Wireless trigger for flash help.

[Rgollar]

I have a canon 6d and 7d mark II and I have a canon 430 and 600 flash. My question is a pocket wizard the best choice for working with these flashes and to use both flashes at the same time? will one pocket wizard work? Money really isnt a issue I just want something reliable.

 

[Rgollar]

I just wondering if it would be better to get another 600 flash so I have two then get a pocket wizard?

 

[tirediron]

Pocket Wizard is a GOOD choice; the best? That depends. They're expensive, and compared to some of the offerings out there now, such as Yongnuo, they're bulky and don't have an integral hotshoe, requiring a cord for each speedlight. You will need one unit (transmitter/transceiver) for the camera, and one (receiver/transceiver) for each speedlight you wish to trigger. All that said, they're what I use, and I have never had one issue with them, and in the tens of thousands of times I've pushed the shutter-release, I've never had one 'no-flash' attributable to PW failure (other than dead batteries).

 

[Vtec44]

Or you can get YN600ex-rt's They're cheaper than the Canon's version and are fully compatible with each other.

 

[Rgollar]

So if I understand this Right I need one of these for the camera
PocketWizard Plus III Transceiver Black 801-130 B H Photo

and one of these for each flash
PocketWizard PowerMC2 Receiver Module 804-720 B H Photo Video

 

[Vtec44]

The transceiver is both a transmitter and a receiver. You just need a few of those, one on the camera and the other will attach to he remote flash(es). I have 6 of the PW Plus3, 2 of them go onto my cameras and 3 go onto the remote flashes. These triggers do not have HSS or TTL.

 

[AKUK]

You have a few options.

If you want to keep e-TTL functionality, you're going to need the Pocketwizard FlexTTL5 or MiniTTL. I'm not 100% on the differences/limitations to the mini so you'd have to look into that more. Phottix Odin also retain TTL function but are expensive.

If you don't care about e-TTL functionality (use the strobes in manual) and if you're not planning on purchasing a Sekonic light meter in the future then I would go with a 2.4Ghz trigger system, as normally they are significantly cheaper. The Yongnuo range are pretty decent, as are Phottix Strato II and many others.

If you would like to use a Sekonic light meter in the future, then you will ideally want to stick to Pocketwizards or any triggers that operate on the 344 Mhz frequency in the US. You can still use a 2.4Ghz trigger system but it means carrying an additional trigger with your meter to fire strobes remotely to take a reading. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt and outgrew it.

Some triggers you can use a PC sync cord and "daisy-chain" multiple flashes from the one receiver. I've done this myself in the past and while it works, I found it limiting and also a trip hazard. I know PW introduced a budget trigger in the form of the Plus X (mainly because they were getting hammered in the market by cheaper brands coming out of the far east).

So without knowing what you want to do, we can't give you an answer that best suits your needs.

 

[curtyoungblood]

If you're considering buying another 600, are you planning to continue using the 430?

If you're planning on exclusively using 600s, you should at least consider the Canon controller. Canon ST-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter 5743B002 B H Photo Video

 

[Rgollar]

So do any triggers have HSS OR TTL?

 

[Rgollar]

Ok so I want to buy another 600 so I have 2 of these flashes. I want to be able the use both flashes at the same time with the camera. So is this all I would need Canon ST-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter 5743B002 B H Photo Video? Thanks for the help Im just trying to buy the right thing.

 

[AKUK]

Reading the blurb, it looks like that will work. It's only incompatible with earlier strobes like the 580EX II (which I should imagine applies to your 400). That transmitter goes off of a radio signal, whereas older flashes are only optical communication and lack the RT ability.

Just out of interest, what are you shooting with the flashes?

 

[Rgollar]

I am shooting with flashes for ease of being portable at events and just mainly to play with. I am not shooting for money just for fun and the flashes are quick and easy

 

[Buckster]

Even if money were no object for me (and there were times when it wasn't, including times I was shopping for triggers), I still wouldn't personally go with Pocket Wizards.

Like others who use Pocket Wizards and report that the PWs have never let them down, the Yongnuos have never let me down either. Not once in many thousands of fires of multiple units.

Yongnuo has full HSS and TTL capabilities on some of their transceivers, if that's needed or wanted.

Yongnuo's transceivers have a much lower profile than the Pocket Wizards.

I too use a Sekonic light meter (L-558R), and while it's true that I need to trigger with a remote to take a flash reading, it's just never been any kind of a big deal to me. I just have no interest in spending the extra $75 on the PW module to stick in the light meter, so that I can press the button on it instead of the button on the remote.

Even with price as no object, from my point of view there's just no sense in paying extra money for essentially nothing but a brand name built in the past, before the competition came along to meet and fulfill our expectations in this area.

I think it's also worth mentioning that while PW has a reputation as being very reliable, the modern and much more affordable triggers coming out of the orient are taking the photography world by storm, and for good reasons.

As a result, LPA Design, the makers of Pocket Wizards, which was never a very large company to begin with in terms of number of employees, has in the past couple of years laid off something like nearly half their workforce, going from about 50 employees to about 30, according to industry reports a year ago. There may have been more since. It's not inconceivable that this trend continue until they go right out of business.

That's just me though. My only critical criteria is function. For some folks, brand names are worth the extra money.

 

[Rgollar]

Ok I got 2 600ex-rt flashes ordered and 1 st-e3-rt speed light transmitter ordered and one dvd to learn how to use the 600 flash. I think this will be a nice set up for flash. Thanks all for the useful information.

 

[AKUK]

I too use a Sekonic light meter (L-558R), and while it's true that I need to trigger with a remote to take a flash reading, it's just never been any kind of a big deal to me. I just have no interest in spending the extra $75 on the PW module to stick in the light meter, so that I can press the button on it instead of the button on the remote.

Haha. Me either! That's why I went with the Interfit Strobies Titan Pro triggers which were way cheaper than the PW Plus II that were out at the time. The Titan Pro was just a rebranded Phottix Atlas that operated on the 433Mhz here in the UK. I think they were in the US briefly until PW kicked up a stink about them using the same 344Mhz frequency. I did use to use the Phottix Strato II triggers and carry an extra one to fire the strobes and take a reading. It worked okay but I found it annoying after a while, especially if you forgot to bring it or the batteries died and then I had to use the one on the camera. I'm a big fan of keeping things simple, especially having always to use workarounds in the past due to financial limitations. Just using the L-758DR to trigger the strobes is a lot more convenient.