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Basically I'm looking for your opinions (ONLY FROM EXPERIENCE) on the Speedlite ST-E2 setup or Wizards.
Drew... I'm looking at you :P
Okay....
So.... I'm looking into getting some new equipment.
I thinking of lenses, then I thought... FLASH SETUP!
My first thoughts went straight to the Pocket Wizards... Then I thought... What about Speedlites?
... the setups are as follows (excluding light stands).
-----------------------------------
x2 sunpak 555 (i've got one already)
x3 recievers + x1 transmitter (pocket wizards)
AU$1678... Allowing $100 for customs charges + GST
==========================
x2 580EX Speedlites
x1 ST-E2 Infra Red transmitter
x1 Wein light slave (for 555)
$1642... Allowing $100 for customs charges + GST
-----------------------------------
The prices are pretty even - I could go for the 550EX Speedlite setup which is heaps cheaper, but yeah... I thought i'd show you the newer shit.
So tell me your opinions... (you're all gonna say Pocket wizard)...
i have never used a flash in my life, but i've read a shitload about them because im planning to buy some in the next 2 months, and from what i've read you really want to go the pw road, the infra red just isnt reliable enough:(
yeah i was wondering about the "reliablity"....
Drew.... did your flashes ever misfire / not fire?
Because if they did - it's an excuse to go PW.
I'm now thinking I probably cannot afford all that shit in one hit... :(!!!
One flash just isn't enoughhhhhh
what about flashes with built in optical slaves? there are a few around which work great. second hand too, wouldnt cost more than a few hundred dollars...
mate, if you're looking to do it on the cheap, get cheapo wireless slaves from ebay US.
i haven't had any probs with mine and spent the money on other shit. the range on PW's is better, but you don't need that for skating. think all up it was $100 for two transmitters and two receivers and hotshoe adapters for the 550ex's. i plug one of the transmitters into my lightmeter and the other into whichever camera i'm using.
e-ttl is great for some stuff though. if you're going to be doing portraits or other crap and need to do it in a hurry then the infrared works great. works best indoors but i've used it for a wedding outside without problems. the main issue is that outdoors you really need line of sight which sux for skating when you're using a wide angle cause you don't want the flash in the shot.
by the way, don't waste the $$ on the st-e2. get another 550ex as they've actually got more wireless features than the transmitter and you get an extra flash as well.
PW's are better, for sure but the plus models only really do what the cheapo's do, just a bit better. the multimax's are better still but unless you're strobing sports arena's or have coin to burn don't worry about it.
... hmm see... i'm the sort of person that likes to experiment with lighting ... so i would be using them at great distances from my camera etc... which is why i was looking at PW....
ahah multimax? wtf?
hmmmmm all so much to take in
get a multimax for a transmitter and a couple of plus receivers (multimax probably not necessary but this is what i'm doing to take advantage of my 8fps). then just just buy a couple of 285hv's. you'll get more consistent results from a 285hv in auto mode than the 550ex's. also a couple of 285hv's will be much easier to carry around than a couple of 555's. and the 285hv's are cheaper than all of them.
pocket wizard plus cannot keep up with 8fps. i have tried, and also a friend has had the same problems. its a guessing game as to whether you may get an all black frame in your sequence. risky business.... you need the multimaxes for reliable sequences. i am unsure if it is because of the transmitter or receiver, but they definatley are not to be relied on for 8fps.
yeah, you need a multimax if you want rear curtain flash or to trigger a remote camera and strobes at the same time.
if you really like experimenting with strobes, look at flash wizards :) think they're about $5K each! basically a laptop stuffed in a PW. they use them in the nba for triggering multiple remotes with multiple strobe setups.
the range on the cheapos is 30m. if you're using flashes for skating from further away than that you're doing better than me!
do the 285hv's squeeze out as much power as the 555's do though? its all good that they are smaller, but are they going to do the same job as the trip 5?
yeah i'm probably gonna get rid of my sunpak and viv's and just get some t2's
what condition are the vivs in?
if you end putting them up for sale anytime soon tell me because i might be interested...
jerry, im looking at getting a 1D man!! (1/500th sync gets me frothing!!)
If i were to get that, you'd say go a multimax trans over a plus for seq!!
Are there any disadvantages of getting multimax trans rather than plus trans??
I chose to use PWs and have a 550ex on camera. 4 weeks to go.
I've heard from people using the canon setup that the ettl is good but sometimes you get varied exposure results.
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SPEEDLITE slave HELP
elder 06:28 30/Jul/05
Basically I'm looking for your opinions (ONLY FROM EXPERIENCE) on the Speedlite ST-E2 setup or Wizards.
Drew... I'm looking at you :P
Okay....
So.... I'm looking into getting some new equipment.
