With High speed Flash doesn't the camera have to supply the sync pulses for the flash? Even if the flash is capable of High Speed Sync, the camera body has to support it too and I don't think the Panny G1 family does.
Chris
Hi Chris,
I put my Panasonic DMW-FL360 on my G1 and went outside to take some test shots using fill flash (sun behind subject). These pictures are ONLY examples and are not meant demonstrate anything other than that a Flash set to FP Mode and the G1/GF1 camera does indeed allow fast shutter speed with a flash that has FP capability.
1) On the Flash I set the MODE to FP TTL AUTO
2) I set the G1 to shutter mode set shutter to 1/640 and forced Flash On.
I shot one picture with flash on and one with the flash off.
3) I set the G1 to shutter speed 1/1600
I shot one picture with flash on and one with flash off.
Here are the results (EXIF in pictures)... I can display the EXIF if it's needed.
G1, f/2.8, 1/640, Flash Fired (EXIF says auto)
G1, f/2.8, 1/640, Flash did not fire (off)
G1, f/2.8, 1/1600, Flash fired (EXIF says auto)
G1, f/2.8, 1/1600, Flash did not fire (off)
The manual for the G1 (pg. 60) and GF1 (pg. 62) indicate that when the camera is set to "Forced Flash) the shutter speed is limited to 1/160 max. This seems to be an error since I had the camera set to "Forced Flash". Which I believe is the correct way to shoot to get "fill flash". Strangely, the G1/GF1 manuals for "Flash auto" indicates that the Flash can go to 1/4000. Perhaps they just reversed the two.
I did try my Oly FL50 flash with the G1/GF1 and it failed quite ofter above 1/1000. On a couple of the tests the flash didn't fire but the camera's EXIF indicated the flash fired and on other rests it fired but was not in sysnc with shutter. If I slowed the shutter speed down to 1/1000 or lower, the the success rate increased. However the Oly Flash works fine on my Oly E-620 as it should.
NOTE: I indicated in an earlier post above that the Oly flashed worked with the G1/GF1 - it doesn't, Sorry for the bum information. I'll see if I can edit it after I post this.....
Cheers,
Don