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Questions re flash speeds

Analog6

Analog6

Member
The manual says: "The H System's central lens shutter allows flash sync at all shutter speeds, enabling use of flash in all lighting conditions."

My question is, are there electronic flashes with longer durations?

The reason for this question is that I have been looking at the works of O. Winston Link, a 1950s photographer of, among other things, steam trains at night. Link used huge batteries of connected flash bulbs and 5x4" and med format to shoot iconic images.

I had just assumed (yes, I know that makes an ass out of me and U) his effects could not be reproduced with modern flash, but I have been told there are electronic flash units that give a longer 'burn' by doing a repeating strobe effect rather than just one flash.

Does anyone know anything about such flash units?
 
There was a flash for the Olympus OM-4Ti that was named F 280. It offered flash durations of 1/25 to 1/70 of a second by this repeating strobe effect. As far as I unsterstand it this feature can only be controlled via the flash contacts of the OM-4Ti (which is a fine camera for this format).

Ulrik
 
There are some "high speed" flash. For Canon Nikon and even Leica (M7 + SF 24).
With the H line the max speed for electronic flash is 1/80, for V line 1/500 but for F lenses only 1/90. (And for 1000F 1/30)

For bulb flash (Mg) the duration is about 1/30 to get 90% of the light. If you use 1/60 you get half power and if you use 1/8000 ...almost nothing.
Powerfull bulbs are costy.
 
Thanks Ulrik and blowupster. I knew about the Olympus one, and I have found a place that still sells the magnesium bulbs. Maybe one day I will delve into this. It would be an interesting (if expensive) experiment.
 
I have about 3kg of magnesium bulbs in my cave.
When you use it, it smells strong and you have to wait to change the hot bulb. Nowadays it's impossible to throw it under the carpet as we did 50 years ago like cigarettes.
There is always a risk that the bulb fire when you replace it.
It take a long time to remove hot bulbs, even if you have the 4 shots revolver made by Zeiss (Ikoblitz M)
 
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