Wireless Qflash or Wireless ETTL
Blurmore
Registered Users Posts: 992 Major grins
For my wedding formals after the ceremony I need to change up my flash set up. Currently I use an Alien Bee 800 key and a 580 ex dialed down on camera for fill on my own jobs. For my subcontract jobs I use a Sunpak 611 off camera and a 580 ex more or less balanced equally. The problem is...the AB with battery pack is too heavy to work with without an assistant, and takes some time to meter correctly. Not a big deal on the metering on my own jobs as I shoot RAW on those. The 611 is the right size but a little anemic and it recycles slowly. I want to can BOTH of these systems and go to a TTL setup.
Denis Reggie uses and makes a bracket to gang together 2 550 or 580 EX flashes with 2 CP-E3 battery packs. This rig could also be powered by a Quantum Turbo 2x2. The cost is about 1200 dollars for the 580's and CP-E3's with decent NiMH AA's. The cost with 580's and Turbo 2x2 with cables 1500 dollars. The downfall of this system is line of sight infrared triggering, and limited (but probably adequate) power.
Option 2 is a full Q flash system...2 current model q flash heads are about $1100, 2 regular turbos at $700, QTTL module $160, FreewireX reciever $160, FreewireX trasciever $180. So around 2400 dollars.
Advantages here are large range of accesories, quick recycles, radio operation up to 300' no line of sight constraints. Disadvantages are I hate wearing a battery pack, and I think the Qflash on camera or bracket is really cumbersome.
Option 3 is a hybrid Qflash system with a Qflash head and turbo at about 1000 and 200 dollars for a Qnexus, which recieves IR signals and allows wireless TTL from a 580 or st-e2. Advantages are no battery pack on my person, nice strong key light with quick recyles, improved IR range according to Qnexus info. Disadvantages LOS constraints.
So my question is....has anyone used wireless QTTL or Qnexus? Does it work? Is the whole Qflash system worth 2400 dollars? Should I worry about LOS with wireless ETTL? There is a minor thing with the whole Qflash system and that is a looks thing, I think Qflash and pack users look like dorks, and I try to look as cool as possible when working a wedding, but I can live with it if the light is worth it.
Denis Reggie uses and makes a bracket to gang together 2 550 or 580 EX flashes with 2 CP-E3 battery packs. This rig could also be powered by a Quantum Turbo 2x2. The cost is about 1200 dollars for the 580's and CP-E3's with decent NiMH AA's. The cost with 580's and Turbo 2x2 with cables 1500 dollars. The downfall of this system is line of sight infrared triggering, and limited (but probably adequate) power.
Option 2 is a full Q flash system...2 current model q flash heads are about $1100, 2 regular turbos at $700, QTTL module $160, FreewireX reciever $160, FreewireX trasciever $180. So around 2400 dollars.
Advantages here are large range of accesories, quick recycles, radio operation up to 300' no line of sight constraints. Disadvantages are I hate wearing a battery pack, and I think the Qflash on camera or bracket is really cumbersome.
Option 3 is a hybrid Qflash system with a Qflash head and turbo at about 1000 and 200 dollars for a Qnexus, which recieves IR signals and allows wireless TTL from a 580 or st-e2. Advantages are no battery pack on my person, nice strong key light with quick recyles, improved IR range according to Qnexus info. Disadvantages LOS constraints.
So my question is....has anyone used wireless QTTL or Qnexus? Does it work? Is the whole Qflash system worth 2400 dollars? Should I worry about LOS with wireless ETTL? There is a minor thing with the whole Qflash system and that is a looks thing, I think Qflash and pack users look like dorks, and I try to look as cool as possible when working a wedding, but I can live with it if the light is worth it.
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Comments
-Fleetwood Mac
Similar to my Alien Bees, no TTL control. But a nice light.