GF1 and flash options

[jerryk]

HI,

As I understand it, the GF1 limits shutter speed to 1/160 (flash sync) when the onboard flash is activated. Does anyone know if there is a high speed flash option when using an flash attached to the shoe?

Thanks,

Jerry

 

[ChrisJ]

It's a good question Jerry, the Metz 48 or 58 AF-1 lists High Speed Flash as one of it's Standard Modes, but this is designed for the Olympus/Panasonic/Leica 4/3 cameras and not for the m4/3 it would be interesting to know if this function works with the G1/GF1. High speed flash is not an option in any of the menus so I would assume that as soon as the camera senses a flash it will revert to 1/160th of a second.

As the bright flash cancels out some or all of the ambient light shutter, speed matters little on most flash shots as the short flash duration (1/1000th of a second or faster) will freeze any movement, but you knew that.

I use slow shutter speeds with flash to blend ambient light into the shot a lot, but I can't envisage a situation where I would want a fast shutter speed with flash, may be I'm missing something.

Chris

 

[jerryk]

I use slow shutter speeds with flash to blend ambient light into the shot a lot, but I can't envisage a situation where I would want a fast shutter speed with flash, may be I'm missing something.

Chris

Chris,

I do this all the time. Panasonic has provided a nice fast 1.7 lens that provides us with a pretty shallow DOF. But, if you shoot with the lens wide open you may end up with a fast shutter speed. If you need a bit of fill flash to fill the scene you have a problem without high-speed sync. A specific example is images of people where they are back or side light.

Jerry

 

[slosync]

HI,

As I understand it, the GF1 limits shutter speed to 1/160 (flash sync) when the onboard flash is activated. Does anyone know if there is a high speed flash option when using an flash attached to the shoe?

Thanks,

Jerry

Hi Jerry,

Yes, the GF1 works with FP TTL Flash up to max shutter speed. I have the Oly FL-50 and the Lumix FL-360 and they both work in FP TTL mode. If a Flash doesn't support FP TTL, then the camera sets to max shutter of 160 or less.

Cheers,
Don

 

[jerryk]

Hi Jerry,

Yes, the GF1 works with FP TTL Flash up to max shutter speed. I have the Oly FL-50 and the Lumix FL-360 and they both work in FP TTL mode. If a Flash doesn't support FP TTL, then the camera sets to max shutter of 160 or less.

Cheers,
Don

Thanks Don.

 

[Jonathon Delacour]

Hi Jerry,

Yes, the GF1 works with FP TTL Flash up to max shutter speed. I have the Oly FL-50 and the Lumix FL-360 and they both work in FP TTL mode. If a Flash doesn't support FP TTL, then the camera sets to max shutter of 160 or less.

Cheers,
Don

I'm thinking about getting a Metz 48 AF-1 as an (only slightly more expensive) alternative to the Oly FL-36R. Would it be reasonable to assume that, since the 48 AF-1 supports the Olympus flash protocols and the GF1 works with TTL flash up to maximum shutter speed, the G1 will work similarly with the 48 AF-1?

 

[pellicle]

Hi

no matter what I put onto the hot shoe it seems to drop mine to 160th ... both my Metz flash and my slave trigger. Have to ferret about for a FP TTL Metz now

 

[slosync]

I'm thinking about getting a Metz 48 AF-1 as an (only slightly more expensive) alternative to the Oly FL-36R. Would it be reasonable to assume that, since the 48 AF-1 supports the Olympus flash protocols and the GF1 works with TTL flash up to maximum shutter speed, the G1 will work similarly with the 48 AF-1?

As long as the camera and flash supports FP TTL.... (High Speed Sync) You have to set the Mode on the Flash to "FP TTL Auto" or "FP Manual".

Don

 

[slosync]

Hi

no matter what I put onto the hot shoe it seems to drop mine to 160th ... both my Metz flash and my slave trigger. Have to ferret about for a FP TTL Metz now

If the Flash unit does not have an FP TTL Auto or FP Manual Mode it probably won't work. Good luck with your hunt... I believe this version works.... Metz flash 48 AF-1 for Olympus/Panasonic, but I don't have any personal experience with it... I think it's called "High Speed Sync" on their model.

Don

 

[ChrisJ]

If the Flash unit does not have an FP TTL Auto or FP Manual Mode it probably won't work. Good luck with your hunt... I believe this version works.... Metz flash 48 AF-1 for Olympus/Panasonic, but I don't have any personal experience with it... I think it's called "High Speed Sync" on their model.

Don

With High speed Flash doesn't the camera have to supply the sync pulses for the flash? Even if the flash is capable of High Speed Sync, the camera body has to support it too and I don't think the Panny G1 family does.

