High speed sync - Nikon Speedlight SB-800 TTL Flash

Chances are you're using too high a shutter speed. Here's a link to understanding how that works. Good luck!

High Speed Sync Flash

Go into your camera\'s menu and set it to HSS.

I've almost the same problem. When the system turns on the monitor doesn't sync. After a variable trials with down/up the sync is enabled and the computer starts.A very clear event occurs : when the monitor can''t sync ( and system doesn't boot)you can hear very clear a high fan rotation. When I look/hear in the system the Isuspect the cpu fan. The system boots ( monitor syncs) when the fan rotationgoes from high to low. So the system hangs on an internal check on the rotation speed of the cpu fan.I've googled a lot , but until now doesn't find an answer . Possibilties which I think about : replace cpu fan , clean cpu fun ( but it looks clean).I cannot measure the fan rotation speed when the system is hanging. At normal rotation all info can retrieved witth the program cpu-z.Did you already have a solution ?

There is a button with three arrows pointing to the right on your 580EX. Press this until the 3 arrows appear on your flash LCD. That is second curtain sync. The other function of that button is for High Speed Sync

If you are not in P, AV, TV or M then the camera will not allow that feature. The picture modes disable many higher, more sophistocated features.

Check the flash sync speed on the cameras. With most film cameras, the flash sync speed is 1/60 of a second.

With digital cameras, you must use a flash rated for the digital camera and use their recommended flash speed.

If the camera to flash sync speed is correct it is possible that the flash output is weak. This would be due to the battery not being able to properly supply, or some defective components in the flash circuits.

You will require a flash sync detector, a flash intensity meter, and a battery load tester to perform the the first level of basic tests if you wish to analyse the fault yourself.

This is not a problem you could service yourself, unless you are experienced and knowledgeable for servicing flashes.

These flash units use very high voltage at a very high current when operating. The current is built up and stored in a very efficient high voltage capacitor. A flash can be dangerous to service yourself.


Jerry G.

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Hope this helps !!
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Unless you are using high-end Nikon Speedlights with camera and flash set for Auto FP High-Speed Sync, your top flash sync shutter speed on the D80 is 1/200 second. The black band you are seeing at faster shutter speeds is because the second curtain of the shutter begins to close before the first curtain reaches the fully-open position (which is when the flash fires). The higher the shutter speed, the shorter the gap between first and second curtains. To get full exposure with flash, there must be an instant when the shutter is fully open -- first curtain completed travel, second curtain not started yet.

"As the speed increases the final image should get lighter" applies to ISO speed. Higher shutter speeds mean less light reaching the sensor, but that's not the cause of the black bands.

Definately a settings problem. The camera will only syncronize on one specific speed. Youe best bet is to use auto. For manual, you'll have to set the shutter speed at the sync speed.

Flash Sync Speed

up to 1/250 X-Sync Speed

up to 1/8000 FP High Speed Sync

Red-eye reduction
Red-eye reduction with slow sync
Rear-curtain sync
Slow sync
Front-curtain sync (normal) Flash Sync Modes

1) i-TTL: TTL flash control by 1,005-pixel RGB sensor, built-in flash, SB-800, SB-600, SB-400: i-TTL balanced fill-flash and standard i-TTL flash
2) AA (Auto Aperture-type) flash: Available with SB-800 used with CPU lens
3) Non-TTL Auto: Available with Speedlights such as SB-800, 28, 27, and 22S
4) Range-priority manual flash; available with SB-800 Flash Control

Looks like its true... Another major disadvantage. Removing TTL means removing one more hardware piece - TTL sensor. Pentax removed almost every nice feature, which needs some aditional or more expensive hardware: no TTL flash, less AF points, pentamirror... Seems like I bought Ds right in time.