Pixel King flash triggers - mini review

divamum

As mentioned in this thread, I finally went ahead and purchased a set of these - 1x transmiter, 1x receiver .

Packaging: The units come in a very nice padded nylon case, similar to the cases that come with recent Canon flashes. Space for both units, plus two included cables as well as a mini-usb>usb. It also comes with a little universal flash stand (like the ones that come with Canon flashes); it has both a screw-hole in the bottom and a male hotshoe fitting (so I guess you could attach it to a stand either way?)

Build quality: Plastic doesn't feel as sturdy as OEM flash units, but doesn't actually feel flimsy. The bottom of the hotshoe is metal. The locking ring feels like the cheapest plastic of the entire unit and probably the weakest link; the housing is not noticeably different from other 3rd-party flashes. Early users reported battery-door issues - the units I received are perfectly tight and secure, so I think that's something that is no longer a problem.

Batteries: Takes 2x AA. I'm using eneloops and they're fine. NB: The batteries go in opposite directions as pairs. I sat here for 5 minutes wondering if I had a DOA before I thought about trying to reverse one of the cells - the confusion is that the contacts are in the housing the same way (as opposed to spring being always at the "-" end).

Ease of use: I put the batteries in both units, made sure they were on matching channelsL, set the flash in one room and walked to the other end of the house (with closed doors in between) and took a shot. The flash fired, no problem. I guess I was about 30ft away - may not be enough for some folks, but is more than adequate for my usual needs!

ETTL: Haven't had a chance to play with it to check exposure accuracy using ETTL and FEC etc, but from the limited amount I did, it works absolutely fine. I'll have a chance to do a bit more with it in the next few days (and will amend this review accordingly if necessary)

- Yes, you have FEC and FEB control from the camera (it's in the "external flash" menu). For me, the ability to change the power from the camera via FEC is hugely helpful.

- No, you can't set flash groups to different power levels unless you go to manual mode, ie there is no ability to adjust ratios between flashes. This is a bummer, but not insurmountable for me (ymmv). Also, you can avoid this problem by going full manual, where you can adjust power on the flash units themselves as per any other manual trigger set.

- yes it can do HSS

- yes it can do second-curtain

Manual: if you have "II" model flashes, then you can adjust power from the camera IN MANUAL. I do not have model II flashes so this is a feature I can't use, but for those who have those units that's a wonderful bonus. Model II flashes are not "required", they simply offer the added convenience; if you are in manual, you can of course adjust the power on the flash units as you would with any other trigger.

For just over $100 WITH the ability to use ETTL, I think this is a great set of triggers. I'm already kicking myself for only getting one trigger/receiver; I'm already regretting that decision! I did it because I just wasn't sure they would be what I would need and didn't want to get lumbered with multiple receiver units I wouldn't use; it will cost me more to buy a 2nd one a la carte than it would have as part of a set, but such is life - my penny-wise-pound-foolish mistake on this occasion (and there will be no cost-savings in paying to return this one to re-buy the 2-rcvr set)!

NB: I will come back and amend this review as needed, ie as I use the flashes and discover any other useful features/problems that I find with real-life use.

ETA: For those who want a more in-depth review, somebody (not me) wrote one up here

divmedic4

Thanks for posting the review Diva. If these are the ones from Amazon you mentioned in your linked thread, I just ordered a set yesterday so am very happy to hear such positive results. IIRC, you are shooting a 7D so I hope the results are as good with a 60D.

MarcRaymond

I agree..This trigger set is very good and consistently fires my flashes (1-580ex ii; 2-yn565). The ability to control the power settings via in-camera menu, RF transmission, muliple flashes in different groups and functionality to have multiple photogs using pixel kings on different frequencies (so as not to fire the other photogs flashes - this came in handy while shooting a trade show) makes this a great alternative to the more expensive PW's. And though there are other triggers which can control multiple flashes in ETTL via in-camera (as stated above I also just switch to manual mode), I am still very happy with Pixel King and recommend them big time.

ziggy53

I note that the Pixel King transmitter has an AF Assist Light. Any comments about its usefulness?

divamum

divmedic4 wrote: »

Thanks for posting the review Diva. If these are the ones from Amazon you mentioned in your linked thread, I just ordered a set yesterday so am very happy to hear such positive results. IIRC, you are shooting a 7D so I hope the results are as good with a 60D.