Chris

 

[ChrisJ]

Chris,

I do this all the time. Panasonic has provided a nice fast 1.7 lens that provides us with a pretty shallow DOF. But, if you shoot with the lens wide open you may end up with a fast shutter speed. If you need a bit of fill flash to fill the scene you have a problem without high-speed sync. A specific example is images of people where they are back or side light.

Jerry

That is a good example Jerry, you could use ND filters, but that's not a good option.

The other option is to use reflectors to throw some extra light into the shot and forget flash, but both these options are really compromises.

Chris

 

[slosync]

With High speed Flash doesn't the camera have to supply the sync pulses for the flash? Even if the flash is capable of High Speed Sync, the camera body has to support it too and I don't think the Panny G1 family does.

Chris

Hi Chris,

I put my Panasonic DMW-FL360 on my G1 and went outside to take some test shots using fill flash (sun behind subject). These pictures are ONLY examples and are not meant demonstrate anything other than that a Flash set to FP Mode and the G1/GF1 camera does indeed allow fast shutter speed with a flash that has FP capability.

1) On the Flash I set the MODE to FP TTL AUTO
2) I set the G1 to shutter mode set shutter to 1/640 and forced Flash On.

I shot one picture with flash on and one with the flash off.

3) I set the G1 to shutter speed 1/1600

I shot one picture with flash on and one with flash off.

Here are the results (EXIF in pictures)... I can display the EXIF if it's needed.

G1, f/2.8, 1/640, Flash Fired (EXIF says auto)

G1, f/2.8, 1/640, Flash did not fire (off)

G1, f/2.8, 1/1600, Flash fired (EXIF says auto)

G1, f/2.8, 1/1600, Flash did not fire (off)

The manual for the G1 (pg. 60) and GF1 (pg. 62) indicate that when the camera is set to "Forced Flash) the shutter speed is limited to 1/160 max. This seems to be an error since I had the camera set to "Forced Flash". Which I believe is the correct way to shoot to get "fill flash". Strangely, the G1/GF1 manuals for "Flash auto" indicates that the Flash can go to 1/4000. Perhaps they just reversed the two.

I did try my Oly FL50 flash with the G1/GF1 and it failed quite ofter above 1/1000. On a couple of the tests the flash didn't fire but the camera's EXIF indicated the flash fired and on other rests it fired but was not in sysnc with shutter. If I slowed the shutter speed down to 1/1000 or lower, the the success rate increased. However the Oly Flash works fine on my Oly E-620 as it should.

NOTE: I indicated in an earlier post above that the Oly flashed worked with the G1/GF1 - it doesn't, Sorry for the bum information. I'll see if I can edit it after I post this.....


Cheers,
Don

 

[slosync]

Hi Jerry,

Yes, the GF1 works with FP TTL Flash up to max shutter speed. I have the Oly FL-50 and the Lumix FL-360 and they both work in FP TTL mode. If a Flash doesn't support FP TTL, then the camera sets to max shutter of 160 or less.

Cheers,
Don

Jerry.... !!

I did some more testing and the Oly flash has some problems with high speed sync on the G1/GF1. The Panasonic Flash FL-360 appeared to work ok.

Above 1/1000 shutter speed the Oly FL-50 flash didn't sync with the camera's shutter.

Sorry for the error.

Don

 

[jerryk]

Jerry.... !!

I did some more testing and the Oly flash has some problems with high speed sync on the G1/GF1. The Panasonic Flash FL-360 appeared to work ok.

Above 1/1000 shutter speed the Oly FL-50 flash didn't sync with the camera's shutter.

Sorry for the error.

Don

Don,

Thanks for doing the testing. I am not surprised that a Panasonic flash works best since High Speed Sync requires integration between the camera and the flash. Btw, that is pretty good distance. My Canon 580s drop off very quickly in HSS because the strobing eats up so much power.

 

[Jonathon Delacour]

As long as the camera and flash supports FP TTL.... (High Speed Sync) You have to set the Mode on the Flash to "FP TTL Auto" or "FP Manual".

Don

On the Metz 48 AF-1 this is called automatic FP high-speed synchronisation so I'm thinking it will probably work with the G1. Many thanks too for the tests!

 

[gfspencer]

Canon makes a nice little flash for the G11. I wish Panasonic would do the same. That said, the on camera flash for the GF-1 is not too bad.

 

[pellicle]

Canon makes a nice little flash for the G11. I wish Panasonic would do the same. That said, the on camera flash for the GF-1 is not too bad.

I think that the advantage for flash for the G11 is that its not a focal plane shutter.