What Is High

High-speed syncing can elevate your flash photography to another level, but when should you consider using it?

Moving from natural light to artificial light can be daunting for beginner photographers. There are many types of lights to choose from, with different modifiers, light stands, triggers, and other things to consider. But flash photography isn't that hard. You don't need high-power strobes right away—start with a compact speedlight.

Speedlights are small and portable. And they are suitable for most common photographic needs. But you need to pay attention to the specs if you want them to work under different situations. Specifically, look for HSS or High-Speed Sync when shopping for a speedlight.

When you use a speedlight with your camera, either on your camera's hot shoe or remotely, you must use it slower than the flash sync speed. The flash sync speed is usually 1/200 or 1/250th of a second in most cameras. If you use a shutter speed above the flash sync speed, your photos will have a black band.

This is because most DSLR and mirrorless cameras have the shutter as two horizontal curtains to let in light. The top one opens first, followed closely by the bottom curtain. The flash sync speed is the right moment when the flash can fire in sync with the curtain movements. Anything above this speed, the curtain will close sooner, cutting off the light entering your camera. And you see the black band in your images.

A speedlight equipped with high-speed sync (HSS) emits light as a series of small bursts rather than a single shot of light. The bursts of light follow along the curtain movement, and you can use HSS all the way to the highest shutter speed in your camera.

You can buy manual speedlights without HSS for a low price, but if you shoot outdoors or action shots, you will find it limiting. On the other hand, manual speedlights are excellent options for stationary subjects under a controlled lighting setup.

If you are comfortable with the exposure triangle, you can assume some situations where the shutter speed of 1/250th of a second or lower can be problematic. Generally, we use shutter speed to manipulate how moving subjects look in our photos. So, using a slow shutter speed can be a nuisance or a complete disaster, depending on the type of photos you're taking.

Here are some scenarios where having HSS can be an advantage.

Do you like a pleasing bokeh in your images? Do you always use your fast lenses to achieve it? Then, you need a speedlight with HSS. If you're shooting portraits outdoors, you want to use fill flash to fill in the shadows. With a lot of ambient light and a wide-open aperture, your camera can be getting too much light. The shutter speed is the only thing you can adjust for correct exposure.

With HSS, you can dial in the shutter speed above the flash sync speed and take photos. You will get your bokeh and accurate exposure—it is a win-win.

Imagine taking pictures of your child playing sports. You have to keep the shutter speed over 1/500th of a second to get crisp images without any blur. The aperture must be reasonable too. If you open up the aperture wide, you're pushing to a narrow depth of field. A moving subject can end up anywhere in the frame.

So it is a good idea to use f5.6 or higher to have most of the frame in focus. An HSS speedlight is the perfect tool to get you the proper exposure in this situation.

Remember, the flash is coming in high-intensity bursts, which takes up a lot of power. The flash intensity may decrease as you increase the shutter speed, so move closer to your subject to get well-exposed photos. Also, with HSS, the battery will drain faster. So carry spare batteries for your speedlight.

In indoor settings, we bounce the flash off the walls or ceiling to get natural-looking pictures. If you're in a bright room and want to use some fill flash, it's convenient to have HSS. You can bump up the shutter speed and avoid overexposing your subject.

HSS can also be useful when capturing events and functions with a lot of action, like dance shows, concerts, theater, and so on. You need a high shutter speed to seize the motion. And, of course, you should be relatively close to your subject too.

If you're interested, you can learn about photographing a nightclub event.

Opening the aperture wide poses a unique challenge in macro photography—the depth of field becomes silver-thin because you are very close to the subject. Macro subjects like insects and bugs are quick, so you need a high shutter speed too. And you can only push the ISO so much before you get noise.

So, macro photographers resort to using speedlights to get their insect subjects in focus. The special ring lights meant for macro photography will probably have HSS. But not all photographers like how the photos look using a macro ring light. Many photographers prefer using speedlights mounted on the camera's hot shoe or off-camera like a side or backlight.

Similarly, if you want to use your speedlight, it is better to opt for one with HSS. So you can capture the fast-moving insects in complete focus. A shutter speed of 1/250th a second is not enough to photograph the buzzing bee or fluttering butterfly.

Another cool effect you can get with speedlights with HSS is the black background. When you use a fast shutter speed, you only light up the area close to your subject, and the background comes out as black in the images. If you're interested, here are some things you need for taking breathtaking macro photos.

A basic speedlight is inexpensive and versatile, but you will quickly outgrow it if you are a multi-genre photographer. So, saving money and getting one with a high-speed sync option is wiser. Of course, you will spend a few hundred more, but it is worth it.

Knowing the different features of different gear can help you make informed decisions when it is time to buy. So, check this guide before you go shopping for a speedlight.

Aarthi Arunkumar is a writer and photographer based in Toronto. After graduating with an engineering degree and a brief stint in the software industry, she found her calling in the Arts.Aarthi has seven years of photography experience and has been a freelance writer for over a decade. She writes about camera settings, compositional tips, and photo editing for MUO.She also teaches photography for adults and children at various community centers in Toronto.