The Summer 2018 issue of the Michael Clark Photography Newsletter is now available for download. If you’d like to sign up for the Newsletter just drop me an email and I’ll add you to the mailing list. This issue includes an editorial about the award winning Lighting the Spirit project, a review of the new Elinchrom ELB...
The Winter 2018 issue of the Michael Clark Photography Newsletter is now available for download. If you’d like to sign up for the Newsletter just drop me an email and I’ll add you to the mailing list. This issue includes an editorial with recent news, a review of the Nikon D850, an article detailing an assignment for...
Over the last eight months or more in 2017, I have been working with Elinchrom and MacGroup (the Elinchrom Distributor here in the USA) to help build the Elinchrom Adventure School. The Elinchrom Adventure School is the brainchild of Ab Sesay at MacGroup. It is a great honor to be a part of this and...
I am extremely excited to announce that I will be teaching a CreativeLIVE course on Advanced Lighting for Adventure Photography. This course is sponsored by Red Bull Photography. In this course, we will be diving into the very exciting, and relatively new lighting techniques like Hi-Sync (HS), as well as many other advanced lighting techniques,...
Always a wealth of information both yourself and Creative Live. I look forward to seeing this course.
HOLY MOLY! I’ve been binge-watching your CreativeLIVE sessions since they ran live and now in re-broadcast. I think my world has just changed. I’m a street shooter who’s been living in the Smoky Mountains and I’ve been looking for a way to leverage where I live with my photography. It’s home to some great outdoor activities (kayaking, hiking, cycling, etc.) – Thank you an exceptional class and the inspiration. The timing for this was too perfect.
Michael
If you were to purchase a set up to cover adventure sports and portraits what would you recommend.
2 each ELB 1200’s?
or 1 ea. ELB 400 and a 1200?
Which 1 or 2 light modifiers.. Octa or deep octa or 1 ea.?
…and of course 1 ea. or 2 ea. high performance reflector?
…also I would get the kit on Adorama which includes the pro.. action.. and hi synch heads.
I shoot with D800e and D4 and Hasselblad 5DX with Phase One Back 100mp.
Thank you Michael for all your help.
Dave
Dave –
For a minimum kit, I’d go with one each of the ELB 400 and ELB 1200. Note that for the Hasselblad and leaf shutters you will need the Action heads. No need for the Pro head, the HS and the Action heads are the only ones I use. The high performance reflector is great for sports, not so much for portraits. The Deep Octa is nice as well. You can also rent a few different ones and see which you like. I have tons of light modifiers and use a wide variety of them. Hope this helps.
The Winter 2016 issue of the Michael Clark Photography Newsletter is now available for download. If you’d like to sign up for the Newsletter just drop me an email and I’ll add you to the mailing list. This issue includes an editorial about my latest travels and purchasing a new Hasselblad medium format digital camera system, a review of...
Since the introduction of the Elinchrom Skyport Plus HS transceiver, and the new Hi-Sync capabilities of that transceiver, there has been a massive amount of confusion as to how this technology works even though Elinchrom and myself have put out a lot of in-depth information on the topic. As the photographer that shot some of...
Hi Michael,
With your Nikon cameras do you lose any light at all shooting up at the highest shutter speeds like 1/4000th to 1/8000th?
I notice shooting at normal sync speed and then going to high shutter speeds i lose about 4 stops of light on the subject i am shooting. The ambient i expect to drop as it should. Is that to be expected with this system? I ask because to me it isn’t much better than HSS at all because it loses nearly the same amount of light i am finding.
Kind regards,
Craig
The way the Hi-Sync works you only get a slice of the light so you end up using a smaller and smaller slice the higher the shutter speed you use. With the ELB400 and a high performance reflector I can overpower the sun from around 20 to 30 feet away depending the situation. So, you do have less light at 1/4000th sec than you would have at 1/1000 sec. Generally, it just darkens the background and I just have to open up the aperture a bit to account for the difference. I am not sure how many stops of light is lost – that is very hard to measure accurately and varies with the shutter speed chosen but the background does get darker (as normal when using shorter shutter speeds). In my testing with the Profoto B1, I couldn’t get the HSS to work very well at all any more than five or six feet away from the subject, so I’d say the Hi-Sync is much more powerful.
