Triggering studio lights

sxesweets · Oct 25, 2012

Using a d90 and a Genesis G800, Genesis G400 and a Aurora lite bank 150. I used a canon body quickly when it was being set up (I was just dropping off rent and hadn't expected the tutorial) and he showed me how to use a tethered cord to shoot with his body. Fast forward to that night and I arrived to do some shooting myself with my body and I don't have a plug in for the cord... I managed to get the lights firing with both my pop up flash and my SB 600. As long as I stayed in landscape I was good as gold. As soon as I turned the camera to portrait... Arghh, big black shadows (shooting on "seamless" white, a wall and floor that is painted as such) I understand where they are coming from and why (extra light from the flashes exposing one side and casting a shadow on the other) but I am wondering what my options are for triggering the lights with my camera without using flash.

Someone at one point (I may have misunderstood at the time) explained that there was a small "box" I could slide into my hotshoe and tether the cord through a port on that?

Other options I have found are getting a set of pocket wizards? I was shown two kinds but am not totally clear on the difference. One was a type for outdoor(ish) use and I would need a transmitter for the camera and a receiver for each light, the other I needed the transmitter for the camera and only one receiver (but I could opt for more if I wanted to) Do the lights have a standard jack size? And if I am just learning right now do I need to go with name brand or can I get away with off brand (I think I saw some on Ebay)?

2WheelPhoto · Oct 25, 2012

landscape I was good as gold. As soon as I turned the camera to portrait.

why weren't you in manual mode?

get triggers

480sparky · Oct 25, 2012

2WheelPhoto said:
landscape I was good as gold. As soon as I turned the camera to portrait.

Click to expand...

why weren't you in manual mode?

get triggers

Landscape / portrait MODE or landscape / portrait ORIENTATION?

2WheelPhoto · Oct 25, 2012

ohhhhhhhhhhh I'll pay attention

I saw "in" landscape, my bad thanks

Big Mike · Oct 25, 2012

As you have found, many cameras don't have a PC flash sync port, while some (usually higher end) cameras do. If you don't have one, a simple adapter can give you one. FlashZebra.com: Screwlock PC to Camera Hotshoe Adapter (Item #0158)

However, working with a cord is a PITA. It's much more fun to shoot wireless.

As you seem to have found, you can trigger studio lights with a flash from the camera. If it's working while holding the camera one way vs another, it likely means that when it's not working, the light just isn't getting to the optical trigger 'eye' on the studio light. If you use your SB600, tilt it to give a better angle on the studio light(s)...you should only need to hit one, the others should fire when they see that one fire.
A common problem with using camera flash to trigger studio lights, is that you need to have the flash firing in manual mode. If you have it in E-TTL mode, there will be a preflash, which will trigger the studio lights prematurely. Then, a fraction of a second later, when the camera flash fires again (this time with the shutter open) the studio lights won't be able to fire again.

What most of us use are radio flash triggers. Pocket Wizards are the industry standard but they are also very expensive. You can buy a cheap set for a little as $40. Wireless Trigger - Gadget Infinity

I have a couple cheap radio trigger sets, they work but not consistently enough for professional work. That's why I now use Cyber Sync triggers. Paul C. Buff - CyberSync™

sxesweets · Oct 25, 2012

2WheelPhoto - I almost always shoot in Manual mode, can't remember the last time I wasn't in Manual

480Sparky - Sorry, portrait orientation that is, oops!

Big Mike - Thanks for that link to the adapter, everyone has thought I was absolutely nuts trying to describe it! Glad to know I'm not insane. I will try it in manual mode, I'm going to try playing with it that may help me get rid of the shadow being cast :/ Eventually I would like to start shooting full on "professionally" I have been paid for my work in the past, even recently, but I am still on a learning trek, curve with studio lighting so I may try a cheap set for now and pass it on to the other half at a point where I am ready to upgrade. Do they all have the same size connector to connect to the lights or is that something I specifically need to know for my specific type of lights? I have been having a great time learning, off to the studio I go again tonight

Village Idiot · Oct 25, 2012

sxesweets said:
2WheelPhoto - I almost always shoot in Manual mode, can't remember the last time I wasn't in Manual

480Sparky - Sorry, portrait orientation that is, oops!

Big Mike - Thanks for that link to the adapter, everyone has thought I was absolutely nuts trying to describe it! Glad to know I'm not insane. I will try it in manual mode, I'm going to try playing with it that may help me get rid of the shadow being cast :/ Eventually I would like to start shooting full on "professionally" I have been paid for my work in the past, even recently, but I am still on a learning trek, curve with studio lighting so I may try a cheap set for now and pass it on to the other half at a point where I am ready to upgrade. Do they all have the same size connector to connect to the lights or is that something I specifically need to know for my specific type of lights? I have been having a great time learning, off to the studio I go again tonight

Most mono lights have a 1/4" plug like you're fine on a large set of head phones. The plug has to be mono though and most receivers have a mini phone connector which is the smaller head phone plug. If the cable isn't mono it will not work without some rigging and fiddling. If you're using packs, some of them have H connectors or maybe some other wierd proprietary connector. Newer ones should have 1/4", but again this is not always true.