Sporadic Misfire with Strobes

[bmatanane]

I have a 3 light studio setup using Photoflex monolights and I shoot with a 1D Mark III. After several shots I get an occasional misfire from the the main light which is connected to my camera via a sync cord. I have to fire off a test flash to get the main to fire again or turn off/on the camera which sometimes works. How can I isolate the source (camera or strobe) of the misfires? Or is the camera on a wrong setting? Help!

[CliveyBoy]

The prime suspect is the PC-Synch cable. Try another one, preferably with a screw-in fitting at the camera end.

[bmatanane]

Couldn't locate a screw-in fitting pc-sync cable but a fresh one seems to be doing the trick. I had no idea these cords can be so tempermental. It may be time soon to go with Pocket Wizards. Thank you for the suggestion!

[tim]

Skyports (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/505381-REG/Elinchrom_EL_19360_EL_Skyport_Universal_Radio_Slav e.html/BI/2312/KBID/3114) are a cheaper but still reliable alternative to PWs. Locking cords should be available from www.flashzebra.com and custom made for you if you want a different length. Or just use a speedlite set to manual and 1/64th to trigger the lights.

[Jannie]

If I use Elinchrom 400BX monolights will the Speedlight set to 1/64 trigger them?

[tim]

It will trigger any studio slave with an optical sensor, which is all of them I think. I point it at the ceiling, or towards one of the strobes. Sometimes 1/128th works, sometimes it's 1/16th. Either way it should make no difference to the exposure.

[Jannie]

Thanks.