Anyone know of a camera that can be locked on the flash sync speed?
I recently had the opportunity to snatch a picture of Omar Sharif coming out of a bridge tournament late at night, with a young female socialite on his arm.
To my horror, when the pictures were developed, I discovered that the camera must have been knocked onto a higher shutter speed, because half the frame was blank.
I admit it. It was a stupid mistake to make. I shot the Sharif, but I did not shoot his debutante.

-- Flash 'Arry (h.edgerton@flashnet.com), November 05, 2001

Answers

With any Canon EOS body and one of their dedicated flash units attached, the shutter speed cannot be set higher than its max sync speed. I believe this is the case with all modern AF systems (Nikon/Minolta/Pentax).

Automation reduces, but does not eliminate stupid mistakes of course.

-- Kenneth Katz (socks@bestweb.net), November 05, 2001.

I shot a wedding about 5 months ago and used an fm2(x200)for use with flash. Knocked it from x200 to 1/4000th (easy to do). I've since replaced it with an F3, which locks on "X", and doesn't budge. I think F4's are the same. A few other cameras will do it, but maybe not as positively.

-- Mike DeVoue (karma77@att.net), November 05, 2001.

To elaborate on the F3, if you turn the shutter speed dial to "X" (1/80), the dial can't be turned at all until you depress a small button in the center to unlock the dial. It can be locked in "A" (autoexposure) the same way.

Furthermore, if you mount a flash that uses the F3's viewfinder readylight, the camera will ignore whatever the shutter speed dial is set to, and go to "X".

So by putting the shutter speed dial on "X" and mounting a dedicated flash, it's doubly locked and super-idiot-proof.

But from the return address and play on Eric Clapton lyrics, I'm wondering if we haven't got a troll on our hands. I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd have the chance to give Harold Edgerton some info on flash photography.

-- Richard Cochran (rcochran@lanset.com), November 05, 2001.