Thanks ever so much for your reply Michael. It’s much appreciated and i now understand the system much better now you’ve cleared it up for me.
One last question though if thats ok. Do those high performance reflectors make a big difference for throwing the light further? As you yourself shoot action sports you will understand my predicament that you can’t always have the flashes super close and sometimes you really do need to overpower the sun from 10+ feet away so will purchasing them help me out a lot?
Thanks ever so much for your time Michael.
Yes, the high performance reflectors really help push the light out there quite a bit and they also focus the light as well. I use them often for sports photography. I highly recommend them. Of course, they are not the softest light source so if you need to shoot a portrait a softbox or umbrella might be a better tool. Just depends on your lighting needs.
Thanks ever so much for your help Michael. You’ve really cleared some things up for me.
Thanks very much for this article, Michael! I am curious to hear your thoughts on best ODS settings to use, if anything other than “OFF”. Are you expected to work it out for each scene, using a stand-in for the model and trying different values until you chance upon the best exposure, or is there a more scientific method? I remember seeing a table with standard ODS values for cameras and shutter speeds somewhere but can’t find it anymore.
Alex – You shoot with Nikon cameras so I would just leave the ODS setting off or at 0, which is off. I have never found the need to use the ODS feature with my Nikon Cameras. If you are trying to get a lower amount of light on the subject at a certain power setting you can move the ODS setting and move the strip of light being used to a lower part of the flash curve but that is a pretty specific use. The ODS settings will be very repeatable if you are using them. So you can try that out at home and then just know if you want to do XYZ then set the ODS to 1.x or whatever. I think this is more a feature for Canon shooters where they have to use this just to get the Hi-Sync to work at all.
Thanks for another useful article Michael, I was very excited to order my HS kit just before Christmas but have had mixed results so far in testing.
How much does power setting affect any (potential) banding in your opinion? I ask as the first thing I did when I got the Skyport out of the box was to set the light/camera on stand/tripod pointing at a wall & go right through all full-stop shutter speeds at various power settings & I noticed significant but inconsistent banding right across the board with both a D810 & D4s. I played with ODS & could reduce it somewhat but it was definitely there.
Also, I found that I had to go to speed mode by default as I was getting the lower banding if I went from 200th to 250th (again, Nikon so should have been fine at 250th) but I did read somewhere that anything above 200th required speed mode?
Paul – Great point, I thought Elinchrom had fixed that issue with going up to 1/250th sec for Nikons with the Skyport Plus HS but apparently it is still there. I will amend the article. Thanks for pointing that out. As for the banding, there is still some but when not shooting a white wall it is very difficult to see in my experience. If shooting with the Pro head then there is a lot more than when shooting with the HS head. Either way, it can be dealt with in post by using a graduated filter. What were your settings with the D810 and D4s? So far, I have used a wide variety of power settings on the ELB400 and it seems to have very little banding at any setting. The higher power settings are cleaner than the lowest power settings. I’ll have to do some testing when I get back from this next assignment as I did not test it on a white wall at all power settings.
Hi Michael,
Great article, finally some in-depth explanations about the differences of the heads. but unfortunately, i’m still not sure which heads are the right for me.
I’m planning to use it for outdoor sports and fashion.
was thinking about buying the Pro head, so i can roughly taste both of the worlds with it (regular usage + abit of HS). but i’m not completly sure if im currect.
Or on the other hand, buy the HS and enjoy its HiSync capabilities for sports – but would it limit me somehow photographing fashion?
Maybe i should just buy Pro and HS and end the wondering 🙂
Thank you for your time!
Alexander – You could go with the Pro head but I don’t think you would be satisfied. I would just buy the Action head and the HS head and then you will have the best of both worlds.
Hi Michael,
Thanks for another really informative article. I’ve been really interested to read your previous posts comparing the ELB 400 and Profoto B1 (which had previously been my favoured option). Having read your articles and explanations around HS and those of Quentin Decaillet on Fstoppers, I’m about to jump in and purchase the ELB 400 HS system.
One question – what can’t the HS head do ? It looks as though it’ll freeze motion really well through fast shutter speeds and HS and I can’t imagine that still portraiture will pose a problem either. Presumably studio work with splash / liquid photography may be more suited to the Action head ?
