Canon XSi and Slow Sync Flash; Help?

[GMAN]

I'm a novice photographer and have been utilizing this website to teach myself the various techniques and fundamentals of photography.

Recently, I read about a technique called Slow Sync Flash, and another technique called rear and front curtain sync. After reading the article I wanted to try this with my own Camera, which is a Canon XSi. To make a long story short, it appears that the flash is fixed at 1/200 sec. My question is; if I purchase a Speedlite flash, or one of the other flashes for my Canon, will I be able to manipulate my shutter speed and the flash, to recreate this Slow Sync Flash or Rear & Front Curtain Sync?....

I'd appriciate any advice or suggestions!

Thanks, Another Novice Photographer Attempting To Learn.....

[zona5101]

You should be able to take your camera into manual or shutter priority and lower the shutter speed even with your built in flash. And yes, if you bought an external flash you can do the same.
disclaimer: works that way with nikon, i can only assume canon would be the same.

[Benji]

The 1/200 synch speed is the maximum speed you can use. You can easily use a slower shutter speed however. I suggest getting comfortable using your speedlight at or below synch before attempting fancy rear/front curtain synch.

Benji

[GMAN]

I appreciate your assistance with my question!...Also, I'm interested in taking portaits and would be interested in purchasing some studion lighting...I'm wanting to find some studio lighing such as a softbox, umbrella, etc, etc. I've seen some studio lighting kits on ebay, but not sure the quality of the stobes, lights and whatnot?...Do either of you have any suggestions as to whether these kits are worth the value, or are they cheaply constructed....I plan on just using this equipment in my house. I'm looking for something good, but but not cheaply made...I've seen a kit from a company called Opus, which looked reasonable, and I believe were priced around $1,200. Any suggestions that might help me decide would be nice!...

[inkista]

Originally Posted by GMAN

I it appears that the flash is fixed at 1/200 sec.

What mode are you shooting in? And how are your custom flash custom functions set? You may actually have the camera set to limit the shutter speed that way in order to force the flash to be used as the main illumination source, not as fill.

Basically, you want to be comfortable shooting in full Manual mode before you start messing about with flash, since having full control over both the aperture and shutter speed are going to be key in controlling the balance in the scene between the flash and ambient illumination.

if I purchase a Speedlite flash, or one of the other flashes for my Canon, will I be able to manipulate my shutter speed and the flash, to recreate this Slow Sync Flash or Rear & Front Curtain Sync?....

Of course. But you don't need one just to drag the shutter or do rear curtain sync. Honest to god, with flash photography, it's mostly about wrapping your head about some very different methods of exposure than you're used to with ambient light photography. An external flash unit is more helpful by having more power and giving you more directional choices than a pop-up flash, but this is not a problem with lack of gear, but lack of knowledge.

Of the two main concepts I think you need to know is that first off you're combining two exposures into one with every flash photo: the ambient illumination and the flash illumination. These two exposures are related, and share some controls, but controlling one is not the same as controlling the other.

Your ambient illumination is controlled by your iso, aperture, and shutter speed. You should know this inside and out. Because your flash illumination is controlled by your flash-to-subject distance, your flash power output, your iso, and your aperture. Note the absence of shutter speed among those last four factors. If you want to increase your ambient light but keep the flash illumination the same, you can increase your shutter speed. But if you want to keep the ambient light the same, but increase the flash illumination, you'd have to increase your iso and/or aperture and cut down your shutter speed by the same number of stops.

Again, this is why I say you really want to be comfortable shooting in full Manual and swapping stops among iso, aperture, and shutter speed before you start messing about with flash. It's not hard to learn, but it is more complex stuff that builds upon the basics of exposures. You need those basics down, first.

[zona5101]

Originally Posted by GMAN

I ...I've seen a kit from a company called Opus, which looked reasonable, and I believe were priced around $1,200. Any suggestions that might help me decide would be nice!...

I've never heard of this company. A quick look at their website doesn't tell me much either. Maybe others will have some feedback for you. $1200 is a bunch of money - be sure and do a lot of research before pulling the trigger. There are a lot of lighting companies with well known names that might present better choices.