Lencarta Triggers

I've had mine for over a week, and still not had the time to put batteries in them...
From what I hear, you've had plenty of time...
You could have done it in the 4 hours you spent in A&E after losing a fight with your dog
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Well you're right.. I *could* have done it if I'd had a camera that spoke the results...

And anyway.. I didn't lose it.. his was a lucky right hook.. or more to say, an unlucky right hook for me.
 
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A customer has posted this on t'interwebby thingy
 
Garry Edwards said:
Richard has kindly agreed to run his own, comprehensive tests using a D700. He will test it with as many different flashes as he can, and will compare it to other radio triggers that he has/can get.
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Is their any update on Richards tests yet ? :)
 
Yes, as it happens I received his very detailed report this morning. It runs into 36 pages and I'm confident that it answers all the questions.

I've sent it to the boss, when he has had a chance to go through it we will make it public, but of course before we can do that we need to condense it to a readable size and send the reduced version to Richard and ask his permission to publish it, as the copyright belongs to him and not to us.
 
Well I didn't need 36 pages to make a decision for using with my Profoto 7b's and have returned the units.

I found that the biggest issue was exposure variation across the frame - and this was too big a variation to recover in post processing as, even within my published flash durations, there was severely over exposed areas to the bottom of the frame which when recovered had no detail, so pretty useless, coupled with very underexposed top parts of the frame.

This was in the region of 1/2000 or 1/2500 at 1/2 to full power.

Conversely having borrowed a PW Flex TT5 (which I find controls the offset) I find I can get clean frames at all power levels at 1/2000 and with only a very faint curtain line at 1/2500. The big winner here is that the exposure across the frame, although slightly variable, is easily tweaked in post WITHOUT any severely blown out areas.

So for me and the kit I'm using, the Lencarta triggers aren't the answer, but the Pocket Wizard solution works and gives results that are usable and, more importantly, easily processed.

I have no idea whether they would have worked better with speed lights as I don't use them for my type of work.

Again I will stress that these are only my findings with the lights I use.
 
SparkUK said:
Any example images?
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Not that I can link to - but I've spent enough time on these and others have concurred with the examples they have seen on another forum
 
Garry Edwards said:
I received his very detailed report this morning. It runs into 36 pages and I'm confident that it answers all the questions.
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Any more news on this report yet ? example images to post here, etc :)
 
I'd like to know too.
 
Cistron said:
Me too. Though I wouldn't hold my breath after spxxxx' report.
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That's one set of lights.
 
We have the report, it's with the boss, who has been travelling for the last few days, I'm sure he will get back to me soon. Also, we hope to have the video of it in use very soon.
 
treeman said:
Sorry, I'm confused as to why we have to wait to see the report?

The figures will still be the same whether its been read by the boss or not......surely?
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Because the report belongs to the boss and because I don't have control over these things, obviously.

My guess is that the report and the video will be published at the same time but, as I say, not my decision.
 
Garry Edwards said:
Because the report belongs to the boss and because I don't have control over these things, obviously.

My guess is that the report and the video will be published at the same time but, as I say, not my decision.
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Sorry, my bad. I just thought this was the few tests HoppyUK was going to do and lets us all know his results, didn't realise it was a commissioned thing :bonk:
 
Garry Edwards said:
Because the report belongs to the boss and because I don't have control over these things, obviously.

My guess is that the report and the video will be published at the same time but, as I say, not my decision.
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What? You paid him? I thought it the whole point was an independent impartial report!
 
I don't see what's difficult to comprehend here...
I don't own Lencarta, I don't own the products and I don't make decisions.

Richard offered to do some tests, Harry (who does own Lencarta) was happy for him to do them and Richard did the tests. His findings were sent to both Harry and myself, and Harry will no doubt decide what to publish and where. There are 36 A4 pages of photos etc so I doubt whether all of it will end up on the website.

