Pocket Wizards or ST-E2 or Both?

[GenEOS]

Was wondering the thoughts of those who have the gear, as to what they would do in my position.

I have decided to buy two 550EX flashes. I need to remotely fire these guys, both off camera.

I was tossing the idea around of the ST-E2 IR trigger from Canon, or buying the Pocket Wizard Plus transmiitter and 2 receivers.
The cost would be more for the Wizard set up, of course, but I am thinking of using this rig outdoors at times.

Also, what does the multi pocket wizard trans/recev combo unit have to offer a person beginning remote flash usage....

I want the most bang for my buck, but I don't want to have to buy more later because I bought the wrong thing.

I will be shooting were others may have wizards triggering their flashes...Am I limited to a certain number of channels?

I am almost leaning toward 3 of the multi units and being done with it...

Can anyone post that has first hand knowledge of this equipment?

[scottbergerphoto]

The STE2 will allow you to use the off the camera flashes in ETTL and set the flash ratios. I don't believe that you can use a Pocket Wizard with the two 550EX's. They don't have a pc terminal to connect the receiver and in manual mode a 550EX will not trigger a second one or a 420EX as a slave. With Canon Speedlites, you are confined to using an STE2 or 550EX as the master. The Pocket Wizards are excellent for studio flashes.
I've also used them with Nikon Speedlites with no problem. No such luck with Canon. If I'm wrong, someone please jog my noggin.
Scott

[rodbunn]

I use the pocket wizards but it's a pain. YOu have to cover the pins on the 550 somehow (except the center pin) then put a shoe to pc conector between the 550 and wizard. I only use this config when I need a portable (batt operated) light for the background.

Scott is right you loose the ETTL.....

Good luck, Rod

[GenEOS]

I don't believe that you can use a Pocket Wizard with the two 550EX's. Scott

http://www.sportsshooter.com/funpix_view.html?id=762

Wonder what this guy has going on then?

[rodbunn]

The pocket Wizard's ONLY output is a PC plug, so whatever he has just converts the PC to fire the 550, and it looks like the 550 mounts right on whatever they are. They might be something by WEIN ? With only a PC out I don't see how they can keep the ETTL going....

Somebody must make an adapter that sends all the signals for ETTL ?

Anybody know?

Rod

[rodbunn]

I put the off camera shoe cord onto the "hot-shoe to PC adapter"
to protect the 550. Then into the Pocket Wizard.... Fires every time
(unless I turn off the remote switch on the Wizard).

Here it is (minus the 550): http://www.xposeu.com/550a.jpg

Later, Rod

[DaveG]

Was wondering the thoughts of those who have the gear, as to what they would do in my position.

I have decided to buy two 550EX flashes. I need to remotely fire these guys, both off camera.

I was tossing the idea around of the ST-E2 IR trigger from Canon, or buying the Pocket Wizard Plus transmiitter and 2 receivers.
The cost would be more for the Wizard set up, of course, but I am thinking of using this rig outdoors at times.

Also, what does the multi pocket wizard trans/recev combo unit have to offer a person beginning remote flash usage....

I want the most bang for my buck, but I don't want to have to buy more later because I bought the wrong thing.

I will be shooting were others may have wizards triggering their flashes...Am I limited to a certain number of channels?

I am almost leaning toward 3 of the multi units and being done with it...

Can anyone post that has first hand knowledge of this equipment?

The only way I'd spend the money on the 550's is if I was planning on using them with the Canon Wireless System (CWS from here on). If I was thinking about radio slaves I'd either get monolights or Vivitar 283/285's and save a LOT of money.

The biggest advantage of the radio slaves is that I could have them mounted on flash's at great distances away from the camera position, and they don't have to be in line of sight. But I would not be able to make any adjustments to the remote flash's power settings without going back to those flashes and manually adjusting them. With CWS's E-TTL I can control the light output of my flashes from the camera position.

There are a variety of radio channels that I could select so there's less chance that another photographer will set off my radio slaved flashes. There are four channels available for the CWS and therefore there is the possibility that another photographer could be using my "frequency" such as it is. But these issues can usually be settled with a brief conversation as in: "I'm on Channel 2." "OK, I'll be on Channel 3."

Aunt Gertrude's flash from her point and shoot camera will NOT trigger your slaved CWS, nor will a 550EX flash unless the other photographer has it on Master and the same channel as you've selected.

