Off camera flash options

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Bialiwesi

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Hi there,

I sometimes cover events and conferences where two (or more) lights would be useful. The furthest away I would need to control a light would be 10m I'd say.

I'm a Canon user with a 5D and one 580EX (and an old Nikon SB800 that I plan to sell to fund my next purchase). What do I do? Buy another Canon flash and use the master/slave mode? Get a Pocket Wizard that I read so much about? And is it possible to get both flashes off camera? As always, budget is an issue so the lowest cost option that still delivers great results always wins out for me!

Thanks in advance
 
Being as your budget is limited, your cheapest option would be to buy a radio trigger and a couple of recivers(ebay has sets for about £25) a Flashunit from Flash in the Pan and a couple of light stands. This set up will not give you TTL but would be OK for your type of work.

Ian
 
"a pocket wizard" wouldn't do you any good, you need at least two, or three if you want both flashes off-camera, so that would be £400-odd quid, or £600 if you want ttl :D
 
You SB800 does have the option to be used as an optical slave flash. Manual only but can "feed" off your 580.

So the cheapest option would be to buy a trigger and receiver off ebay £25....

Cheers,

Jayce
 
Thanks for your replies.

So, lowest cost option: trigger and receivers using the flashes I have. Any recommended make?

If I could stretch to Pocket Wizards, again, any you'd recommend?

And Flash in the Pan, if it's the PWs that give me TTL, do I need to change the SB800? If you're a seller, a link to your site would be appreciated.

Cheers, Nick

www.osbornephotography.co.uk
 
Bialiwesi said:
Thanks for your replies.

So, lowest cost option: trigger and receivers using the flashes I have. Any recommended make?

If I could stretch to Pocket Wizards, again, any you'd recommend?

And Flash in the Pan, if it's the PWs that give me TTL, do I need to change the SB800? If you're a seller, a link to your site would be appreciated.

Cheers, Nick

www.osbornephotography.co.uk
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A set of RF602 would probably be your best bet for an economy set-up. With regard to the ttl PWs your SB800 wouldn't work with a Canon set-up, only a Nikon one. Link to my stuff in one of the posts earlier in the thread :thumbs:
 
The Pocket Wizard option for eTTL as far as I am aware, only the flex and mini work for TTL. Also if you have the STE2 commander this will give you ratio control with the PW flex and mini.
 
Bialiwesi said:
Hi there,

I sometimes cover events and conferences where two (or more) lights would be useful. The furthest away I would need to control a light would be 10m I'd say.
Click to expand...

You need to consider:

1. power
2. getting your gear pinched
3. saftey

For these sorts of events, you are better of using 2 or more studio flashes (which you can pick up for the price of a pocket wizzard). Fix them into the existing lighting gantry that will allready be there, or use flash stands and tether them - use a mains powered trigger, and a radio triger on your camera. Use a flashmenter to meter where the speaker will be standing. No mater where you arein the room, if you shoot the speaker, on the setting given by the light meter, your exposure will be perfect every time, and the flashes will be charged up every time, and you wont be bothered about batteries running out
 
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If budget is tight, an RF-602 transmitter and two receivers for about £40 off FITP will sort you out very effectively. Manual exposure control only, but that just takes a minute or two to set up. I actually think the RF-602s are better than the regular PWs - the wake-up facility is invaluable with remote units. I sold my PWs.

You could do it with Canon's optical E-TTL, but at that range you'd need clear line of sight which is sometimes difficult with people milling about. And doing it with radio E-TTL, with the PW Flex/Mini or similar, costs a rocket.

jayce103 said:
The Pocket Wizard option for eTTL as far as I am aware, only the flex and mini work for TTL. Also if you have the STE2 commander this will give you ratio control with the PW flex and mini.
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ST-E2 is not compatible with PWs. Flex and Mini do their own ratio control.
 
Another vote here for RF-602s. Great value and very reliable. I don't think I've had a misfire on mine yet. I think the range is better than the average ebay trigger too though never used them far enough away for that to be an issue.

I was looking at Pocket Wizards, Alien Bees, Radio Poppers etc the other day thinking I should upgrage but for the life of me I couldn't find a good reason to. I'll be sticking with what I've got for a long time I think.
 
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Lazlo Woodbine said:
Another vote here for RF-602s. Great value and very reliable. I don't think I've had a misfire on mine yet. I think the range is better than the average ebay trigger too though never used them far enough away for that to be an issue.
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Me too :thumbs: I got over 100m range from the top of the road. They were still working when I was stopped by a hedge.
 
No need to buy radio triggers etc that will only give manual flash control over the slave, use your 580's wireless function. So grab a secondhand 430ex set it to slave, set your 580 to master and away you go, full ettl/ettl 2 control over both flash guns, you can even set the power ratio between them and still meter everything through the camera.
 
iancandler said:
No need to buy radio triggers etc that will only give manual flash control over the slave, use your 580's wireless function. So grab a secondhand 430ex set it to slave, set your 580 to master and away you go, full ettl/ettl 2 control over both flash guns, you can even set the power ratio between them and still meter everything through the camera.
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Very costly Ian. That way, you not only need another expensive Canon-compatible gun to replace the Nikon unit, you can't get the master off camera without a long E-TTL cord. Or use the 580 on-camera as master, and have to buy two more guns, or an ST-E2. Either way, money, plus potential range issues.
 
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