Flash triggers - what are my options?

[Ryan.S]

I'm just wondering what my options are with regards to flash triggers... What I'm after is a set of triggers that work with continuous shooting, I.e. I hold my finger on the trigger and all flashes fire in each frame...
I've tried pocket wizard plus ii with the leads, but have currently resorted to some cheap yongnuo triggers.
Essentials are continuous shooting, desirable would be a higher sync than the current 1/200th

Any help would be great,
Cheers,
Ryan

 

[Phil V]

You'll find the limitation is probably not your triggers, but your flashes. On both counts.

For high sync speeds, you need to buy either flashguns capable of high speed sync, or to be using studio heads and take advantage of peak or tail hypersync (don't ask me to explain - it's just within my grasp to understand).

For the flashguns, most ETTL capable triggers will do. For the studio heads, I'm not so sure, but the best option is probably the Pocketwizard flex system (it allows adjustment of the triggers to take advantage of hypersync).

So not a cheap option, tell us what you're trying to achieve and you'll get some more detailed help.

You'll need really well specced flashguns and external packs to speed up your recycling. But for studio heads you'll really need specialist fast models. The Lencarta superfast are probably cheapest.

 

[gadgeteer]

I have to ask.....why would you want to?

 

[Phil V]

I have to ask.....why would you want to?

I think I've worked it out? Rallying?

You probably don't need HSS (fast shutter speeds and rallying aren't the first choice), but you do need fast recycling. If you really want to improve on your current set up, you should look at an external battery pack, or go the whole hog and get a Lencarta Atom (other brands of almost exactly the same thing are available)

 

[Garry Edwards]

Phil is right, the limitation here is the recycling speed of the flash. Most modern radio triggers can keep up with the frame rate of most modern cameras, but most flashes can't/

When we shot this action we used the SuperFast, which at low power recycles so quickly that it can keep up with any camera. At the time we used a D3 at 8 fps, but we now use a D4 and it keeps up with that too That's the combo we'll be using for our demos at The Photography Show, photographing kick boxers.

Obviously, we used our Wavesync Commander System, so that we had full remote control as well as triggering, but since then I've used the SuperFast with the Yongnuo RF-602, and that keeps up perfectly too.