Am I missing something or will I be OK with an all HS Head setup ?
Thanks in advance for your wisdom !
Alex – The ELB400 with the HS head can do a lot but if you need to shoot at 1/250th second or slower and want to stop action then you will need the Action heads.
Many thanks for your reply Michael
So unless I’m in a low ambient light situation and need to drag the shutter for the ambient exposure and use the flash to stop the action, the HS Heads should be pretty good for everything but that ?
I’m on a fairly limited budget so as well as using the ELB 400 system for location portraiture, I will likely have to use the ELB 400 system as my makeshift studio lights too for the foreseeable future. May I therefore ask whether you think there would be any problem in mixing Action & HS Heads in a studio type setup for doing static portraiture ? For example, using 1 head to light a background, another for hair lighting and 2 for the subject ? Likely I’d run a pair of HS Heads off 1 pack and a pair of Action Heads off another. I can’t see that this would cause problems but would value your thoughts ?
I’m very grateful for any advice you may be able to give me
Thanks
Alex – That could work mixing the HS and Action heads as long as you use the HS heads on the background. I typically don’t ever plug more than one head into the ELB400 packs but I typically am shooting outside. You’ll find out quickly if it works for you when you start shooting with them.
Thanks for this further advice Michael
Please excuse my ignorance on this matter – am I correct in presuming that the reason for using the Action Heads for the subject lighting and HS Heads for background is that the former will be better at stopping any subject motion at lower (more typical studio setting) shutter speeds whereas the HS Heads wouldn’t and in my hypothetical mixed setup would therefore be better used on the (static) background ? Or am I missing something here ?
It would be really helpful if Elinchrom could publish a table comparing the suitability and pros/cos of all 3 heads for different uses/situations.
Thank you one again for your guidance and advice. Some fantastically inspirational images on your site
Best wishes
Yes, Alex, that is exactly correct. the HS heads on the background because it won’t be moving in that scenario. Elinchrom is working on that blog post discussing the different flash heads as we speak so there will be one soon.
Many thanks for calrifying this Michael
I’m sure that such a blog post from Elinchrom clealry showing the pros/cons of each head type and best scenarios in which to use specific head types (but also what you can get away with) would be really useful to many of us – particularly those of us contemplating taking the plunge with the Eli ELB 400 system
Thanks once again for your advice, great reviews and blog posts
Best wishes
Alex
Michael,
I’m pretty much sold on the HS head, but I’m a little confused on it’s application for portrait work. I shoot mainly portraits of subjects that aren’t moving (no dancing, no jumping, etc), just pose, and take the picture. Will the slower duration of the HS head cause me any problems when I’m syncing under 1/200 of a second while i’m in the studio (or lower light situations where I need to drag the shutter to gain more ambient)? Even if the flash is popping at around 1/500 of a second, it seems like it will still be fine.
Thanks for being such an excellent resource!
Mark – The only issue with the HS heads will be if the subject is moving. Then the subject will be blurry is shooting at 1/200th sec or lower. The good news is the flash heads are not that pricey compared to a lot of the competitions and if you find the need for the Action head, you can add one at any time.
Michael,
Will these heads work with the older Ranger RX or Quadra power packs?
Ted – Which heads are you referring too? The HS heads only work with the ELB400. The Ranger can use the S or the A heads. For Hi-Sync with the Ranger you want to use the S heads.
Good afternoon Michael,
Firstly, thankyou for sharing about the HS, I have just purchased my HS and am having quite strong banding (brighter ribbon across the bottom) issues, I use a Nikon D750, Elinchrom SKYPORT HS, Ranger RX 1100 with S-Head….
Is there any chance you could share an unedited photo showing what banding you get!!!
I have applied the settings you have recommended!!!! Was so excited to move away from my Pocket wizards, but currently a little disappointed, any help would be greatly appreciated
Scott – With the Ranger S head you will have some gradations. for example it will be brighter on one side than the other. That is normal. Applying a graduated filter in Lightroom should take care of that. With the ELB400 and the HS flash heads there is very little gradation of any kind.
Hi,
Does the HS HEAD in hi sync mode work well at low 1/4 or 1/2 power?
Most article only mention shooting at full power.
