4 Alien Bees, L-358, Wireless Bee Package and CONFUSION!!!

[RTMiller]

I am very confused and could use some clarification on all this wireless stuff. I am purchasing 4 Alien Bees and the Wireless Bee Package. I really like the idea of controlling all my lights from one location without having to run wires.

I am also purchasing the Sekonic L-358 with the Radio Transmitter Module. I am aware that the L-358 will not communicate with the AB Wireless Package so I won't be able to test fire my lights wirelessly while standing next to my subject.

So I guess I have two options:

1) I could run a wire from the L-358 to the AB Transmitter. When I press test fire on the L-358 it should send a signal through the AB Transmitter to the AB receivers connected to each light and they will all fire and I will take my reading. Then when I want to actually take the picture, I will have to unplug the L-358 and then connect the AB transmitter to the camera (20D). This can't be right, can it?

or 2) I have the L-358 communicating wirelessly to a PocketWizard (reciever only?, MultiMAX?) sitting on top of my camera. The PocketWizard is wired to the AB Transmitter which communicates wirelessly to each light when I press test fire on the L-358. When I want to actually take the picture, I will have to unplug the AB Transmitter from the PocketWizard and then connect the AB transmitter to the camera (20D). This can't be right, can it?

I know I must be missing something. I would like to be totally wireless and not have to unplug/reconnect stuff when I switch from taking readings to taking pictures. Can this be done? Thanks in advance for any help.

[bolantej]

I am only guessing but maybe get pocket wizards instead of the AB wireless package and all will work like you want it to. Sorry I'm still noob on teh subject.

[Longwatcher]

Tried to find out if I am right, but no luck on confirmation.

If the L-358 has a sync cord plug then all you would have to do is have an AB transmitter connected via the sync cord. Either use the one and then after getting setting plug the camera in OR get a second transmitter for the light meter and set on the same group as the one on the camera. Then either can trigger the lights.

So your option 1, if it works, would prove the theory and then just get the second transmitter for the light meter. The issue you have is one of frequency allocation and unless the Selkonic has the ability to transmit on the same frequency then you have to have a transmitter.

At least I think that should work.

[RTMiller]

I am only guessing but maybe get pocket wizards instead of the AB wireless package...

PocketWizards cannot control the AB lights. I would have to walk around to each light to adjust the output. Not that it is a long walk or anything but I like the idea of standing at the camera, adjusting the lights and watching the result of the changes in the modeling lights.

[bolantej]

PocketWizards cannot control the AB lights. I would have to walk around to each light to adjust the output. Not that it is a long walk or anything but I like the idea of standing at the camera, adjusting the lights and watching the result of the changes in the modeling lights.

Okay. see, I told you I was noob :D:lol: I would like to hear how you get this sorted. wireless is the next step after getting more lights.

[Jwreich]

PocketWizards cannot control the AB lights. I would have to walk around to each light to adjust the output. Not that it is a long walk or anything but I like the idea of standing at the camera, adjusting the lights and watching the result of the changes in the modeling lights.

Control Alien Bee lights no, but it can fire the lights. No radio slave kit can control your mono lights, the radios just send a signal to fire.

Now you can get the AB kit and then connect the master controller to your radio slave. This will allow you to fire all lights at once. You then adjust with the AB master control.

Does that make sense?

[RTMiller]

Does that make sense?
I don't know.:D Are you saying the camera is plugged into a PocketWizard which is plugged into the AB Transmitter?

[DocFrankenstein]

PocketWizards cannot control the AB lights. I would have to walk around to each light to adjust the output. Not that it is a long walk or anything but I like the idea of standing at the camera, adjusting the lights and watching the result of the changes in the modeling lights.
You can put the 358 on flash metering and just press trigger them.

[Longwatcher]

Control Alien Bee lights no, but it can fire the lights. No radio slave kit can control your mono lights, the radios just send a signal to fire.

Now you can get the AB kit and then connect the master controller to your radio slave. This will allow you to fire all lights at once. You then adjust with the AB master control.

Does that make sense?

Just to make sure people are not confused. From the AB remote transmitter the alien bees remote set can control an individual or a group of AB lights that are using the remote recievers; as in change power settings and ratios. I have presumed the pocket wizards could so the same, but I don't have those.

The way the post was worded it sounded like all remotes do is fire the strobes and at least in the case of the AB remotes they can control the lights wirelessly.

[slin100]

The subject line is definitely right--there is definitely some confusion going on here.

I don't own AB but one thing to straighten out is the difference between remotely controlling the lights, as in setting the power settings, and remotely triggering the lights. AFICT, the Alien Bee's wireless package can do both.

Now, if you want to use your Sekonic, it won't work with the AB remote triggering functionality. So, the answer is to use Pocket Wizards for triggering and the AB wireless package for remote control. You just need a Pocket Wizard transmitter and receiver. The transmitter goes on the camera hotshoe and the receiver plugs into one AB light. AB lights have built-in optical triggers, so they can slave off the radio-triggered light. Voila, you can now trigger from the Sekonic or the camera without moving any cords.

[beardo]

All you have to do is set your light meter to wireless flash mode and fire the lights (induvidually or all together depending on what you want to meter) with the ab wireless controler. You dont need to attach your flash meter to anything.

