Solution to flash/wireless transmitter problem?

[lissthis]

Hi All!

I would love some input from you guys on my lighting set up. I recently got a couple of flashes along with some wireless transmitters from Yongnuo and have been having lots of trouble. The wireless transmitters haven't been going off and its been resulting in me only getting about 1 out of 10 shots. Does anyone have any recommendations that will help fix this problem? I wouldn't mind a wired set up as long as it had a few feet of range.

Here are the wireless transmitters I purchased (Amazon.com: Yongnuo RF-603 C3 2.4GHz Wireless Flash Trigger/Wireless Shutter Release Transceiver Kit for Canon 1D/5D/7D/50D/40D/30D/20D/10D Series: Camera & Photo)

Thanks for your help!

 

[Derrel]

As for "recommendations that will help fix this problem?", I would suggest a quality trigger, like Pocket Wizards. Something that will actually work those extra nine out of ten times.

PocketWizard Plus X Transceiver 801-129 B&H Photo Video

Good triggers are not cheap. Cheap triggers are not good.

 

[David444]

.

 

[Buckster]

I have 8 RF-603 triggers and have used them a LOT for about a year now, with no misfires at all. They've all been very reliable for me.

Check to be sure:

• Fresh Batteries in all triggers and flashes. I use Eneloop rechargeables.
• All trigger units are on the same channel. DIP Switches are under batteries - they should all match.
• One trigger is in the camera's hot shoe and one is attached to each light to be fired.
• Units are all switched on and have a solid green light that stays on. Double check this after placing them to be sure the switch didn't get flipped to off by mistake.
• Units in hot shoes are all seated all the way into their respective hot shoe receptacles.
• Be sure that the units in hot shoes are not in backwards.
  • The rounded end points in the same direction as the camera lens when in the camera's hot shoe.
  • On the flash, the square end with the PC Sync port is on the same side as the flash's controls and the on/off switch is hidden under the flash when properly oriented.
• Units plugged into trigger ports with cable are seated all the way in on both ends of the cable.
• Units plugged into PC Sync ports are seated all the way in on both ends of the cable.
• Camera menu flash settings are set properly - refer to your camera manual.
• Just to be sure there's nothing interfering with the RF signal while troubleshooting this problem, be sure the triggers have a clear line of sight with each other.

A couple of questions for you:

• What brand and model of camera are you using?
• What brand and model of lights are you using?
• Yongnuo makes the RF-603 triggers for specific camera brands to fit them properly; RF-603C for Canon, RF-603N for Nikon. Can you verify that you have the proper trigger for your camera brand?
• Are the triggers with flashes on light stands?
• Are the triggers with flashes seated in metal cold shoes that might be shorting out the contacts of the triggers?
• What is the time between shots? Flashes take time to recycle to a "ready" state again after they flash.

 

[tirediron]

While I am a big proponent of quality gear such as the Pocket Wizard's recommended by Derrel, by all accounts, the Yongnuo gear is pretty decent for the price, and a 1 in 10 firing ratio is unacceptable, even for the cheapest POS off-shore gear. Go through Buckster's checklist and make sure everything's okay. If none of that works, then I would try and return the trigger(s) if that's an option, or failing that, bin them, accept the loss, say some bad words and drop the coin for a couple of PWs.

 

[Derrel]

Yeah, the 18-point checklist Buckster provided is a good starting point for poverty wizzard users.

Sometimes just buying the genuine article, the $99 a pop Pocket Wizard brand transceivers, you know the ones that actually WORK with multiple camera brands, across huge distances, reliably, shot after shot after shot, for thousands of shots, across a decade or two, is worth the slight bit of extra money.

There are times to go cheap, and times to go prepared with gear that actually functions. Buy right, buy once.

 

[Patrice]

We were pretty poor growing up and Dad would save for months or years for some particular purchases. His adage was "Buy well and buy once."

 

[JacaRanda]

Hi All!

I would love some input from you guys on my lighting set up. I recently got a couple of flashes along with some wireless transmitters from Yongnuo and have been having lots of trouble. The wireless transmitters haven't been going off and its been resulting in me only getting about 1 out of 10 shots. Does anyone have any recommendations that will help fix this problem? I wouldn't mind a wired set up as long as it had a few feet of range.

Here are the wireless transmitters I purchased (Amazon.com: Yongnuo RF-603 C3 2.4GHz Wireless Flash Trigger/Wireless Shutter Release Transceiver Kit for Canon 1D/5D/7D/50D/40D/30D/20D/10D Series: Camera & Photo)

Thanks for your help!

I have two sets of the kit you have for Canon and have never had a problem unless it was something mentioned in Bucksters list. For the cost of 1 of those PW's you could have 3 sets of the Yonguo's. Hopefully it's a simple solution for you to solve.

 

[Buckster]

Yeah, the 18-point checklist Buckster provided is a good starting point for poverty wizzard users.

There's at least an 18 point checklist to go through that's very similar if your expensive Pocket Wizards don't fire as well. Let's not forget about that.

Also, it's not really an 18 point checklist; Some are simply questions about what gear is being used. But some people like to exaggerate and inflate their claims in an attempt to be more convincing to others.

 

[ghache]

the best "cheap" triggers you can get is the cactus V5. since i bought them, never felt like it was some cheap gear and would never see myself buy Pws just to say i own some pw's

they are transceivers, works regular batteries that last for ever, they have stand screws and hot shoes. what do you want more?