You might want to consider getting a 420 flash as well as the two 550's, rather than the ST-E2 transmitter. By using a 550 as the Master you'll have a device that projects the Wireless signal better than the ST-E2. You'll need to have the fill flash close to the camera in any case so a 550 on a bracket won't hurt. You then will still have TWO more flashes out there. The second 550 can take advantage to the Wireless Manual setting (the 420 can't) while you can now use a three light E-TTL wireless setup rather than relying on two lights and the ST-E2.

Send me a direct email and I'll send you some commercial shots that I've done with the CWS E-TTL system

[justme_dc]

I figured I'd chime in to agree that the Pocketwizards work awesome with the 500EX if you use manual mode and work with all other manual flashes and studio strobes for that matter. That fact alone makes them a much more value added product.

In my experience the Wireless E-TTL has worked less than favorably. ( That's a polite way of saying it completely sucks for my purposes.) If you want/need the E-TTL you are stuck with either the 550EX or the ST-E2 as a sending unit.

Futher, Canon is changing things up with the way they do E-TTL with the new 1DmkII anyway. The ST-E2 could end up being obsolete in another year or so anyway. I mean it won't even be as useful as my box of old A-TTL flashes that canon rendered obsolete a few years ago. I still use those in manual mode connected to optical slaves or pocketwizards on most of my location work.

YMMV.

Good luck to you.

[scottbergerphoto]

Wonder what this guy has going on then?
Those appear to be specialty cords which are available from Paramount and made for Canon Flashes and Pocket Wizards. http://www.paramountcords.com/Pockwiz.asp You will still have to buy a receiver for each one as you can't slave one 550 to another unless one is the Master in the hot shoe or on the Off the Shoe Cord 2.
Wein hot shoe syncs will not fit the Canon hot shoe.

If you read my note, I qualified my response by asking for someone to correct me if I was wrong. I appreciate the info, just no need for the attitude.

Scott

[DaveG]

Wonder what this guy has going on then?
Those appear to be specialty cords which are available from Paramount and made for Canon Flashes and Pocket Wizards. http://www.paramountcords.com/Pockwiz.asp You will still have to buy a receiver for each one as you can't slave one 550 to another unless one is the Master in the hot shoe or on the Off the Shoe Cord 2.
Wein hot shoe syncs will not fit the Canon hot shoe.

If you read my note, I qualified my response by asking for someone to correct me if I was wrong. I appreciate the info, just no need for the attitude.

Scott

More to the point: Why spend all that money on 550EX flashes and end up with no more flash than what a bunch of Vivitar 285's would give you, since there is NO E-TTL control with flashes this way.

[rodbunn]

I e.mailed the sports guy (above) and he said he connects
the 550's to the pocket wizard with these:
PW-MHSF1
Miniphone to Hot Shoe Female ( 1 ft. straight )
Hot Shoe Female has 1/4 20 metal thread for mounting
at bottom. Hot Shoe Female has male Shoe ( cold shoe )
for mounting atop camera or in bracket

Go to: http://www.paramountcords.com/Pockwiz.asp
and scroll down half way. These look perfect, I'm going to order one!

Later, Rod

[GenEOS]

Now I am beginning to wake up. If the PW's online fire manual anyways, I guess I can save some money on 550EXs..

Here is what I am thinking... with B&H prices in ():

1 PW trasmitter ($184us)
2 PW receivers ($330us)
1 550EX ($329us)
1 420EX ($169us) = about $1100

and I have a 540EZ to use in the mix as well.

I can use the 550 to fire the 420 or for remote flash set up, use the PW transmitter to fire the 550EX and the 540EZ
For E-ttl work shoot the 550 and 420 EXs...


Or buy the 2-550 and the ST-E2 kit for $799

Any thoughts?

[rodbunn]

I can think of is that if you have strobes that you can use the PW's with
sometimes then the PW's are handy. Also, if you need to control a light
that's out of the reach of the canon setup, then the PW do work great...
Outdoors the PW's are nice cuz they fire from any angle, they don't need
to be in front.

I would use the cheapest flash that fits your needs for the flashes you
put on the PW's, just set them with a meter, that's what I do. I use the
transistor pack with the 550's (on camera and off) to speed things up !

Good luck,

Rod