Slow slave flash

[Anthony]

I should have tested this before I went out tonight but didn't; we went to some indoor karting and I took along my A650IS and old Rollei flash with a hama slave ?

This used to work OK with my Fuji camera but with the Canon the flash had no effect - it fired but I assume it went off to late. I tried quite a few things in manual mode etc. but didn't get any decent photos.
I had a card with CHDK software on it but everytime I start the software I seem to get different options - this time it offerd me an option to sync the flash but I could not find a way to adjust it :confused:

Is there anyway to speed this up with a different flash or slave? I could buy the HF-DC1 flash but I liked the flexability of placing the slave flash in different locations or using more slaves.

That was one thing I used to like about the Fuji cameras, they had a powerful flash; these days the flashs seem to be getting weaker and weaker.

[Anthony]

I have done a few more experiments tonight - my old SLR memories are starting to come back to me now.

More tests needed as these pictures have to much grain but at 1/800 and F8.0 I get these results:
http://www.rubble.info/donotdelete/none.jpg
Normal camera flash.
http://www.rubble.info/donotdelete/slave.jpg
With the slave.

The neighbours must wonder what is going on with the flash going off in the bedroom :eek:

[Margus]

at 1/800 and F8.0 I get these results:
1/800? I remember that 1/60 or 1/125 sec is suggested while using flash. With shorter shutter speeds you could encounter problems with the flash synchronization.

[Anthony]

I think you are correct; thinking back to my old SLR days the shutter speed for a flash was 1/125 but there was a setting on the dial for it!

I wanted a fast shutter speed as I was photographing go karts BUT if I had a lower shutter speed the go kart should only have been "illuminated" for the time the flash went off anyway. I did do this but went to the other extreme of 1/8 and I have a ghost image of a gokart on the track.

I will have to do some more tests and research it a bit more. At least I know it will work now.