Triggering Studio lights without a Sync Cord
MalteseParrot
Registered Users Posts: 20 Big grins
I need some opinions about Triggering Studio lights without a Sync Cord. I can't keep my sync cord from falling out of my Canon 20D constantly. I also want more freedom of movement and less cords to trip over. I know about Wein...and it's price. Are their any other alternatives, in your opinion, I should consider before spending $170.00+ on the Wein unit? And, I'm getting the impression the number of slave lights capable of being triggered is limited. Is my impression correct?
:rofl ~Trish B~
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First, why is the cord falling out? Is it an issue with the cord or with the port on the camera? B&H (and many other places, I would guess) sells a tip conditioner for sync cords that may get it back into good shape. Which Wein unit are you referring to? What studio lights are you triggering? You have several other options:
1. Get a hotshoe to PC adapter. Skips the camera's built-in port but allows you to keep everything else the same.
2. An IR transmitter for the hotshoe. Canon makes a fairly expensive unit and I have a cheaper Paterson unit that I got for my F717. The problem I have found is the degree of coverage isn't always sufficient. especially in portrait orientation. A work-around I came up with when needed is to use the IR trigger in the hotshoe, but connect a slave to the flash I'm using with a PC cord and then putting the slave somewhere the IR transmitter will see it, hopefully out of the picture. It then becomes a wired/wireless DIY mishmash solution, but it works.
3. Ideally, and Shay will echo this, you want a set of Pocket Wizards for full wireless triggering and control. Sure, they're more than $170, but are THE way to do it.
As far as how many slaves will trigger, any strobe/flash with a slave should trigger when it sees a flash, so I believe your impression is incorrect, but we could use some more info on your setup.
tristansphotography.com (motorsports)
Canon 20D | 10-22 | 17-85 IS | 50/1.4 | 70-300 IS | 100/2.8 macro
Sony F717 | Hoya R72
If you are the only shooter in your studio, you only need to trigger one strobe with a PW receiver, the rest can all be slaved off the flash of the one triggered by the PW.
If there are several shooters in the studio shooting flash, you will want seperate PW recievers for each of your strobes so they are not triggered by the other shooters flashes.
You can trigger portable strobes like the 580ex or 430ex by using one 580ex as the main unit and the rest as slaves to it. Indoors, that works pretty well.
Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
the way to go when triggering remote flash.
It runs about $300 on B&H
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Your studio flash units have built in slaves, correct?
Then the simpliest way (and cheapest) is to shoe mount a decent flash with a swivel tilt head....set its power to approx 1/2 and have one flash unit on which ever side you tilt the flash when in portrait mode...or if shooting portraits in hori. mode then just swivel the flash to point at one of your mail flash units the others will trigger from that unit.
I have shot studio portraits and location (weddings) using this method for over 20yrs and it has never failed me yet.....Of course if you have a large wad of money just waiting to be spent...then go for the IR triggers.
I love that you all took the time to reply to my question. Since I already have a Canon Speedlite 580 Art's method seems just the ticket for a blossoming portrait photographer. I'm going to try it tomorrow as it's getting late here in Texas and I have to get some sleep.
The photographers on this site are the BEST resource I have found to date to get me the straight up answers I need! Thank you all so very much!