Recommended flash triggers

goodguy · Feb 21, 2016

Bought Yongluo 622 TX with 622
Great system but sadly not reliable enough.
Done portrait shoots with 2 softboxes and from time to time one flash will not shoot or will shoot on different setting then requested.
This makes me look very unprofessional so I am interested in investing in a trigger system that is reliable.

So while budget is always an issue I would like your recommendation on what to buy
So main 2 things I wan my triggers is
1.To be reliable
2.Work in TTL

tirediron · Feb 21, 2016

Pocket Wizard. Never had a failure or fault in tens of thousands of exposures.

Derrel · Feb 21, 2016

I bought Pocket Wizards, two sets, one in 2004, the other in 2006...I am still using them. I have fired them in gymnasiums, offices, houses, outdoors, bright sun, clouds, from about 10 to 150 feet away. Mine are older, only 4 channels to choose from.

They become very unreliable when I put one of the AA-sized batteries in upside down. They are very unreliable when I cannot take the time to slide the selector to 1 and 1 or 2 and 2 or 3 and 3 or 4 and 4. Neither set works unless I turn the power on on both units and see the blinking red LED that lets me know the unit is on.Sometimes I forget to turn one on, and they are unreliable. When I forget to turn the flash unit on, the Pocket Wizards do not work at all.But as long as I can match up two dip-switches, and put the batteries in right, and make sure to turn the units AND flash on, they just WORK.

Every.Single.Time. No.Matter. What. Unless.I.Do.Something.Really.Really.Really.Stupid. Since. 2004. and. Since. 2006.

Of course, there are plenty of cheap, made-in-China triggers that will work for you, sometimes. Or most of the time. Or at least under favorable conditions. For some length of time. At which time you can go home and re-order another set from China.

cherylynne1 · Feb 21, 2016

Ugh, I had the same problem with Yongnuo triggers. When I could get them working, it was great. But it was usually after 20 minutes of turning every part off and on and off again, checking and double checking settings....never again.

I just use one flash as a commander and the other as a slave now. Not a perfect solution if you don't want one mounted, but at least it works 100% of the time.

cauzimme · Feb 22, 2016

Pocket wizard all the way, I've never had any problem, like Derrel says, only when I forget to turn one on, or I mixed up channels.

astroNikon · Feb 22, 2016

Never had a problem with my Yongnuo 622-TX and 622N triggers, but I'm also using Nikon OEM flashes on them (SB800s as the mains and SB700s as others). I also don't use TTL. Wish they had more groups too.

goodguy · Feb 22, 2016

Looks like its a consensus, I will start researching Pocket Wizard.

Thank you everybody

beagle100 · Feb 23, 2016

Never had a problem with my Yongnuo 622c (Canon)

beachrat · Feb 23, 2016

I started with Cactus V's. They worked,but fell apart quick, so I went to the Yongnuos. They were unreliable,so I bought one old used set of Pocket Wizard Plus,which is a transmitter and receiver.
They have never,ever not fired. But,I wound up with a great deal on another transmitter and 4 more receivers,so I bought them too.
Flawless. On my all my speedlights,monos and Speedo pack,they never fail.
But,no ttl so goodguy will want to go with much newer transceivers.

goodguy · Feb 23, 2016

beachrat said:
I started with Cactus V's. They worked,but fell apart quick, so I went to the Yongnuos. They were unreliable,so I bought one old used set of Pocket Wizard Plus,which is a transmitter and receiver.
They have never,ever not fired. But,I wound up with a great deal on another transmitter and 4 more receivers,so I bought them too.
Flawless. On my all my speedlights,monos and Speedo pack,they never fail.
But,no ttl so goodguy will want to go with much newer transceivers.

I went to camera store and it looks like the Pocket Wizard I am looking for is the TT1 (transmitor) and TT5 (receiver) very expensive, went to kijiji to look for used and the very used ones are expensive and those that are in good condition are reasonably priced but sellers don't reply to my messages, I don't get this, why sell item and not reply to my serious inquiry ?
Anyways I might get the TT5 used off ebay but I will buy first a new TT1 so if I buy a used TT5 I will be able to test it and if its not working I can send it back.