Pocket Wizard

[D40]

Right now I am useing the D200 on camera flash to fire an SB-600 but find that this is not as reliable as I would like. I am planning on getting another SB-600 and some umbrellas. Can anyone explain some about useing something like the pocket wizard? Would I need one on the camera and than it would fire the SB-600's or would I need something attached to the SB-600's as well? I am looking for more range and reliability when useing off camera flashes so...?

 

[Tolyk]

For a two flash setup, you would need 3 pocket wizards. One for on the camera, and one on each flash.

Read up on strobist ( http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/ ) he goes into much greater detail than I.

 

[table1349]

For a two flash setup, you would need 3 pocket wizards. One for on the camera, and one on each flash.

Read up on strobist ( http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/ ) he goes into much greater detail than I.

How about two Pocket Wizards and an optical slave for one of the sb-600's? With PW's you are shooting in manual mode anyway, no need to worry about preflash. Say something like this.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/62712-REG/Wein_W940030_HS_Hot_Shoe_Slave.html

 

[D40]

Ok, so I would need one PW for each flash, that answeres that. I just noticed that with the on camer trigger, the distance and direction of the flash to the camera affect how well it works. There is not kit that has a main transmitter on the camera with recievers that connect to the flashes is there? The PW are $200 or so each which gets sorta $$$ Thanks I will look on that web site later tonight!

 

[Alleh Lindquist]

You will also need a PC socket adaptor for your SB-600's. Pocket wizards are the best though.

 

[Village Idiot]

How about two Pocket Wizards and an optical slave for one of the sb-600's? With PW's you are shooting in manual mode anyway, no need to worry about preflash. Say something like this.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/62712-REG/Wein_W940030_HS_Hot_Shoe_Slave.html

That would work. Of course there's the limitation of the optical slave as originally mention. There's other wireless triggers that are reliable though.

You will also need a PC socket adaptor for your SB-600's. Pocket wizards are the best though.

Yep. But most expensive. I have four and I'm thinking about a third, but I've been using Alien Bees lately. Most studio strobes have optical slaves built in and mainly I shoot in low light places.

Ok, so I would need one PW for each flash, that answeres that. I just noticed that with the on camer trigger, the distance and direction of the flash to the camera affect how well it works. There is not kit that has a main transmitter on the camera with recievers that connect to the flashes is there? The PW are $200 or so each which gets sorta $$$ Thanks I will look on that web site later tonight!

One PW for each flash and one for the camera. 3 total if you want to go completely wireless. Then you need two 3.5mm monophone to hotshoe cables. About $600, but totally worth it if you must have the best and you must have reliability. They're transceivers so it means that they can transmit or receive. You can use the same PW you use on the hotshoe of the camera on one of your flashes the next day. That means if one breaks, you're not totally screwed.

Plus they're the industry standard. I just ordered a light meter that can trigger PW's. There's also certain brands of strobes that have PW modules in them and will fire via a PW.

There's other brands out there though. Elinchrom Skyports are considered extremely reliable and worth the money. They're about $300 for a transmitter and two receivers. There's pros and cons of course, but everyone I know that uses them are happy.

There's Alien Bee Cyber Syncs which are new but are proving reliable and even cheaper than the Skyports right now. These don't have the range of the PW, but nothing that I have seen has the advertised range of up to 1600'.

It's personal preference and budget. Go with what you can afford. If you think you'll need the PW's, then start saving.

 

[Helen B]

There's also the Nikon SU-800 infrared commander. That sits in the D40's hotshoe and communicates with the SB-600s. It has the disadvantage that it is infrared rather than radio, but it does permit much more control by/from the camera. It can be converted to radio with a Radiopopper system.

Best,
Helen

 

[D40]

Ok, well for starters I would just get 2 PW, one for the camera and one for the SB-600. Ok, so to see if I understand this:

~One pocket wizard goes on the camera.
~Then I need one of those hotshoe pieces to put the SB-600 on that way I can connect a 3.5mm monophone to hotshoe cable to the hotshoe and PW.
?

 

[D40]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/89977-REG/Hama_HA_6950_Universal_Flash_Adapter.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/441353-REG/PocketWizard_801_125_Plus_II_Transceiver_Radio.html

That right?