Yup. Very annoyed I hesitated and bought the 1+1 set ($108) instead of the 1+2 ($176). I've now just ordered a 2nd trigger for $80, so it's going to cost me more in the long run. Penny wise and pound foolish on this occasion! At some point I'll need a 3rd, but it won't be useful until I have a 3rd manual flash so I can set power indepndently (2 of my flashes run in manual, but the third, a 420ex, is ETTL only). My STE2 works great for me indoors so I don't think this is a big deal, but I reckon I should have 2x radio triggers for outside - was really dumb not to just buy them at the same time!!

angevin1

ziggy53 wrote: »

I note that the Pixel King transmitter has an AF Assist Light. Any comments about its usefulness?

Same here! That is a biggie??

divamum

Tom and Ziggy, will do when I put them through their paces this week. Ziggy, is there a specific way to test what an AF assist is (or isn't) doing?

ziggy53

divamum wrote: »

Tom and Ziggy, will do when I put them through their paces this week. Ziggy, is there a specific way to test what an AF assist is (or isn't) doing?

I suggest comparing to a Canon 580EX AF Assist light, for example.

If you use a darkened room with light colored walls, and stand 3-5 feet from the wall with the flash on a camera body and with a lens on the camera, half-depress the shutter button and note the color and pattern on the wall.

With the Canon 580EX series flashes the pattern should be red and relatively tall in size. A Canon 4xxEX series flash produces a red pattern that is less tall. The ideal is a red pattern, tall and wide enough to hit many of the autofocus sensor positions of the host camera.

I have read that the AF Assist light of the Pixel King transmitter is not a projected pattern and that it is a white light. This is reminiscent of early on-camera AF Assist lights. While it will improve autofocus at close proximity to the camera, it generally is much less effective at any distance and human subjects may react negatively to the white light. If this is the case, I suggest using at least a red filter over the AF Assist light when shooting human subjects.

divamum

Just checked the focus-assist with the transmitter on camera. The pre-flashes against the wall were actually red, even though the light on the front of the unit looks to have a clear housing (unlike the red light covers on Canon flash equipment). Btw, I was looking AT the unit as it pre-flashed just to make sure I wasn't mistaking a red glow from something else, eg the ready indicator etc. It's definitely the af assist light.

I also just ran through some test shots using HSS (works perfectly) and FEC (works perfectly). I hid the flash in some bushes with all line of sight completely blocked and it fired the 580ex every time, with my FEC adjustments clearly visible.

The PK's are an excellent budget product; obviously, I have no idea how they'll be over the longer term (which is usually where the problem lies with this kind of cheaper imported product), but out of the box they're certainly delivering. I don't think they are ever going to fully replace PW's for heavy professional use, but at their significantly lower price point (and without the RF issues which have plagued pw+580ex's) and WITH what seems to be easily useable ETTL, they're a great addition to the bag for anybody who doesn't have to pound them day after day in rough environments.

angevin1

divamum wrote: »

Just checked the focus-assist with the transmitter on camera. The pre-flashes against the wall were actually red, even though the light on the front of the unit looks to have a clear housing (unlike the red light covers on Canon flash equipment). Btw, I was looking AT the unit as it pre-flashed just to make sure I wasn't mistaking a red glow from something else, eg the ready indicator etc. It's definitely the af assist light.

I also just ran through some test shots using HSS (works perfectly) and FEC (works perfectly). I hid the flash in some bushes with all line of sight completely blocked and it fired the 580ex every time, with my FEC adjustments clearly visible.

The PK's are an excellent budget product; obviously, I have no idea how they'll be over the longer term (which is usually where the problem lies with this kind of cheaper imported product), but out of the box they're certainly delivering. I don't think they are ever going to fully replace PW's for heavy professional use, but at their significantly lower price point (and without the RF issues which have plagued pw+580ex's) and WITH what seems to be easily useable ETTL, they're a great addition to the bag for anybody who doesn't have to pound them day after day in rough environments.

