Strobe can’t be used with it’s full potential

[Michi]

I bought a couple of second strobes (sea and sea ys-d2) and found out that they only work with an Olympus OMD EM 1 Mark III up to 11/+0.7. Above that it triggers but does not synchronise... even at different shutter speeds (I tried 1/200 and 1/80) because I had flash duration time in mind. Then I tried a Sony Alpha 1: there it works one step higher up to 16/+1 but still the two highest modes missing. I also tried the electronic and mechanical shutters and tested with electronic cables (Ikelite to Nikonos/Inon and Ikelite ttl converter) and fibre optic cables. I also tried various modes on the flashes, like before flash and TTL etc.. Does anyone have any ideas?

[Klaus]

There are three flash modes (perhaps even more on the em-1) that you can set in the camera - manual, ttl and the proprietary rc-mode. Is the problem always there, or does it occur only with one of the settings? I vaguely remember reading that in rc-mode the number of pre-flashes is more than one and maybe even variable(not sure about the last).

I always use manual mode @ 1/64 intensity on my epl-5 and have not had any issues with Sea&sea strobes (older than ys-2). So that will be very different on your setup - but maybe it can help to find the source of the problem?

[JustinO]

We'd really need to know a bit more about what settings you' re using to help. For example, are you shooting Manual on both the strobe and the camera, or something else?  I have the EM 1 - Mk II and use the YS-D3 and have no issues at all powers in M on both.  I've not used the D2s, but would guess there isn't too much difference.  In manual on the camera with mechanical shutter and M on the strobe, it should sync up to 1/250 at all strobe powers, and if you use a trigger you can get even higher (1/400) without any black bars appearing.  

[Chris Ross]

A likely cause at high power is a pre-flash using enough capacitor capacity to prevent the strobe discharging.   The devil is in the detail of the settings you are using.

[Michi]

Hello and many thanks for the answers. At least the problem is half solved. I photograph always in manual mode. I have tried everything on the flashes from preflesh to TTL to "normal flash" without preflash with different shutter speeds plus with electric / fibre optic cables. Now and after your recommendations I tried several optical cables and it turned out that the signal in all except of one was too weak/inconsistent… but the problem still exists with electrical cables but In the Sony Menue I can not change any flash settings that are relevant. Or do I oversee something? With Olympus i am not able to trigger with electrical cables plus I asked for help and in the Olympus menue I solved the problem and weak cables don’t matter here! 

[Chris Ross]

Both ends of the system are important.  If you are using a camera with a pre-flash, best solution is to use manual low power flash on the camera.  If you can't turn the pre-flash off you need a setting on your flash that ignores the pre-flash.  Try triggering the flashes from Olympus camera with the YS-D2 on manual and the Olympus camera set to manual flash at 1/64 power using the little accesory flash.  The key point to remember is that the camera and flash are not aware of each other so both need to be set correctly.

[Architeuthis]

Hi Michi,

I used YS-D2 and Z330, exclusively in manual mode, on EM1II and EM5II and never had a problem with flash power (Triggered via Oly miniflash or Nauticam flash trigger using multifibre optical cables)...

Now I use Z330 and HF-1, manually, with A7R5 with optical cables (Nauticam or Turtle-manual flash triggers) and it works without problems. There may be differences in menue between A7R5 and A1, but here are the flash settings that I use in the "Exposure Color" Menue Tab. Maybe it helps:

 

 

Wolfgang

Edited October 15 by Architeuthis