Shooting High Speed Sync with Fuji X-E3 & Flashpoint Zoom Li-on R2 TTL

by Stanley LearyPhotography

Blue Bird on my Bird-feeder in Roswell, GA [Fujifilm X-E3, 55-200mm, ISO 1000, ƒ/4.8, 1/200 – Flashpoint Zoom Li-on R2 TTL & Flashpoint R2 TTL transmitter]

Before Christmas, my friend Dennis Fahringer forwarded me a special Adorama had on their  Flashpoint Zoom Li-on R2 TTL & Flashpoint R2 TTL transmitter. The flash was $119, and the transmitter $46.

I bought the Godox VING V860IIN TTL Li-Ion Flash Kit for Nikon with its transmitter. I did this because I loved the Neewer TT850, which is pretty much the same flash as the TTL capabilities.

Neewer, Godox, and Flashpoint are all the same company but are marketed differently. Flashpoint is the Adorama branded system with more warranty than the others.

I have not bought the studio version of the system yet, but I plan to do so soon. This week, they just introduced the newest version of the studio  Flashpoint XPLOR 600PRO TTL Battery-Powered Monolight (Bowens Mount) – Godox AD600 Pro. This sells for $899 without the transmitter.

The XPLOR 600Pro TTL is the next evolution of the Flashpoint R2 radio system, compatible with the R2 Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, and Olympus/Panasonic TTL auto flash systems, for remote power control and shooting.

Brown-headed Nuthatch Sitta pusilla is probably the least numerous nuthatch in North America. It has lost ground in some areas because of habitat loss, but still common where southern pine forest exists. [Fujifilm X-E3, 55-200mm, ISO 12800, ƒ/5.6, 1/1000 – Flashpoint Zoom Li-on R2 TTL & Flashpoint R2 TTL transmitter]

Using the bird feeder in my backyard, I did some tests to see how well the camera worked with the HSS of 1/4000. The flash supports the FP mode (high-speed flash sync), in which the flash outputs continuous light while the first and second curtains travel across the sensor, enabling flash photography at any shutter speed.

The range of the radio transmitter from the camera to the flash is 330ft / 100m. Recycle time is <4 seconds. This is great for more than 600+ full power flashes with the Lithium battery.

You need to use their studio heads if you want something faster. The Flashpoint XPLOR 600PRO TTL Battery-Powered Monolight recycle time is approximately 0.01-0.9s.

Blue Bird on my Bird-feeder in Roswell, GA [Fujifilm X-E3, 55-200mm, ISO 25600, ƒ/8, 1/4000 – Flashpoint Zoom Li-on R2 TTL & Flashpoint R2 TTL]

When you think of the exposure triangle, you believe that all are affected as you change on the others.

Well, there is a kink in this because when you use a flash, the light volume is pretty much the same as you shorten the duration. The problem through the years was the ability to shrink the shutter speed and sync with the flash. This has now been pretty much solved in the last few years. So the shortening of the shutter speed impacts the available light (The Sun) if outside and not the flash as much.

Action shot of soccer player in Oxnard, California. [Nikon D5, Nikon 14-24mm ƒ/2.8, ISO 50, ƒ/11, 1/200 – (2) Godox V860IIN + Godox X1NT]

Earlier I showed how I did this with the Nikon system. Now I can do the same with my Fuji X-E3 and the Flashpoint Zoom Li-on R2 TTL & Flashpoint R2 TTL transmitter.

Now the cool thing about picking up the studio flash Flashpoint XPLOR 600PRO TTL Battery-Powered Monolight (Bowens Mount) – Godox AD600 Pro is it works with all the transmitters for Nikon, Fuji, Sony, Canon, and Olympus. So, my two camera systems can use the same studio flash in TTL mode.

Yellow Finch [Fujifilm X-E3, 55-200mm, ISO 12800, ƒ/8, 1/1000 – Flashpoint Zoom Li-on R2 TTL & Flashpoint R2 TTL transmitter]

I am looking forward to shooting more with my Fuji X-E3 and the Flashpoint Zoom Li-on R2 TTL & Flashpoint R2 TTL transmitter in the months ahead. I love such a small system for travel.