They Sound like a really good bargain! Thanks for continuing the updates!

angevin1

Oh, I meant to suggest. Place a flash out a window with a trigger on it and shoot from inside?

ziggy53

divamum wrote: »

Just checked the focus-assist with the transmitter on camera. The pre-flashes against the wall were actually red, even though the light on the front of the unit looks to have a clear housing (unlike the red light covers on Canon flash equipment). Btw, I was looking AT the unit as it pre-flashed just to make sure I wasn't mistaking a red glow from something else, eg the ready indicator etc. It's definitely the af assist light.

...

That's very good news for a couple of reasons:

1) Some users, with the white AF Assist light, had contacted Pixel so it sounds like Pixel listens to its customers' comments.

2) A red LED is much more efficient (potentially brighter) than a white LED with a red bezel.

Now, if they just had a projected pattern ... (or if someone does a DIY "improvement".)

divamum wrote: »

...

I also just ran through some test shots using HSS (works perfectly) and FEC (works perfectly). I hid the flash in some bushes with all line of sight completely blocked and it fired the 580ex every time, with my FEC adjustments clearly visible.

The PK's are an excellent budget product; obviously, I have no idea how they'll be over the longer term (which is usually where the problem lies with this kind of cheaper imported product), but out of the box they're certainly delivering. I don't think they are ever going to fully replace PW's for heavy professional use, but at their significantly lower price point (and without the RF issues which have plagued pw+580ex's) and WITH what seems to be easily useable ETTL, they're a great addition to the bag for anybody who doesn't have to pound them day after day in rough environments.

Thanks for following through with these tests and offering your impressions.

divamum

ziggy53 wrote: »

That's very good news for a couple of reasons:

1) Some users, with the white AF Assist light, had contacted Pixel so it sounds like Pixel listens to its customers' comments.

2) A red LED is much more efficient (potentially brighter) than a white LED with a red bezel.

Now, if they just had a projected pattern ... (or if someone does a DIY "improvement".)



Thanks for following through with these tests and offering your impressions.

Ziggy, I just compared the PK af assist light and the 580ex. The 580 ex looks like red vertical lines; the PK is just a circle the shape of the light (although it's brighter in the center sort of like a center and concentric rings, so there is some contrast).

Presumably it would be fairly easy to make a gobo to diffuse the light into a contrast pattern like the OEM flashes?

Tom, I can try the window+inside/outside, but I'm pretty confident they'll work - so far, they've triggered reliably no matter where I put them. I believe the range is supposed to be 100ft - I haven't tried them that far away (more like 30-50ft), but so far they've handled everything I threw at them. More to come in "real world" use on Tuesday; I'll update again if anything to add

angevin1

divamum wrote: »

Tom, I can try the window+inside/outside, but I'm pretty confident they'll work - so far, they've triggered reliably no matter where I put them. I believe the range is supposed to be 100ft - I haven't tried them that far away (more like 30-50ft), but so far they've handled everything I threw at them. More to come in "real world" use on Tuesday; I'll update again if anything to add

No worries. I only asked because you mentioned hiding them in a bush with no line of sight. I just think it helps others to understand that they actually fire from indoor-to-outdoors (Which also happens to be how I use triggers lately). Enjoy~

ilbcnu

Divamum, I am glad to hear these are working for you so far! Mine have held up for over a year now and yes, I too made the mistake of not buying enough to start!

divamum

Used these for the first time on a shoot yesterday - flawless. They just *work*. I used my 580ex with them yesterday - sadly, my 430ex has now died (not related to the triggers, as far as I can tell - it seems to be some other kind of issue there as it didn't work from the time I first switched it on). BUT although the 420ex (ettl only) isn't listed on the compatible flashes chart, the PK's WILL fire it in ETTL mode which still gives me two flashes (if not as much control as I'd like).

