Flash Compendium

Flash Timing Diagrams

The following timing diagrams were taken with an oscilloscope with an optical receiver attached. They are probably of interest for the techies and provide a deeper insight into the Minolta flash system.

I've used a Dynax 7, representing film cameras, and a 7D, representing digital cameras.

Dynax 7

Regular flash

	TTL-OTF with Dynax 7 and built-in flash
	This is a regular flash exposure with the built-in flash. The first peak is the flash going off and being cut off after some time. The second smaller peak is a mystery to me. It appears about 1/200 s after the main flash, well within the 1/40 s exposure time.
	TTL-OTF with Dynax 7 and external flash
	This is the same exposure with an external flash. The main pulse is shorter, but probably stronger (the amplitude in these diagrams is not to scale). The second smaller pulse is missing.
	HSS with Dynax 7 and external flash
	This is High Speed Sync in action. First, there's a metering flash. It's followed about 1/12 s later by the main flash which is much wider than regular.

Wireless flash

	Wireless TTL with Dynax 7 (test flash only)
	These are the control pulses from the built-in flash when you press the AEL button to test the wireless connection. There are three short pulses, with the first two close together. The main flash responds about 1/2 s later (not in diagram).
	Wireless TTL with Dynax 7 (with main flash) at 1/60 s
	This is a complete wireless flash exposure at a slow exposure time. First, there are two control pulses from the built-in flash, and about 20 ms later there is the main flash and the stop pulses (intermixed).
	Wireless TTL with Dynax 7 (with main flash) at 1/80 s
	Here is the same exposure, but with a shorter exposure time. With exposure times shorter than 1/60 s, the Dynax 7 (and later cameras) use a new protocol. There are two start pulses, a longer pulse (maybe for pre-flash metering), four more control pulses, and the main flash. Earlier (non-D) flashes do not understand this new protocol, and are not triggered when exposure times are shorter than 1/60 s.
	Wireless HSS with Dynax 7 (with main flash)
	If you decrease the exposure time below the x-sync speed, the 7 uses Wireless HSS. The protocol is similar to that of exposure times between 1/60 s and x-sync speed, but there's the typical flat pulse of HSS as the main flash.

Dynax 7D

Regular flash

	Pre-flash TTL with Dynax 7D and built-in flash
	The 7D always uses some kind of pre-flash metering with automated flash. With the built-in flash, there are 4 metering pulses, and at about 1/7 s later, there's the main flash. I have no idea why there are 4 metering pulses. One should be enough. The long delay between metering flash and main flash is the reason why you often find people with their eyes closed on photos taken with flash. They start to blink when they see the metering flash, and the photo is taken just when their eyes are closed.
	Pre-flash TTL with Dynax 7D and built-in flash (metering flashes only)
	These are the 4 metering pulses above.
	Pre-flash TTL with Dynax 7D and external flash
	With an external flash, there's only a single, longer metering flash. Again, the main flash follows about 1/7 s later.
	Pre-flash TTL with Dynax 7D and external flash (metering flash only)
	This is the metering flash zoomed into.
	HSS and pre-flash TTL with Dynax 7D and external flash
	HSS with the 7D is almost identical to HSS with the 7. The only difference is that the delay between metering flash and main flash is slightly longer.

Wireless flash

	Wireless flash with Dynax 7D (test flash only)
	The wireless test function of the 7D is identical to that of the 7.
	Wireless flash with Dynax 7D (with main flash) at 1/40 s
	As you can see, the 7D always uses the new wireless protocol, even for exposure times longer than 1/60 s. This is required because the new protocol includes a metering flash, which the 7D needs, as it can not perform OTF metering. This is also the reason why the 7D does not trigger non-D flashes in wireless mode. These flash units simply do not understand the new protocol.
	Wireless flash with Dynax 7D (control pulses only) at 1/40 s
	These are the control pulses and the metering flash at the beginning of the sequence.
	Wireless HSS with Dynax 7D (with main flash) at 1/200 s
	Wireless HSS is again almost identical to that of the 7. It's used for exposure times shorter than the x-sync speed.

Ralph Wagner has asked me to host his own set of measurements. He has put together two PDF files containing his own results. Here they are:

Readers' comments

#1: Comment posted by Vyacheslav Lanovets on April 10th, 2008 - 08:16:31 PM:
With a great interest I am waiting for the same investigation for A700. I heard A700 has only about 80ms delay between metering and main pulses instead of 140ms (=1/7s) delay in 7D.

Michael Hohner answers:
Don't hold your breath. I no longer have access to an oscilloscope, so I can't repeat this with the A700.

#2: Comment posted by Farid Masri on January 15th, 2009 - 07:11:15 PM:

Hello,

Great site. I was looking at this page for the first time and could not help but see one flaw that will make the diagrams make sense. I apologize if someone has brought it up before:

Oscilloscopes display the sweep from left to right, so events occurring first appear on the right side of the screen and events occurring last appear on the left. For example, in the first diagram, the small pulse on the right is the metering pulse, and the wider one on the left is the actual flash.
Another example is diagram 6 (“Wireless TTL with Dynax 7 (with main flash) at 1/80 s”); the short pulse on the right is the TTL metering, followed by several communication pulses with the external flash. The main flash triggering pulse is slightly wider here, then followed by 2 quick pulses telling the external flash to end the exposure.

I hope that helps make sense of all the diagrams.

Michael Hohner answers:
It's the other way round. Earlier events are to the left, later events are to the right. In the first diagram, there is no metering flash.

#3: Comment posted by Kenith Ryan on January 21st, 2009 - 09:15:48 AM:
In the diagram for Wireless TTL with Dynax 7 (with main flash) at 1/60 s the main flash and stop pulses are intermixed. Do you have a zoomed in view of this showing the separate pulses?

Michael Hohner answers:
What you see on this page is all I have.

#4: Comment posted by Farid Masri on February 9th, 2009 - 11:20:52 PM:

Regarding my comment earlier, you are correct, I did mix up my directions. I should know better sine I use a scope all the time. I I have also been working with for some time with a special data acquisition chart that is setup in the opposite direction, so it gets confusing.

I did run some test a couple of years back on a Fuji camera and got some what similar patterns, but, in some instances, they looked a like a mirror image of the the Minolta ones you have here. I am hoping I can run some tests on the Sony A700 some time when I get a chance. I'll send you image captures if I do.

#5: Comment posted by pradi on April 9th, 2009 - 07:13:49 AM:
Here are Some Flash test's of the alpha 200 and 700. http://www.sonyuserforum.de/forum/showthread.php?t=68782

#6: Comment posted by Dino Tsapa on April 6th, 2023 - 12:35:52 PM:
hello, would you know if the Good for Sony triggers ( for ex., X2T-s, etc) work with the late SSM Minolta models? are their flash protocols the same with their digital cousins? many thanks and best regards, c

Michael Hohner answers:
AFAIK, Godox triggers can only trigger Godox flashes.