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I am planning on buying a Godox AD600, which has HSS. I am also looking for filler and hair strobes, and I am not getting 3x AD600's that is for sure.

So I was wondering, if I want to do HSS with more than the AD600 by itself, such as using fill lights, the fill strobes will have to be HSS as well, correct?

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  • \$\begingroup\$ It depends on the type of camera you are using. Focal plane shutter? Leaf shutter? Electronic shutter? \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Commented Feb 17, 2017 at 20:04

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It depends on how you're lighting, and where/how the shutter is going to block the non-HSS flashes, but for the most part yes, you'll need HSS-capable hair/fill if you plan on having a completely HSS lighting setup. Luckily for you, if you're using the Godox X1 triggering system, HSS comes with both their TTL and manual lights that have X1 receivers built in, so you could go with their speedlights (TT600, TT685, V850II, or V860II) or the bare bulb AD360II and get HSS.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Ah, cool. The HSS Godox speedlight a good option. Thanks for that! I would need to get the TTL version of the Godox AD600, though, right? \$\endgroup\$
    – samseva
    Commented Feb 19, 2017 at 2:09
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    \$\begingroup\$ @samvesa, I don't think so. AFAIK, both versions of the AD600 will perform HSS with an X1 transmitter and HSS-capable camera. I think you only need the TTL version if you want TTL. But I don't use the Godox system, so you may want to do further research. The TT600 and V580II are both non-TTL speedlights, which can do HSS remotely with an X1 transmitter. \$\endgroup\$
    – inkista
    Commented Feb 19, 2017 at 21:06
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Yes and no. You could use a white or silver reflector and you do not need an additional flash. But if you want to keep making HSS photos (normally that is for outdoor photography) yes, you need the other flashes to be HSS.

Remember that you can use a Neutral density filter too to lower your shutter speed to your sync speed if you have other flashes that are not HSS.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Ah, yes. Reflectors would be a good (and a lot less expensive) alternative. That will probably be more than enough for my HSS projects. \$\endgroup\$
    – samseva
    Commented Feb 19, 2017 at 2:10
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I am pretty sure that HSS (high speed sync) is special feature of strobe, doesn't come for free with any light source. HSS requires that flash fires multiple times during shorter exposure, so it requires special bulbs and larger capacitors that can hold and release quickly enough charge for several flashes per exposure.

Maybe you can live with light sources providing constant light output? Those can be combined with HSS as far as I see.

Using HSS strobe with non-HSS strobe and exposing at high speed (let's say 1/1000) will cause funny effects. If you use HSS for main light and have regular strobe in the background, model face will be properly illuminated, but background will have only stripe highlighted, as shutter movement defines when light gets on the sensor.

Finally, you didn't specify what shutter you are using. Leaf shutters have higher sync speed, so HSS or no HSS, you can use greater shutter speed. Curtain shutters (default in 35mm DSLRs) require HSS. Also special case of electronic shutters (basically when sensor controls exposure time) allows whole sensor area to be "active" at the same moment, ready for strobe pulse.

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