I shoot sports action and not only want the hi sync but i also want my flashes to recycle fast so I can get at least 3-4 flash bursts.
Many thanks,
Andy
Andy – Yes, the HS flash head works great in Hi-Sync mode all the way down to the lowest power settings, which makes it incredibly versatile!
Great article!
Am I right in assuming, that, independing of the power setting, the flash duration of the HS head stays constant at 1/600th, or does flash duration reduce with power, too? This is a little confusing as the website says: “Almost all of Elinchrom’s strobes offer their shortest flash durations at the top of their power scale. ”
When you refer to stopping action, I think you mean fast paced sports, as at weddings you usually are able to freeze a couple at 1/550th of a second? When I read correctly, one could insert the Head into port B at 33% power but 1/1100th indoors easily, if needed
Holger – The HS flash heads are a unique flash head for Elinchrom and don’t follow their standard flash duration ratings. At full power it is 1/550th second and it does vary as you lower the power. I believe at the lowest power settings it is closer to 1/1000 sec flash duration, which is still useful for Hi-Sync. As they don’t publish the exact flash duration numbers for the entire power range I don’t know what the exact numbers are. Yes, for stopping action with the HS head it all comes down to the shutter speed (for sports). If I was shooting weddings, the HS head would not be my first choice.
Thank you. The HS head would be our choice for the portrait sessions (usually in bright light). We would complement it with the action head for the rest.
Hi Michael,
Very concise article, I just have one question before I purchase: will I need to purchase anything additional to trigger my Ranger RX Speed AS with this trigger or does the Ranger have the receiver already built in?
cheers bud
For the Ranger RX Speed As you will need the Skyport Receiver Rx and an adapter to put it on your Ranger:
Thanks a lot mate 🙂
Sorry Michael, that link you posted goes to Transceivers, not Receivers? Am I mistaken or is this what I need: http://www.kayellaustralia.com.au/elinchrom-skyport-transceiver-p-2834.html with this: http://www.kayellaustralia.com.au/elinchrom-skyport-ranger-adapter-p-2839.html ?
Frank – Yes, those are the ones.
Thanks again bud
Hello Michael, thanks for the excellent information. As many others are here, I’m having a hard choice between the heads and wonder if you may help kindly? I am pretty much thinking that the HS heads are the best bet, as I plan to do a lot of shallow dof portraits outside, however I also do lots of portraits indoors and in the studio type settings. Given that the subjects will be mostly still for making portraits (i.e. not really fashion shots of people jumping around, would you recommend that the hs heads are the best bet for me? Will they still be good enough for normal portraits. I can’t really see the advantage of the pro heads at the moment. It seems to make more sense to purchase either HS heads or if needing to freeze motion then the action heads? Can the HS and Action heads be used together? Kind regards, Joseph
Joseph – The HS heads are great for Hi-Sync use. I prefer to use the Action heads when shooting at 1/250th second shutter speed or below. I have not tried the HS heads in the studio so I don’t know how well they would work. If your subject blinked or moved even a little bit the HS heads would not stop the motion so my advice is to buy both the Action and the HS heads for the best of both worlds. That is part of why the ELB400 system is so versatile.
Thanks for the reply Michael! So say you used 1/160th shutter speed on a D810 for example, the ELB and HS head on full power (flash duration 1/600th of a second) that may not be enough to freeze a blink or even slight movement during portraits? I’m surprised slightly as when doing street photography, I always aimed to shoot at 1/500th of a second to get quite sharp pictures.
I do think being able to purchase the different heads is very versatile and possibly using the action heads for the subject and hs heads for the background in certain circumstances.
I don’t know for sure Joseph. It might work just fine, but I haven’t tried it. Shutter Speeds stop motion much more than fast flash durations. With a D810 at 1/160th second without a flash I’d be lucky to get a sharp image. I have to shoot at 1/500th second to get a sharp image with that camera without flash – because of the high MP count. I am not the steadiest guy out there. At 1/250th second, I can get about 60% tack sharp images but that is cutting it close for me. It also depends on what lens I have on the camera. Bigger lenses require higher shutter speeds to be assured of getting sharp images.
I have an older Quadra Ranger 400ws with 2 A heads… can I get these to work in HS?