[PacAce]

The solution is to use the AB wireless remote to control the AB lights to fire in unison or individually. You then set the L-358 to Auto-reset cordless flash. It will measure the flash automatically when the flash goes off (triggered by the AB wireless remote). This way you don't have to trigger the light with the meter.

[tim]

Beardo beat you to it Pacace :p

[PacAce]

Beardo beat you to it Pacace :p
Man, how embarassing. I didn't even see that post. :o

[slin100]

All you have to do is set your light meter to wireless flash mode and fire the lights (induvidually or all together depending on what you want to meter) with the ab wireless controler. You dont need to attach your flash meter to anything.

This works, but it's not as slick as triggering it from the Sekonic. The OP stated a requirement to fire the lights while standing next to the subject. With the method above, you potentially have to ask the subject to hold the meter and walk to the AB light/remote control to trigger it.

[DocFrankenstein]

Tell me about it.


Then you have to move your hand to the camera, pick it up, move it to your eye, adjust dials in camera, compose and tell your finger to press on the shutter.

It's like so much work!

[RTMiller]

The OP stated a requirement to fire the lights while standing next to the subject. With the method above, you potentially have to ask the subject to hold the meter and walk to the AB light/remote control to trigger it.
That's correct. Still looking for a solution.

...if you want to use your Sekonic...the answer is to use Pocket Wizards for triggering and the AB wireless package for remote control. You just need a Pocket Wizard transmitter and receiver. The transmitter goes on the camera hotshoe and the receiver plugs into one AB light. AB lights have built-in optical triggers, so they can slave off the radio-triggered light. Voila, you can now trigger from the Sekonic or the camera without moving any cords.
I thought about this too. Sounds like it would work. The only problem I see, which I didn't state as a requirement in my original post, is that I lose the ability to trigger the lights by radio. Only one is radio triggered. The other three are triggered optically. Other photographers in the area would trigger three of my lights when they took a flash picture.

[redbutt]

I have both PocketWizards and the AB RemoteOne setup. If you want to do EVERYTHING wirelessly here's what you need to do:

You need BOTH the AB wireless AND the PocketWizards (ONE reciever and ONE transmitter). You mount the transmitter to the camera and connect the receiver to the RemoteOne transmitter with a male-male "miniphone" sync cord (kinda hard to find).

The PocketWizard will trigger the RemoteOne (either from the camera or the PocketWizard link in the flash meter), which will trigger the lights. However, let me just say (as I've said in several posts) that I have abandoned the RemoteOne for triggering and only use it for adjusting the lights. It has been VERY unreliable for triggering. The thing goes to sleep too fast, and sometimes will not trigger all the lights...only one. Save yourself some headache, and hook the PocketWizard receiver to your MAIN light, set all the others to optical slave, and use the non-cabled flash mode of the light meter as slin100 said. You can still wirelessly test all the flashes via the RemoteOne (read your meter manual on how to use it in non-cabled mode). The RemoteOne can be hooked to the flash to control it's settings while the flash is in Optical Slave mode...it is not a mutally exclusive thing.

If you really do need to trigger all the lights via a radio slave, and you are in a situation where there are multiple photographers with strobes, then you will need to get a PocketWizard reciever for EACH strobe you are firing. Again, I've had major issues with the RemoteOne working reliably to trigger multiple strobes.

[DocFrankenstein]

redbutt - WOW

I'd imagine one may not be able to use the max sync speed, since there's 3 stages of transmission - pocket wizards, remote to "main light" and then optical slaves triggering the rest...

[redbutt]

redbutt - WOW

I'd imagine one may not be able to use the max sync speed, since there's 3 stages of transmission - pocket wizards, remote to "main light" and then optical slaves triggering the rest...

Yeah...pain in the ass to debug all that. Incidentally, I forgot to mention, you need that same hard to find male-male miniphone plug to connect the PW to the AB lights directly. The ABs do not have standard studio PC or House triggering plugs, so the standard Sync cords that you get with the bees and the wireless package will not work with the PWs.

[RTMiller]

Very interesting. Thanks redbutt.

[PacAce]

Yeah...pain in the ass to debug all that. Incidentally, I forgot to mention, you need that same hard to find male-male miniphone plug to connect the PW to the AB lights directly. The ABs do not have standard studio PC or House triggering plugs, so the standard Sync cords that you get with the bees and the wireless package will not work with the PWs.
You can find the male-male miniphone cables at Radio Shack. I think they even have ones that are a foot long. If one is handy with a soldering iron and a pair of cutters, one can also put a cable together from parts (1/8" phone plugs and shielded wire) also available at Radio Shack. BTW, they don't have to be mono cables, either. Stereo ones will work just fine, too.

[redbutt]

You can find the male-male miniphone cables at Radio Shack. I think they even have ones that are a foot long. If one is handy with a soldering iron and a pair of cutters, one can also put a cable together from parts (1/8" phone plugs and shielded wire) also available at Radio Shack. BTW, they don't have to be mono cables, either. Stereo ones will work just fine, too.

I eventually did make my own, because the two Radio Shacks near me did not have the cable. You can also make them without soldering with RCA connector bits. RCA -> miniphone connectors are all over the place.