Filter
Top Products
44
• Multiple mechanical systems – cameras that have many changeable
mechanically interacting parts (film backs, motor drives, lens shutters) are likely
to have different lag times with different hardware combinations. A leaf shutter
is in the lens so changing lenses on a leaf shutter camera will change lag time.
In some medium format cameras having the film back loaded versus unloaded
can make a significant difference. For consistent results always use the same
components (lens, body, and film back combination for example) each time
• Auto-focus and exposure computers
– some auto-focus and exposure systems
will introduce widely varying lag times as lens travel and exposure calculations
can take unpredictable amounts of time. An electronic camera set to full manual
generally provides the most consistent lag times
Lag Time Measurement
–
~/MENU A A A L or ~/MENU A A B L or
~/MENU A A C L (RECEIVE units only)
The first step to camera synchronization or equalization is measuring a camera’s lag
time (triggering delay). The MultiMAX can measure a camera’s lag time in most delay
modes. Knowing your camera’s lag time is critical for camera equalization, but can
also be useful in special effects, industrial, commercial, or other photography that
requires critical trigger timing.
Using the information above set up your camera for best equalization performance.
Attach a MultiMAX (set for RECEIVE mode) to the camera as follows:
1. Place a MultiMAX in the camera’s hot shoe or attach a cable from the camera’s
PC terminal to PORT 1
2. Attach the cable from PORT 2 to the camera’s motor drive. If available, use a
Pre-Release cable
3. Press ~/MENU A A A for a standard delay mode where lag times can be
measured
4. The screen should display “Set Delay Using A B C D L “ and show a
numeric value. Press L. The unit will trigger the camera and time the delay until
a sync pulse is sensed from the hot shoe or lens
5. Press L every few seconds to find the fastest and slowest lag times for the
camera. Usually the first press of L will yield a very different number from later
measurements. Ignore the first reading. 5 to 15 lag time measurements after
the first one should yield consistent results and give a gauge of the fastest and
slowest times
6. Using steps 1 through 5, measure and record the fastest and slowest lag times
for each camera you wish to equalize. Subtract the fastest from the slowest and
record this number as the camera’s lag time variation