Mike – If you buy some HS heads and use them with the new Skyport Plus HS transceiver then yes you can do Hi-Sync. Hi-Sync will not work with the A heads.
Hi! Thanks for the great write up! I use a canon and an old (old!) Hasselblad H2. Do I need to buy two different skyport Plus HS transceivers? on the website its just sony, canon and nikon versions…. Also with the Hasselblad, you mention get the Action Head as I can take advantage of the leaf shutter, I want to be able to shoot and freeze subjects at wide apertures – will the HS head be better with my Hasselblad?
Chen – The Canon Skyport Plus HS should work fine on your Hasselblad. I use my Nikon version on my Hasselblad. With the Hasselblad you want to make sure the flash duration is shorter than the shutter speed. So, yes, the action heads would be best for use with the H2. With the HS head you can freeze motion at any shutter speed you want with your Canon DSLR. It might be more effective at freezing motion because of the limited shutter speeds on the Hasselblad. But, I have found 1/800th second on the H5D and the A head to be pretty effective at stopping motion. You will have to try them out to see which you prefer.
Any chance you can just use an HS Flash Tube in a regular Pro head and get the same HS results? Can’t imagine any type of built in circuitry difference between the various heads as the duration is more a result of the flash tube….. but I could be wrong.
Mark – I don’t know. Interesting idea though. Let me know if you test that theory out.
Michael Clark in response to Joseph: “The HS heads are great for Hi-Sync use. I prefer to use the Action heads when shooting at 1/250th second shutter speed or below…”
When you say “below”, do you mean faster, not slower?
When photographers use terms like higher, lower, above, below to describe shutter speeds or aperture, I find it can get confusing at times. For example, when discussing shutter speed, does the term “higher” refer to a higher speed or a higher number (eg. 1/250 > 1/500). Also, terms like above or below can be perceived differently depending on whether it is relative to the fastest or slowest shutter speeds. Another example, does a higher aperture refer to a higher f-stop or a higher, greater amount of light?
Personally, I find terms like faster, slower, longer, shorter for describing shutter speeds and brighter, darker, wider, narrower for describing aperture all less ambiguous. Of course, there are a number of other terms used, such as dragging, which have a clear meaning but other terms I find ambiguous. Maybe it’s just me.
Harvey – Thanks for pointing this out. I mean that when using Action heads, which have a fast flash duration, they are great when shooting at the standard shutter sync speed, i.e. 1/250th second on my Nikons, or at any slower shutter shutter speed, i.e. 1/10th second. This is because the fast flash duration will freeze the action. The HS heads are for using shutter speeds that are faster than the 1/250th second flash sync, i.e. 1/4000th second. The HS heads have a very slow flash duration – only 1/550th second (compared to the 1/2000th second and faster flash durations of the Action heads). Hope that clears it up.
could anyone help me with my question, that is can I connect my nikon sb 700 with elinchrom HS head used with transmitter skyport plus HS as would like to see if I could use the speedlights as a second flash .
The only way to do this is set the ELB400 to slave mode and then when your SB700 goes off (attached to your hot shoe) then the ELB400 will go off but you will lose the HS capability of the HS flash head. Alternatively, you could buy one of the less expensive Elinchrom sky ports and trigger the Speedlight with it in the Skyport hot shoe. I would suggest contacting your camera store or Elinchrom for more advice.
ok michael thanks for that , I have a set of pocket wizards(king x) and a elinchrom skyport plus and out of all of it I am sure I will get something to work .
Cannot get my canon 5d mk ii to sync the transmitter.
Not sure what to say. I shoot with Nikon. I know lots of Canon shooter’s have been working with the HS heads on the ELB400 and have gotten it to work very well. I would contact Elinchrom and see if they can solve your problem. Also, if you are working with anything but the ELB400 and the HS heads for it, that might be the issue.
I just got the skyport plus and ELB 400 with HS head. I have my D800 set to 320 auto FP. The skyport shows the HS on screen. When I use above 1/800 or so, power drops to produce black image. I have my Nikon set to F 2.8, and light is on full power. Light is on top of subject. What am I missing?