I thinking of lenses, then I thought... FLASH SETUP!
My first thoughts went straight to the Pocket Wizards... Then I thought... What about Speedlites?
... the setups are as follows (excluding light stands).
-----------------------------------
x2 sunpak 555 (i've got one already)
x3 recievers + x1 transmitter (pocket wizards)
AU$1678... Allowing $100 for customs charges + GST
==========================
x2 580EX Speedlites
x1 ST-E2 Infra Red transmitter
x1 Wein light slave (for 555)
$1642... Allowing $100 for customs charges + GST
-----------------------------------
The prices are pretty even - I could go for the 550EX Speedlite setup which is heaps cheaper, but yeah... I thought i'd show you the newer shit.
So tell me your opinions... (you're all gonna say Pocket wizard)...
Brynn 08:10 30/Jul/05
i have never used a flash in my life, but i've read a shitload about them because im planning to buy some in the next 2 months, and from what i've read you really want to go the pw road, the infra red just isnt reliable enough:(
elder 08:20 30/Jul/05
yeah i was wondering about the "reliablity"....
Drew.... did your flashes ever misfire / not fire?
Because if they did - it's an excuse to go PW.
I'm now thinking I probably cannot afford all that shit in one hit... :(!!!
One flash just isn't enoughhhhhh
RoryL 08:34 30/Jul/05
what about flashes with built in optical slaves? there are a few around which work great. second hand too, wouldnt cost more than a few hundred dollars...
barrel 09:30 30/Jul/05
mate, if you're looking to do it on the cheap, get cheapo wireless slaves from ebay US.
i haven't had any probs with mine and spent the money on other shit. the range on PW's is better, but you don't need that for skating. think all up it was $100 for two transmitters and two receivers and hotshoe adapters for the 550ex's. i plug one of the transmitters into my lightmeter and the other into whichever camera i'm using.
e-ttl is great for some stuff though. if you're going to be doing portraits or other crap and need to do it in a hurry then the infrared works great. works best indoors but i've used it for a wedding outside without problems. the main issue is that outdoors you really need line of sight which sux for skating when you're using a wide angle cause you don't want the flash in the shot.
by the way, don't waste the $$ on the st-e2. get another 550ex as they've actually got more wireless features than the transmitter and you get an extra flash as well.
PW's are better, for sure but the plus models only really do what the cheapo's do, just a bit better. the multimax's are better still but unless you're strobing sports arena's or have coin to burn don't worry about it.
elder 10:23 30/Jul/05
... hmm see... i'm the sort of person that likes to experiment with lighting ... so i would be using them at great distances from my camera etc... which is why i was looking at PW....
ahah multimax? wtf?
hmmmmm all so much to take in
jerrysk8 00:30 31/Jul/05
get a multimax for a transmitter and a couple of plus receivers (multimax probably not necessary but this is what i'm doing to take advantage of my 8fps). then just just buy a couple of 285hv's. you'll get more consistent results from a 285hv in auto mode than the 550ex's. also a couple of 285hv's will be much easier to carry around than a couple of 555's. and the 285hv's are cheaper than all of them.
RoryL 00:44 31/Jul/05
pocket wizard plus cannot keep up with 8fps. i have tried, and also a friend has had the same problems. its a guessing game as to whether you may get an all black frame in your sequence. risky business.... you need the multimaxes for reliable sequences. i am unsure if it is because of the transmitter or receiver, but they definatley are not to be relied on for 8fps.
barrel 00:46 31/Jul/05
yeah, you need a multimax if you want rear curtain flash or to trigger a remote camera and strobes at the same time.
if you really like experimenting with strobes, look at flash wizards :) think they're about $5K each! basically a laptop stuffed in a PW. they use them in the nba for triggering multiple remotes with multiple strobe setups.
the range on the cheapos is 30m. if you're using flashes for skating from further away than that you're doing better than me!
Brynn 00:54 31/Jul/05
do the 285hv's squeeze out as much power as the 555's do though? its all good that they are smaller, but are they going to do the same job as the trip 5?
jerrysk8 07:09 31/Jul/05
yeah i'm probably gonna get rid of my sunpak and viv's and just get some t2's
elder 08:19 31/Jul/05
what condition are the vivs in?
if you end putting them up for sale anytime soon tell me because i might be interested...
hartley 08:24 31/Jul/05
jerry, im looking at getting a 1D man!! (1/500th sync gets me frothing!!)
If i were to get that, you'd say go a multimax trans over a plus for seq!!
Are there any disadvantages of getting multimax trans rather than plus trans??
Frank.C 09:02 31/Jul/05
I chose to use PWs and have a 550ex on camera. 4 weeks to go.
I've heard from people using the canon setup that the ettl is good but sometimes you get varied exposure results.
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