How to Synchronize Speed in Photography

A proper sync speed will light a subject fully.

The Synchronization Speed or Flash Sync Speed refers to the shutter speed at which a a camera's flash will produce enough light for the entire image. A faster shutter than sync speed creates an illuminated portion of the image as the shutter will be partially opened or closed when the image is taken. The flash's synchronization speed should be listed in the manual for the external flash or the manual for the camera if the flash is built in. If you can not find this, you will have to experiment with various shutter speeds to determine the appropriate speed.

Instructions

1. Switch your camera to manual mode, this is indicated by a "M" on the shooting mode dial.

2. Connect your external flash or open the built-in flash.

3. Find a dark room and set your ISO to a low setting, such as 200 or lower. Set your shutter speed to around 1/100th of a second. Set the aperture to the lowest f-stop number.

4. Aim your camera at an object and take a photo. Look at the photo. If you are using a film camera, you will need to take multiple photos at various speeds and then get the photos developed to determine which images exposed properly. If the sync speed is within range, the image will be fully exposed. If not there will be a black bar across the image; this is the shutter while opening or closing.

5. Increase the shutter speed and try again. Once the image does not have a black bar, you will be within the sync range. Continue to increase the shutter speed until a black bar appears again; the shutter speed before this will be the maximum sync speed for that flash unit.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't worry about trying to focus your image or adjusting additional settings as the only crucial part is whether the shutter is appearing in the image when the flash fires.