Vivitar DF-383 and V6 II: Flash cut-off in HSS
Am getting flash cut-off (top of frame lit with flash, bottom not) with Normal HSS ON; OFF is good up to 1/250. Flash is a Panasonic/Olympus version; is auto-profiled as "O". Camera: Lumix GX8. How do I get the HHS to work? Thanks.
Comments
From looking at the spec here, the DF-383 does not natively support HSS.
http://www.vivitar.com/product/117/archive/1120/df-383
That is the reason you are seeing the cut-off, aka banding.
When you set 2nd Curtain, it may have limited your camera's shutter speed to below x-sync. Check the image exif and see if it was really shot above 1/250s?
Thank you.
Brand Manager
Can you clarify on this?
So you did the half-press shutter when V6 II auto-detects your GX8 as "O" (Olympus / Panasonic)?
Whereas before you manually select the camera system as "O"?
Technically there is not a difference. But perhaps during auto-detect the camera hot shoe pins confirmed alignment.
FYI, you may not have noticed, we recently post an update about compatibility with GX8 in HSS. Due to timing requirements by the GX8 (super quick) off-camera flash signals could not keep up so it will only support up to 1/4000s. At 1/8000s there will be banding issues.
At the moment we listed the GX8 as not HSS compatible but we are considering in changing that to supporting HSS up to 1/4000s.
Thank you.
Brand Manager
Have you tried removing the metal hot shoe spring plate on the GX8?
We find it helps with the hot shoe connection.
As for 1/1600s, are you using RF60 as off-camera flash?
For the same timing reason + the fact that RF60 is still a manual flash, there are no pre-flash so power pops at the very begining of the frame. We post a note on RF60's page on the same day we did for the V6 II.
Alas - it's a great camera but not sure why Panasonic tuned it so quick. Even their latest GX85 is not like this.
Brand Manager
It's Panasonic's own settings, nothing we can do.
Googled Panasonic Lumix Japan, you can fill out an enquiry form but I doubt they would do anything just for us?
https://crews.iccc.panasonic.co.jp/csform/form.do
Brand Manager
All the best contacting Ideas for Life.
Brand Manager
Contact URL (https://crews.iccc.panasonic.co.jp/csform/form.do) gives me a blank screen. Alternatives?
Regardless, will pursue other Panasonic contact options.
Do you have a media contact list? It dawned on me that contacting a few notable media influencers, i.e., respected well-knowns who have written GX8 reviews, would be useful -- if for no other reason than to mine them for marketing/engineering contact info. Who knows, they might even put their weight behind an initiative to fix the timing issue.
Thanks.
https://crews.iccc.panasonic.co.jp/csform/agree.do?cid=D000100008&aid=0
Then click on the button on the left.
It's all in Japanese, so translate it first with Google then fill out the form. But I don't know if big corp such as Panasonic would respond, or if they do, how quickly. You will need a contact within Panasonic who is in charge of R&D.
Good luck!
Brand Manager