High-speed sync: using flash in bright sun with wide apertures
HSS lets you use flash at shutter speeds faster than the sync limit, so you can shoot f/1.8 portraits with fill flash outdoors.
Most cameras can only sync with flash up to about 1/200 or 1/250 of a second. In bright sun at f/1.8, you would need 1/4000 or faster. High-speed sync (HSS) solves this by pulsing the flash rapidly throughout the exposure.
When to use HSS
- Outdoor portraits with a blurred background in bright sun
- Darkening a bright sky behind a subject
- Freezing motion with flash in daylight
How to set it up
Enable HSS on the flash or the trigger. With the Godox X3 Pro-S and HVL-F60RM2, HSS works with Sony’s system. Then set your aperture and shutter speed freely, for example f/2 at 1/2000.
The trade-off
HSS reduces flash power significantly, by roughly two stops or more. Move the flash closer to the subject, remove heavy modifiers or use a more powerful flash.
Alternative: ND filters
An ND filter darkens the scene so you can stay below the sync speed with a wide aperture, keeping full flash power. This is useful when you need lots of light from a larger modifier.
Next: Three-point lighting for portraits, interviews and video
