Speedlight: how to get fast shutter speed in doors?

[wideangle]

When using an external speedlight indoors how do you get a fast enough shutter speed in order not to have blur? I often use Av mode for other shooting, but using this gives a very slow shutter speed indoors.

Would using Manual mode allow me to use a faster shutter speed indoors? Would the flash unit just give more power to compensate for the faster shutter speed? Are there any disadvantages to using a faster shutter speed with flash? I take it that by using a faster shutter speed indoors that whilst the flash is going to give more power, the background of the scene will be darker because of the faster shutter speed?

*title should read "indoors", I'm not shooting inside of doors! lol

[MiniFighter]

What sort of flash do you have? I have an ebay job and the fastest shutter speed i can use is 1/250 using it remotely. On the camera i can go much faster though.

[I @ M]

When using an external speedlight indoors how do you get a fast enough shutter speed in order not to have blur?

The short answer is to run both the camera and speedlight fully manually and to buy remote triggers that allow very high speed synching of the two in order to get motion freezing speeds. That solution requires $$$.

The long answer involves the particular flash system, camera model and remote capabilities of the two in order to be able to fire the flash at higher than the "default" 1/60 setting.
I think Canon progressed to that sort of technology fairly recently with the 60 and 7D models.

[wideangle]

I believe I can get up to 1/200th second in manual mode.

[I @ M]

I believe I can get up to 1/200th second in manual mode.

What kind of movement are you trying to freeze that requires more than 1/200th?

If you have the ability to shoot at 1/200th with a remote flash, why aren't you doing so?

[wideangle]

What kind of movement are you trying to freeze that requires more than 1/200th?

If you have the ability to shoot at 1/200th with a remote flash, why aren't you doing so?

At the moment I am just testing flash photography, and shooting people. I only used 1/200th as an example in the case that you would get camera shake if using a longer lens.

[KLi]

Remember that when using flash as your main source of light shutter speed becomes irrelevance, because the flash duration is much faster than your shutter speed and your shot will only be exposed by the amount of time the flash was on.

Maybe show an example of the blur you are getting along with the camera and flash setting you used to help others figuring out the problem.

[wideangle]

Remember that when using flash as your main source of light shutter speed becomes irrelevance, because the flash duration is much faster than your shutter speed and your shot will only be exposed by the amount of time the flash was on.

Maybe show an example of the blur you are getting along with the camera and flash setting you used to help others figuring out the problem.

Thanks, I only mentioned blur from handheld shake when I was shooting in Av mode. When using Av the shutter speed is long indoors, the same time as when I don't have a flash on. In a dark room this could be 2 seconds at f/8 when I use the camera in Av mode. I am just trying to find out if shooting in Manual camera mode on the camera will allow me to set any shutter speed and Ap. to anything I want (within 1/200 limit) and the flash will compensate accordingly.

[KLi]

Thanks, I only mentioned blur from handheld shake when I was shooting in Av mode. When using Av the shutter speed is long indoors, the same time as when I don't have a flash on. In a dark room this could be 2 seconds at f/8 when I use the camera in Av mode. I am just trying to find out if shooting in Manual camera mode on the camera will allow me to set any shutter speed and Ap. to anything I want (within 1/200 limit) and the flash will compensate accordingly.

I see, since you are using Av mode, if you are shooting in order the only way to get the highest possible shutter speed is to select the largest aperture possible. If you are using your flash on TTL mode, simply use manual and select the aperture, and shutter speed depending on how much ambient light you want. The flash would take care of the rest in determining the amount of light needed to expose the frame.

If you are using Av mode I am not sure if your camera will simply detect a flash attached to it and fix the shutter speed.

[wideangle]

I see, since you are using Av mode, if you are shooting in order the only way to get the highest possible shutter speed is to select the largest aperture possible. If you are using your flash on TTL mode, simply use manual and select the aperture, and shutter speed depending on how much ambient light you want. The flash would take care of the rest in determining the amount of light needed to expose the frame.

If you are using Av mode I am not sure if your camera will simply detect a flash attached to it and fix the shutter speed.

Thanks for your help, your reply sounds like what I was thinking in regards to Manual mode and thoughts on how the shutter speed/flash combo would effect ambient light. Will have to try it out.

[twister]

If you use Av, most cameras will still expose for ambient and get the flash to do a bit of a fill-in...the camera will not assume the flash as a sole light source.

On M mode you should be able to select any combination, and as one poster pointed out, the flash will do its job in ETTL mode.

[Wayne]

Or raise the ISO