Make sure you are in the normal sync mode – the Skyport Plus HS should be glowing green. And it should be a Skyport Plus for Nikon. The power is not dropping on the flash. You are just using a slice of the light produced by the flash head. Adjust your settings and the flash output until you get a good exposure, which you will have to judge by looking at the LCD on the back of the camera and using the Histogram. Also, crank up the ISO if needed depending on your shooting situation. Start out with the light at full power and relatively close to your subject (5 to 10 feet away) and just using a standard reflector.
I should have mentioned that I did confirm normal sync mode. Yes, Skyport for Nikon. It was a sync issue. It went from 1/800 sec being ok to 1/1000 mostely black. I saw the sliver of the frame (that was getting exposed from the light) getting over exposed when I raised the ISO. It was wonky. I turned everything off, had diner, came back to do more tests and now no issue going to 1/8000 on less than half power (2.5 or so). I did not change a thing except power everything down. I will continue to test over the next few days. Thank you for responding to my question. Hopefully just a fluke.
Hi Michael, I have not seen any other resources online that address my question. Therefore I am back here bugging you. sorry and thx
I believe my issues stem from attempting to use two lights simultaneously with Hi-Sync (elb-400 with HS head + quadra RX with Pro head). When I reset everything and use only one HS head, it starts to work.
Before I buy a second HS head, do you know of issues using more that 1 light with this technology?
Scott – There should be no issues whatsoever using more than one pack and head with HS. I was just shooting with three of them. Using different flash heads (i.e. Pro and HS) might have some issues because they have different flash curves – meaning different flash durations. I would say that is the issue you are facing. So, getting another HS head should take care of that.
Hi. Have you tried using the hs head and ction head together as. Main. Kicker or hair ligh or fill…? Is it better to get action head in addtion to hs kit or get a speedlight and recevier like 600ex or a strobe
.just to emulate a sun from behind. With cto. AS all 3 options are same price..thnks
Hi do you have some images that you shoot with your hasselblad and action head that we can see?
And did you try the pro head with same system?
I’m curious to see the difference
Hi michael
I got a elb 400 hi sync head. Love it
I dnt shoot movement bu like darkening background.
I would like to get another light in my system for hair or to emulate a sn from behind to go with tye dark background effect like the photo portrait of the skater.
Should i go for another hs head? CanonFlash ex 600 or other brand ? Or a second strobe? Or mix a action head on the same elb or just another hs head on the same elb..? WOnders
Thank you for your great articles.
It sounds like yes, another HS head is what you need for that. I’d go for the HS head as you can’t use HS and a speedlight together. HS is very specific and the Speedlight won’t show up if you are triggering in HS.
Per – Yes, here are a few images shot with the Hasselblad H5D and it’s leaf shutter:
Hi Michael,
Can i use multiple d-lite RX4(Hi-Sync enabled) heads with GODOX
power converter outside for Hi-Sync?
Is there a limit on how may HS heads i can use with Skyport?
Bala – I am guessing you can use that setup. I haven’t tried it but the GODOX is just a battery so it should work fine. You can have up to ten different flash heads with the Skyport Plus HS as I understand it.
Thanks Michael. I really envy you….
Can you provide a scenario how i can use Action Head outside in full daylight to freeze action? Or can action head be used only inside? Like you BMX shots, but using action head. Is it possible?
Bala – You can certainly use the action heads outside – you just have to stay under your cameras normal flash sync, which means you typically need way more power to over power daylight. Usually around 1,000 Ws or more.
I am tad confused. If we use way too much power outside and keep the sync within 1/200, would we have to use small aperture settings? Can you explain further if you don’t mind?
Assume Sunny Day, Ideal Settings ISO 100, 1/16 and 1/125 Speed. I am have Elinchrom BRX 500 (2 Units).
Bala Krishnan
Bala – Yes, if you want to overpower full sun in the middle of the day at 1/200th second that requires using an aperture of f/11 or so. his is basic flash exposure stuff. I suggest trying it out on your own and experimenting.
Bala – Yes, if you want to overpower full sun in the middle of the day at 1/200th second that requires using an aperture of f/11 or so. his is basic flash exposure stuff. I suggest trying it out on your own and experimenting.
Some advice please….
I have been using an S head for the quadratic which can overpower the sun, 1/200, F16, ISO 100 e.g.. I use this for groups at weddings when bright sunlight means back to the sun for the groups and filling with the quadra.