 

[JerryPH]

I am wondering why as an amateur you are considering 2 PWs at 400 bucks total when you could have the Gadget infinity triggers for about 50 bucks total for 2 receivers and 1 trigger?

Thats what I use now and have triggered my flashes as a test from over 350 feet away. I cannot imagine myself ever needing more, nor paying 180-200 per unit. If I was pro, sure why not, but as an amateur, unless you have the money to toss away... consider looking at your more reasonable alternatives.

 

[goodoneian]

i was wondering the same thing as jerry, but if you want pocket wizzards and can afford it, why not i guess.

 

[Village Idiot]

Because GI triggers won't do this:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=592566

 

[JerryPH]

Because GI triggers won't do this:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=592566

I wonder how many times even in your life, YOU will do it? :lmao:

We all know that the PWs are consistent and that they trigger from almost a mile away. The fact is, though, that 99% of photographers are under 30 feet away when they do their shooting.

So, the question is... if you are an amateur, are not one of the fortunate ones with unlimited funds... *is* the PW worth it for you?

For me, I now have 9 receivers and 3 triggers. Grand total invested for *all* of this was under $250 w/shipping. For me to duplicate this setup with pocket wizards means that I would need 12 PWs, so 12 X 190 comes to over $2300 with shipping. That's the same price as a Nikon D700 body, for Pete's sake!

Triggering had better be CRITICAL to your shooting to justify that amount.

I have modded the GI triggers for the simple cost of a 12.39 inch piece of single strand CAT5 wire for the triggers to increase their reliable triggering distance to over 350 feet. I have modded the receivers so that they use standard rechargeable AA batteries instead of the short lasting $12 dollar batteries they use (the battery holders were under 70 cents each!).

It is not a mile away, but really, how many of us on this site... or even in *all* of photography combined... need more than a 30-60 foot of range from their triggers?

My tests done at 100ft:

My tests done at 200ft:

My tests done at 358ft:

This was the instrument that I used and the final distance I recorded:

This was not the maximum range of my shots, this was the maximum amount of room I had before running out of distance to measure. For me to go further, I would have needed to trespass on someone's yard, and at that point, I did not feel it was necessary.

For my tests to be valid, each shot had to be taken 3 times from 3 different positions (camera high overhead, normal standing height and on my shoe, ground level). In the end each test shot distance was taken 4 times. The 4th shot was with my body between the flash and the trigger, my back to the flash as I was bent over taking the picture of the distance on the measuring wheel. I had visual confirmation from my father that the flash triggered each and every time (though it was not a criteria for me to consider the test a success or not).

Consistency... I have well over 3500 shots on my setup to date (not on the camera, just shots taken while using the GI triggers). In *all* this time, the only misfire I got was while doing the initial distance test, a random extra test shot at 358 feet (an additional 10 shots from that distance immediately after this one misfire, did not recreate that misfire. It happened just that one time).

I figure that if they are good for over 300 feet for me, they are damn good at 30-100 feet (my maximum predicted ranges that I will ever use), for me without concerns.

What your needs may or may not be is something that you all individually need to consider when pulling out your credit cards.

 

[benhasajeep]

Just a question about how your setting up your SB-600's.

Are you turning the body of the flash so the sensor is towards your camera? Most big Nikon flashes rotate 180 one way and 90 the other, plus tilt up and down some (900, 800, 600, 80 etc...). By being able to rotate the head you can point the sensor on the main body of the flash towards the camera. Then turn the flash head, and angle it for the desired flash angle for the picture.

You may be doing this, I don't know but just a suggestion. I have not experienced any problems using a mix of Nikon flashes this way. I have even used my Canon flash in the mix with no problems. In the short distances involved in studio use, you should have no errors at all doing it this way.

 

[JerryPH]

~Then I need one of those hotshoe pieces to put the SB-600 on that way I can connect a 3.5mm monophone to hotshoe cable to the hotshoe and PW.
?

Becuase the SB-600 has no sync cord connector, you need one of these:

http://flashzebra.com/wizardcables/hotshoe.shtml