Nikon SLR Cameras

How to: 2nd Curtain Sync Flash photography?

Nick
Nick

What equipment do I need for 2nd Curtain Sync Flash photography? I have a Nikon D3200, is there anything special I must add to achieve this photography technique?

Mike1942f
Mike1942f

While this describes the technique
http://digital-photography-school.com/an-explanation-of-2nd-curtain-sync-flash-or-slow-sync-flash
it is my impression that digital cameras do not work this way - separate shutter screens - but simply begin collecting from the sensor and then shut it off. This eliminates the several problems with screen shutters but also eliminates this limited feature.
Perhaps I'm wrong but this page http://www.nikonusa.com/...D3200.html does not mention shutter style choices.

deep blue2
deep blue2

Mike is wrong there - what he is describing is an electronic shutter and is usually associated with compact point & shoot cameras.

Some DSLR's had a hybrid shutter (Nikon D40 for example), which is a curtain shutter at low speeds & at higher shutter speeds (1/500) is an electronic shutter - this allows flash sync at speeds higher than the standard max sync.

But other than that, all DSLR's use standard shutter curtains, same as SLR's. So it is possible to shoot rear (2nd) curtain flash on your D3200. What this means is that during an exposure when the flash is fired (usually a longish exposure), the flash will fire at the END of the exposure (as opposed to at the beginning, which is front or 1st curtain flash).

Info on rear curtain sync appears on p.48 of your user manual. If you don't have it, it can be downloaded here;
http://www.nikonusa.com/...200_EN.pdf