Harry has been travelling around for the last few days, I don't even know whether he has been able to read it all yet.
 
ding76uk said:
So was he paid to do these tests?
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Yes, I was. I offered to do some quick gratis tests, just to establish the nature of the beast which would have been easy. But then Lencarta asked me to do more - comparing the Mach triggers against others on the market, in controlled conditions, and testing them all with different types of flash unit. I was only prepared to do that on a commissioned basis.

In the end, I had to borrow some kit, hire a few items I couldn't obtain, and spent the best part of a week doing the testing and preparing the report. The fact that I was paid did not make any difference to the way the tests were conducted, or to the findings.
 
Personally, I find the suggestion that paying someone for their work is in some way wrong is insulting to all concerned.

When someone uses their time, skills and resources they are entitled to be paid the going rate - I don't work for nothing and I'm sure that the people who are querying this arrangement don't either - why should anyone else be expected to do so?
 
Not sure what the issue is

If I need an independent report if have to pay for it ???????
 
Bullysrus said:
Not sure what the issue is

If I need an independent report if have to pay for it ???????
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Indeed. Independent reports cost money, as long as the end result is independent as well then there is no issue. Richard is a very experienced and well respected journalist, I don't see any issue at all
 
matty said:
Indeed. Independent reports cost money, as long as the end result is independent as well then there is no issue. Richard is a very experienced and well respected journalist, I don't see any issue at all
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+1

I'm all for skepticism, but I'll trust him. Bravo to lencarta for commissioning such a report.
 
Andrew Appleton has been using the triggers on a fashion shoot in Paris, used with his Safari Li-on kit on the final image here
 
Could people think about what they are saying?

Better yet, nip over to the business forum and post the following

I've been asked to do a comprehensive review of a product for a commercial company which will involve days of my time, some skill and the use of my personal name as a mark of quality. To make sure it's independent, the company has said that they can't pay me but are happy to credit me - what do you think?
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And prepare for the tsunami of outrage.

Can't wait to read the full report.
 
Garry Edwards said:
Andrew Appleton has been using the triggers on a fashion shoot in Paris, used with his Safari Li-on kit on the final image here
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I do like Andrews stuff, and he's a great bloke.

But he does say on that picture he was only syncing at 1/1000 which is pretty fast, but nowhere near the claimed sync rate
 
I don't know what informed Andrew's decision, but I'm guessing that he shot at 1/1000th to darken the background by a couple of stops or so. The problem with shooting at 1/8000th outdoors is that the sky and background becomes almost black, which is great to be able to do, but isn't what we always want to do.
 
boyfalldown said:
I've seen your blog post before ;). Its not simply sync rate I wonder about, and I'm quite happily waiting Richard's report when lencarta are ready to release it. I was just saying (maybe to subtly) that Andrew's photos don't really show us anything new ;)
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You mean other than the fact it's not restricted to 1/250th sec, which has allowed him a further 2 stops of adjustment for the ambient.
 
Michael Sewell said:
You mean other than the fact it's not restricted to 1/250th sec, which has allowed him a further 2 stops of adjustment for the ambient.
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but thats not new information about the triggers is it?. Thats my point, that you seem to rather be missing.
 
Get on your bike Hugh, come over for a coffee and have a play with the triggers yourself.
 
Jerm said:
Get on your bike Hugh, come over for a coffee and have a play with the triggers yourself.
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I think I'll take you up on that ;), although we may have to wait till after half term now
 
I dont think there's any dispute that the triggers can sync with the flash at high speeds, I'd like to know what the power loss of the flash is, to see how fast I can sync and still retain full flash power.

This was the quick little test that I thought Richard was going to do, seems to have become something more now
 
boyfalldown said:
but thats not new information about the triggers is it?. Thats my point, that you seem to rather be missing.
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Now I see. You would prefer various speeds in various conditions to assess light loss and frame coverage.
 
Garry, I know it is an independent test but will the published report be independent in that it will show as many misgivings as is possible (if there are any of course) as the positives?

The independent tests I have seen so far are not overly convincing as the claims made by Lencarta in regards to full power hi speed sync (which ever scientific way you are portraying it) and the light fall off.
 
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