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Nikon D3100/Hummingbird Flash Unit (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Hughv
- Start date
DJ ODonnell
Well-known member
Hmmm... I also have a D3100 and, when needed, I use an SB600 flash. However, if you are using it to give some fill-light to a backlit hummer, you will be restricted by the D3100 1/200 sec. flash sync limit. A flash as a sole source of light will freeze even very high speed action, but when used as a fill flash, you may get ghosting of the fast action from the ambient light, or at least that's what I've experienced. Perhaps a better solution when there is heavy back lighting would be to use a reflector to light the hummer from the front. Your shutter speed can be as fast as you can set it with no restrictions from the flash. I'd be interested in hearing any other input on this... my opinions have been proven wrong in the past and this could be another instance of me not knowing what I'm talking about!
Not sure what your actual question is.
In what respect do you feel a flash could improve your hummer shoots?
What kind of set-up do you have in mind?
I did a lot of hummer hunting in the last couple of years and never used a flash set-up or even a single on camera flash. Just waited for a bright sunny day and hummers to show up in the right spot.
A lot of hummer images that are taken with flash are done with static multiple flash set-ups and rely on a hummer showing up on a designated target. There are several sites on the web that show what kind of rigging some folks use for this kind of studio shooting.
Here the recipe is to use a small aperture to max. DOF and to eliminate ambient light as much as possible from exposure, thus the fast burning flash is the "only" light source and freezes the motion. In particular when the flash is powerfull that it can light up the scene with a fraction of it max. output (e.g. 1/32 in manual flash mode, that gives a very fast/short burntime).
If you use a single on-camera TTL flash just to get some more light on the hummer your usable shutter speed depends on camera and flash model. Combining compatible models you can use high speed flash sync that will allow shutter speeds of theoretical 1/8000s. However, in high speed sync flash reach is drastically reduced when increasing shutter speed -maybe not a problem if you get close o the hummers- and firing bursts may not work due to the flash recycle (charging) time.
Ulli
In what respect do you feel a flash could improve your hummer shoots?
What kind of set-up do you have in mind?
I did a lot of hummer hunting in the last couple of years and never used a flash set-up or even a single on camera flash. Just waited for a bright sunny day and hummers to show up in the right spot.
A lot of hummer images that are taken with flash are done with static multiple flash set-ups and rely on a hummer showing up on a designated target. There are several sites on the web that show what kind of rigging some folks use for this kind of studio shooting.
Here the recipe is to use a small aperture to max. DOF and to eliminate ambient light as much as possible from exposure, thus the fast burning flash is the "only" light source and freezes the motion. In particular when the flash is powerfull that it can light up the scene with a fraction of it max. output (e.g. 1/32 in manual flash mode, that gives a very fast/short burntime).
If you use a single on-camera TTL flash just to get some more light on the hummer your usable shutter speed depends on camera and flash model. Combining compatible models you can use high speed flash sync that will allow shutter speeds of theoretical 1/8000s. However, in high speed sync flash reach is drastically reduced when increasing shutter speed -maybe not a problem if you get close o the hummers- and firing bursts may not work due to the flash recycle (charging) time.
Ulli
For true stop action photography TTL flashes are not required as you will need to use them in manual mode anyway. Depending on the required output TTL controlled flash burn times can be up to 1/1000s, still to long to freeze the action, and are hit and miss if the action is stopped or not.
Thus for motion stop hummer photography folks use the studio style set-up with often multiple flashs under manual control.
These are flash burn durations for a Nikon SB800 at the different manual power settings (note that "Flash brightness" is regulated by how long its burns, not by dimming the output):
1/1050 sec. at M1/1 (full) output
1/1100 sec. at M1/2 output
1/2700 sec. at M1/4 output
1/5900 sec. at M1/8 output
1/10900 sec. at M1/16 output
1/17800 sec. at M1/32 output
1/32300 sec. at M1/64 output
1/41600 sec. at M1/128 output
Knowing these "burn" times one can set a flash to the desired freeze time (e.g. 1/5900 s at M1/8 output) and make sure the other camera settings (primarily aperture and ISO) lead to correct exposure. On the down side the flash range at fast settings goes down (thus multiple flashes to not only light up the bird also for background etc.), but since the power isn't drained one can shoot at least a few frames in a row.
This site draws a good picture what is involved http://www.rpphoto.com/howto/hummer/humguide1.asp.
One can also go crazy and get designated high speed flashs. They costs good money and require a studio setting (stands and powersupply).
