Compatible Lightning Trigger

[smoke665]

Anyone familiar with a Lightning or audio trigger compatible with Pentax? MIOPS shows one with the cable accessory

 

[cgw144 169]

Only experience is with el cheapo "dumb" triggers--suitable fit for this photographer.

 

[greybeard61 33]

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1432377-REG/godox_xprop_ttl_wireless_flash_trigger.html
Worth a look.

 

[cgw144 169]

Guess I still enjoy toying with flash meters...

 

[smoke665]

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1432377-REG/godox_xprop_ttl_wireless_flash_trigger.html
Worth a look.

Sorry probably wasnt clear in my post. I'm looking for a trigger activated by lighting (storm) or noise (thunder/gun shot)

 

[cgw144 169]

Asked a friend who mentioned Pluto triggers. Zero experience with these.

 

[smoke665]

Asked a friend who mentioned Pluto triggers. Zero experience with these.

Not sure if they're still in business. Their website is still up, but they say "sold out" on product. Ive seen plans for several DIY, contraptions but I'd prefer a ready made solution.

 

[smoke665]

I had sone money squirreled away, that was begging to be freed, ordered the MIOPS Smart+. Should be in next week.

 

[cgw144 169]

Nice. Way smarter than my el cheapo ghetto triggers!

 

[smoke665]

@cgw Already making a project list

 

[snowbear143 74]

You just had to post this, didn't you. You are evil!

 

[smoke665]

You just had to post this, didn't you. You are evil!

Just came in today!!! Thursday is the next chance of any thunderstorms.

 

[smoke665]

Well the storms never materialized, so today I decided to start with some simple balloon pops. What a &*(*&^% mess that was. First thing I carried everything down to the studio....I thought. Set up the tripod, camera, flash, stand for trigger, stand to hold the balloons. Looked for the special cord to connect the trigger, no where to be found. Up three flights of stairs to do a top down search of every floor that I had been on. Searched for a good 30mins, no where to be found, so aggravated I went back down to the studio to put everything up. As I reached down to unscrew the mount on the tripod, there was the &*&^ cord hanging under the camera. Where I put it so I wouldn't lose it.

Blow up a half dozen or so balloons, get the camera set up, activate the sound mode in the app on my tablet, and pop the 1st balloon....nothing. Hang another balloon, same thing. Check all my settings, pop another, nothing. Adjusted the settings on the trigger, pop another half dozen, still nothing. Back to my recliner to stew over what I'm forgetting. The directions they provide are sadly lacking. Back down to studio where I repeat with another half dozen wasted balloons. As I'm standing there looking at the app on the tablet wondering how far I can chuck the *&^% thing, I notice at the very bottom of the screen there's a tiny little emblem of a lock. Apparently if you have it set on single shot, you have to unlock that little lock each time after you take a shot.

So now we're cooking. I can go Boo, and the camera/flash fires. Only problem is it's a guessing game on flash settings and aperture. You have to set the flash power low enough that the flash duration is short enough to capture the balloon pop, and the aperture is open enough to expose the shot. This is a lot harder than I thought!! After several more attempts I finally managed to capture a limp balloon at the end of the pop....kind of like I felt by now after blowing up all the *&^&* balloons. Back to Google research, apparently the trigger needs to be very close as sound lag creates a 3 millisecond delay for every roughly 3ft of distance from the sound. In retrospect putting the trigger back by the camera (8ft or so away) wasn't smart. Fortunately I was saved by DW's call to supper, this will have to wait for another day.

 

[Dale H. Cook137 31]

...apparently the trigger needs to be very close as sound lag creates a 3 millisecond delay for every roughly 3ft of distance from the sound.

You will find that a problem with any sound trigger. I also suspect that any attempt to trigger on lightning may also be a failure as lightning is generally a short-duration event and a still camera may be too slow in its response. The best way to capture lightning is to shoot video.

 

[smoke665]

You will find that a problem with any sound trigger. I also suspect that any attempt to trigger on lightning may also be a failure as lightning is generally a short-duration event and a still camera may be too slow in its response. The best way to capture lightning is to shoot video.

I erroneously assumed it would be easy, but have since learned there is a learning curve. In reading more in depth the pop of the breaking ballon occurs in roughly .3ms while the sound travels at significantly slower at 570 m/s. In my case I was catching the ballon a the tail end of the pop. Moving the sensor to within a foot or so, should decrease tge sensitivity lag significantly. I was also using liveview on my K1mii which increases shutter response time by actuating the mirror twice. Since I'm using full manual (settings/focus), I should be able to use liveview to focus, turn it off, lockup mirror and switch to electronic shutter to also increase response time.

The other method involves using a darkroom with shutter open and the sensor connected to flash, but that's an awkward method.