For the price, these are an excellent addition. It was AWESOME not to have to keep changing the flash around so it could "see" the STE2, and also to be able to shoot from places where line of sight would have been impossible *while still being able to adjust flash intensity from the camera*. In other words, they do exactly what I need and what I had hoped they would do

slimhim

The PK's work great! Just need to make sure you have fresh batteries in them if you ever start having inconsistencies. Auto focus light sucks though and is sometimes unusable in my experience. Great post!!

divamum

I'm glad you mentioned that, Slim - I used them again today and had a couple of ETTL "huh?" shots where the exposure was off. I figured it was batteries since I hadn't changed them before the shoot (duh), but good to hear it confirmed by another user!

I really couldn't be more pleased with these little triggers. I certainly can't complain about the results the STE2+flashes have given me, but the FREEDOM of radio triggers is really an eye-opener. I can do pretty much *anything* without having to think about it and (other than the above-mentioned low-battery exposure "whoopsies") they have nailed it every time. Really a great investment.

This was all with my 580ex, btw. Now just have to get another flash since my 430ex died this week (unrelated to the PK's - I didn't even get a chance to try it with them since it was dead when I switched it on :cry). The 430exII has a rebate at the moment and I'm thinking I may just get it. That will also give me the remote-adjustment feature in manual, so maybe it's an ill-wind? ~tries to justify more money~

slimhim

I have 1 580ex II and 2 430ex II and it is GREAT being able to control them from wherever I am! I've tested them reliably at about 150ft and have used them at weddings with an average of about 75ft away with no problems. I'd highly recommend these triggers to anyone who is already invested in the canon flash system and wants to get the most out of them.

Bye that 430ex II!!!

novicesnapper

I'll bump this, and tell Diva TY. I just ordered a set myself, to "cut the cord" so to speak. I have noticed on Amazon, there are fewer suppliers than there were a month ago. Maybe an import issue? No idea. So I figured I would grab a set now. Thanks for the awesome review, really looking forward to getting these. I gave my old Trigmasters to a girl who is an aspiring photographer. Maybe a pay it forward thing. What type of batteries do these use? I will go ahead and make sure I have fresh ones on hand. Thanks again.

Molotov Everything

Kind of a bummer that you don't get independent group control in TTL mode. About 6 weeks ago I picked up the Phottix Odin triggers, they're more money ($330 for the 'starter kit' of one transmitter and one receiver, $130 for each additional receiver) but they offer 3 groups with full independent control of each group, in any combination of TTL and manual or A:B ratio mode. Otherwise, from what you wrote they seem comparable. Long range, high speed sync, works through walls, etc.
Maybe I should write a similar review of those.

divamum

@Novicesnapper - AA batteries. I had no problem using eneloops, so I think any higher-rated rechargeables are probably fine.

@Molotov - yeah, I considered the Odins. They were, in fact the first ettl option I consisdered. I read plenty of good reviews of the Phottix product, but In the end, I decided to give the PK's a try because they're ~1/3 the price. I knew they wouldn't do ratios in ettl, but that wasn't dealbreaker for me (especially as they can do ratios in manual mode). In the kinds of places I need radio triggers to solve line-of-sight issues with the STE2 trigger and IR communication, I typically don't need multiple flashes or subtle adjustment between flashes; that's more something I need when I'm shooting studio-style indoors, at which point line-of-sight is pretty easy to maintain and I can use the IR system of my Canon set-up as needed.

novicesnapper

Thanks Diva, been busy here, not able to spend as much time as I would like too on my hobby. I did get my triggers in, finally, these are so nice. I threw some energizer rechargebles, ni cads I think, into mine and they work great. For the differance in price between PW's and these, for my purposes, I could buy a better body or better glass. The steel foot on transmitter was a nice touch, and the oversized foot for the receiver also. I'm very pleased so far.

Gaby617

Has anyone had a problem powering up/down there flash on manual while mounted on the receiver. I have a canon 580ex ii and I cant change the power output when its mounted but as soon as I remove it whether on camera or off its settings ar all accessible. I haven't used it via the sync cord, which i'll try tonight after work. I noticed this when I was trying to get a specific reading from a meter. I had to constantly remove the flash and set it a couple of times. Other then that I have no complains. Any insight?