Radio-controlled slave flash trigger

G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

I have several flashes (e.g. Vivitar Auto 283) left over from
my film days with too high trigger voltage to be be used on
a digital body.

On eBay, you can buy radio-based slave triggers like this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3860&item=7501143881

I am thinking about getting one of these with 5-6 receivers,
and use them to set up a battery of old Vivitar 283s to
be bounced against ceilings and brollys i situations where
a single strobe is inadequate (e.g. receptions, wide angle
shots in large interiors).

I am attracted to these because they are radio-controlled, and
offer four channels (so I can be in the room with at least three
other photographers with identical equipment without interfering).

I don't want optical slave triggers because of the pre-flash
issue. I know the better optical models can be programmed to
ignore pre-flash sequences, but the programming is awkward and
does bot "stick", so you have do redo it.

1. Do anyone here have experience with such a set-up and would
comment on how pratical and useful it is?

2. This eBay store ("Joe's Photo Auction") seem to have a lot of these
items for sale at what I consider very reasonable prices. However,
I haven't seen a review of this product, nor have I seen it for
sale anywhere else. I like a good price, but I also know that you
usually get what you pay for. I am worried that this may be a
sub-standard product (i.e. something that does not work will, or
will break quickly). Does anyone here have experience with this
product and can comment on its quality?

3. Is there a similar product from other sources I should consider?

--
- gisle hannemyr [ gisle{at}hannemyr.no - http://folk.uio.no/gisle/ ]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kodak DCS460, Canon Powershot G5, Olympus 2020Z
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

"Gisle Hannemyr" <gisle+news@ifi.uio.no> wrote in message
news:q5u0n6aa96.fsf@kaksi.ifi.uio.no...
>I have several flashes (e.g. Vivitar Auto 283) left over from
> my film days with too high trigger voltage to be be used on
> a digital body.
>
snip

Just a note, I use the remote sensor cord (SC-3- coiled version, SC-1
uncoiled version) with my Vivitar 285's.

The vari-sensor on the front of the flash pulls off to enable you to plug
the cord into the socket there and the sensor then fits on the other end
that slides into the hotshoe of the camera.It's the same with the 283's.

I have found that the trigger voltage off the foot of the SC-3 is a hell of
a lot lower, and inside the 6v tolerance of Canon EOS bodies (film and
digital), than off the foot of the flash itself.

I do this to trip off my elinchroms, better than the sync leads that never
lasted me more than a month at a time.

Another option is the wein safe sync device that sits between the camera and
the flash on the hotshoe. This definately works at reducing the effects of
the trigger voltage off the flash foot to within safe levels. However as I
never use a flash on the hotshoe itself I don't feel the need for one.

As to the radio triggers you would still need them to trip off multiple
units around the place, I personally haven't used these so can't offer first
hand experience , but I'm told by a collegue who does that they work a
treat.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

"canongirly" <me@me.com> writes:
> "Gisle Hannemyr" <gisle+news@ifi.uio.no> wrote:

>>I have several flashes (e.g. Vivitar Auto 283) left over from
>> my film days with too high trigger voltage to be be used on
>> a digital body.

> Just a note, I use the remote sensor cord (SC-3- coiled version,
> SC-1 uncoiled version) with my Vivitar 285's.
>
> The vari-sensor on the front of the flash pulls off to enable you to
> plug the cord into the socket there and the sensor then fits on the
> other end that slides into the hotshoe of the camera.It's the same
> with the 283's.
>
> I have found that the trigger voltage off the foot of the SC-3 is a
> hell of a lot lower, and inside the 6v tolerance of Canon EOS bodies
> (film and digital), than off the foot of the flash itself.

Interesting. I've measured my 283s, and they are all well over
100 volts. I don't have a sensor cord, tho', and using one will
still restrict me to trigger a single strobe.

> Another option is the wein safe sync device that sits between the
> camera and the flash on the hotshoe. This definately works at
> reducing the effects of the trigger voltage off the flash foot to
> within safe levels. However as I never use a flash on the hotshoe
> itself I don't feel the need for one.

And they're $50 each. Radio receivers for the GT301-B transmitter
are only $30 each - /and/ let me set up multiple strobes at various
locations. If I only could be sure that the GT301-B radio
transmitters sold by Joe's are usable, they are both cheaper and
more flexible than the Wein Safe Sync.


I've now found a comparable product at B&H: Quantum Slave 4i Set
for $300. I.e. it retails for about five times what Joe's eBay
store charges for the GT301-B radio trigger set. That sort of
price differences makes me wary. It may mean that Joe's product
is a great bargain, or it may mean that Joe's product is the sort
of useless cr*p one can easily pick up from eBay if one is not
careful.

So I'd really like to hear from someone that has actually used
the device before I place an order.

> As to the radio triggers you would still need them to trip off
> multiple units around the place, I personally haven't used these so
> can't offer first hand experience, but I'm told by a collegue who
> does that they work a treat.

That is encouraging, but do you know what brand of transmitter your
collegue uses and where she/he got them?
--
- gisle hannemyr [ gisle{at}hannemyr.no - http://folk.uio.no/gisle/ ]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kodak DCS460, Canon Powershot G5, Olympus 2020Z
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

"Gisle Hannemyr" <gisle+news@ifi.uio.no> wrote in message
news:q5psxu9zgp.fsf@kaksi.ifi.uio.no...
> "canongirly" <me@me.com> writes:
>> "Gisle Hannemyr" <gisle+news@ifi.uio.no> wrote:
>


> That is encouraging, but do you know what brand of transmitter your
> collegue uses and where she/he got them?

It's one of these.

http://tinyurl.com/3uznt

in case you have a problem with the link the ebay item number is: 7500816792

> Interesting. I've measured my 283s, and they are all well over
> 100 volts. I don't have a sensor cord, tho', and using one will
> still restrict me to trigger a single strobe.

Well you'll need to fire one to trip the others. if they were hooked up to
optical sensors.

However I did say at the start..."Just a note " As in if you ever find you
need to use one of your flashes there is a relatively cheap way of doing so
(compared to buying new flash equipment).

> - gisle hannemyr [ gisle{at}hannemyr.no - http://folk.uio.no/gisle/ ]
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Kodak DCS460, Canon Powershot G5, Olympus 2020Z
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------