing what settings you are using it's hard to be sure but I guess the will be far too little light without the flash. Flash may only be very short but it punches out a lot of light.
I sometimes photograph books, to get enough light I have two 80w halogen floodlights 12" from the book at each side, and that doesn't give me really short exposures, only just enough light really.
Try it in daylight or with sun coming through window?
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Robert.