Nikon SLR Cameras

Can my d3100 go past 1/200 shutter speed with an external flash?

Jake
Jake

I can't get my nikon d3100 to go past 1/200 shutter speed with pop up or an external flash. Not sure if there's anything i can do about it. I know the pop up flash will never allow me to go past 1/200. But i'd like to use an external flash in lighted conditions sometimes and i need faster than 1/200. Any help would be appreciated.

Alta Hero
Alta Hero

The shutter speed is always limited when you use flash because the flash only fires for a split second and focal plane shutters on SLR's camera need to move a curtain over a focal plane that exposes certain parts of the sensor at any given time. If the shutter speed was faster, the picture would only be partly exposed because the sensor was not fully exposed to the light of the flash. You could get a really powerful light so that you can expose your subjects at a fast shutter speed. Newer cameras have faster shutter speeds with flash like 1/250. The shutter is like two curtain, a slow shutter speed widens the curtains so that it can expose it longer, a faster shutter speed thins the curtains so that the curtains have to move across the sensor so each point of the sensor gets exposed with the same shutter speed.

AWBoater
AWBoater

Advanced Nikon DSLRs have a function called FP High Speed Synch that allows the flash to go up to 1/4000th of a second. This is only available with select Nikon speedlights and advanced amateur level DSLRs such as the D90 and above, as well as the pro series.

Essentially what the flash does is to "strobe" rapidly many times during the high speed shutter actuation, which exposes the entire photo.

Unfortunately, this is one thing the entry level Nikons can't do.

BriaR
BriaR

Canon DSLRs and higher range Nikons can use high speed flash sync up to 1/4000th with compatible flashguns.
Unfortunately Nikon leave this very useful feature out of their entry level models.