However I have recently bought the HS head and if I’m understanding things correctly I can do similar with higher shutter speeds and easily over power the sun.
My question is around advice for the larger groups. Can I do something with the two lights (I only have one Quadra pack and know it splits the power between the outputs)?
If not what is the best modifier to spread the light across a group of say 50-60 people? (I have the adapter)
Thanks
Scott – yes, you can use as many flash heads as you want with multiple packs. I have never lit a huge group like that so i don’t know what the best modifiers would be. I would suspect you would need way more light power (an ELB 1200 or multiple ELB 1200s) and use the biggest soft boxes you have. Also, be aware, when using HS you usually end up with a smaller aperture – say f/5 or f/5.6 so that may not be enough depth of field to keep everyone in a large group sharp.
Hi Michael, has anyone tried mixing the pro heads with the HS heads and then shooting in HS mode? If so, I’m wondering what the result would be?
I don’t know. I am sure it could work but it wouldn’t be optimum.
Using the elb400, a Quadra action and the Skyport trigger would I be able to achieve 1/8000 second sync with a D800, if not what max speed could I sync at. Cheers Carl
Carl – If you want to use the Hi-Sync capabilities of the ELB 400 you will have to use the HS flash heads, not the action flash heads. I know that is counter intuitive naming. With the Action flash heads the fastest shutter speed you can use is your top flash sync speed on your camera, 1/250th for Nikon, 1/200th for most others. Also, to do Hi-Sync, you will have to use the Skyport Plus HS. See my other Elinchrom articles on my blog for more info on that.
Thanks for the speedy reply, you’ve save me a fair amount of money, I’ll not by the Skyport and keep using the action head as I do, and buy a dedicated hiss sync moonlight. Cheers Carl
Carl – In my opinion, Hi-Sync (HS) is way better than HSS. You might rent an ELB 400 with the HS head and try it out before going the HSS route.
I need to be able to shoot at f1.8 in daylight and darken the background hence the HSSsync, I will look at rental though and look at what I can achieve. Great fast, useful info on here though, thanks a million
Carl – You can do that very easily with Hi-Sync. Check out this blog post: https://blog.michaelclarkphoto.com/?p=4590 – Also, you might want to educate yourself about the differences, HSS is massively limited compared to Hi-Sync: http://www.elinchrom.com/learn/hss-hs.html
Thanks, got it now. Need to get the hs head and a Skyport, guess the bonus is I can use the Skyport with the rotalite I am looking at too.
Hi Michael,
All your flash head suggestions in the article and comments have been around the ELB 400. Would you give the same advice on flash heads for the ELB 1200? I can get an ELB 1200 with a Pro head for a good price, but not sure if that head would have the same situations as what you have described for a Pro head on the ELB 400.
Glenn – Yes, I would give the same suggestions for the ELB 1200 as for the ELB 400. I have HS and Action heads for my ELB 1200 and for my ELB 400. The Pro is a hybrid which can do both but isn’t optimized for fast flash durations or for HS.
Hi Michael.
Have you used elb 400 action and has head together?
Do you know what situations you can use them together and which one would not work so well. I was thinking shooting with medium format camera and head head as the main and the has head for background. Would that work on location and studio?
Regards
Per
Sorry for the mobile phone autocorrect.
Action head as main and hss head as background light.
And maybe shooting at 125 or little higher in studio and maybe higher on location if needed
Per – The ELB 400 does not have an HSS flash head, just the Hi-Sync (HS) flash head. No, I never use both the Action and the HS flash head at the same time. I am either using and HS set up or a setup with the Action heads. Mixing them will not work because of the different flash durations. If you are shooting below your sync speed then you want the action heads. If you are shooting above your sync speed then the HS heads are the way to go.
Okay so there is no way to get them to work together ?
Nope. They are not designed to be used together.
2015 was yet another incredible year both creatively and personally. It was also another stellar year in the business and one that had quite a few moments of recognition. I gave more talks and presentations this past year than I ever have and for companies like Nikon, Elinchrom and National Geographic. Along the way, I also...
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Michael,
Please know that the work you put into these newsletters is so appreciated. You’ve mentioned before that you’re not sure wether it is worth the effort, but I have learned a lot from you and from these newsletters. Thank you for publishing them. Randy