What does "Unreliable" mean in respect to triggers?

[Jamesino]

I frequently hear people saying that cheap, eBay triggers are 'unrealiable" compared to the more expensive PW's.

What exactly does that mean? Does it mean that sometimes they don't fire when you release the shutter? Can't you just release the shutter again?

[mattograph]

They don't trigger when you shoot. This can be caused by physical interference or just cheap electronics.

The biggest problem you have when they don't fire is that you can't always assume they are the problem. In a wireless system, you have a flash, power source, flash control, wire to your flash remote, the remote itself, and the trigger on the camera. In a multiple light setup, that might mean 15 different possible "faults". Bad triggers make it that much harder to find the problem.

When you are paying for studio time, models, etc, it really sucks and is unacceptable. Shooting in your basement? Wouldn't sweat it.

[GenuineRolla]

^^^

Exactly. Mean's that they don't fire every single time. That can be come frustrating when you're trying to shoot a specific scene/set up and it all relies on getting the timing right. When you have to do a shot over 5-7 times to get all flashes to fire at the same time..you're just waiting more time on one shot, instead of getting the same results over and over and being more efficient in the shooting.

[mpeters]

Don't fire when you want them to, or fire when you don't want them to. Multiple lights with multiple triggers, some firing, some not.

[Rudi]

Can't you just release the shutter again?

You can. In my case though, the first time a flash fails to fire when I have the perfect expression on the client's face, that is when I lost the difference in price between the cheap triggers and something reliable! So I figure I'm better-off to just buy the good stuff. :) Of course, if you don't charge for your work then this will not matter to you so much, but the constant annoyance of never knowing what you're gonna get, will!

[Lithian]

Then you press the shutter again and it still wont fire, so you move closer and try again, then move back... then hold your left ear while waving your elbow and yes, it finaly fired. well, except now the other flash didnt go off.

also i get appaling sync speeds


I feel like the money i spent on them was a complete waste and would have been better put towards a real system. This is why i would call them unreliable as well as a few other choice expletives

[Titus213]

The next step up from eBay triggers is not PWs. There are Skyports and Cybersyncs in between, both very reliable systems.

[mchong75]

I've NEVER EVER had a misfire on my PW II's.

Works like a charm.

[mattograph]

I have never heard of a PW misfire.

[tim]

If you want to see a time I had PW and Skyport troubles read this thread (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=590771). Other than this one location my Skyports have been otherwise flawless.

[Titus213]

I've never had a PW misfire either, but then I use Cybersyncs. :lol:

No misfires there either.

[M_ark]

I dunno if these count but i've found the product touted as being 'radio trigger for Canon 430 / 580EX' from dealextreme.com to be very reliable. Sometimes they go off with no trigger signal, but that's very rare, working clear range of up to 20 metres with fresh batteries. They do look just like cactus triggers though, but for the price, i think it's worth it.

[ebann]

You wouldn't want to use an unreliable trigger for a wedding shoot! Your business would fail before you can say Pocket Wizards!

[S7000]

They either don't fire when they should, or they fire uncontrollably. Mine do both at the moment. Need to settle them down and work out which signal gets the least interference.

[dynastysmartparts]

it leads to too many problems and you dont know what exactly is wrong..once you have something truly reliable like cyberysncs or pocketwizards...then there is less stress..and if it isnt firing..its you flash/strobe!

[tim]

You wouldn't want to use an unreliable trigger for a wedding shoot! Your business would fail before you can say Pocket Wizards!

I think that's going a bit far. I tried to use wireless ETTL once at a beach at night, it just wouldn't work reliably. Instead of an off camera flash shooting through an umbrella I used my on camera flash and bounced it off the outside of the umbrella. Once you understand light you find a way to do what you want. Wireless ETTL last weekend gave me some images exposed correctly, and some overexposed by two stops, I have no idea why.

I use skyports mostly now. Wireless ETTL isn't as reliable as I need it to be.

[mattograph]

I think that's going a bit far. I tried to use wireless ETTL once at a beach at night, it just wouldn't work reliably. Instead of an off camera flash shooting through an umbrella I used my on camera flash and bounced it off the outside of the umbrella. Once you understand light you find a way to do what you want. Wireless ETTL last weekend gave me some images exposed correctly, and some overexposed by two stops, I have no idea why.

I use skyports mostly now. Wireless ETTL isn't as reliable as I need it to be.

My favorite picture of my wife was shot at a wedding by a photographer who bounced his on camera flash off my white shirt for perfect fill!

[tim]

My favorite picture of my wife was shot at a wedding by a photographer who bounced his on camera flash off my white shirt for perfect fill!

Yep you can bounce off anything that doesn't leave a color cast, and sometimes a color cast can work. Surprisingly black shiny surfaces can be ok as bounce surfaces too.

[Palladium]

To me - anything that does not have the pocketwizard logo YMMV

[kyarger]

eBay triggers do not, and will not, fire 100% of the time. That's a given. So what? That's why the pros go with PWs. If you're a newbie like me, they are a great way to explore options not available to you before. I use them to trigger some circa 1980's flashes, and they work >95% of the time! IMO, they're a cool and neat way to play with flash! Don't like it? Delete it!

[ebann]

I think that's going a bit far. I tried to use wireless ETTL once at a beach at night, it just wouldn't work reliably. Instead of an off camera flash shooting through an umbrella I used my on camera flash and bounced it off the outside of the umbrella. Once you understand light you find a way to do what you want. Wireless ETTL last weekend gave me some images exposed correctly, and some overexposed by two stops, I have no idea why.

I use skyports mostly now. Wireless ETTL isn't as reliable as I need it to be.

on camera = 100% reliable

but if you are using wireless flash in a wedding, you can't afford to miss the shots. it has to be also 100% reliable. I saw my friend shoot a wedding, while his gear was not top-of-the-line (Nikon D60 and F100), his wireless triggers were!

Here's another wireless trigger options for people outside Brazil. It works 100% and is what pros use here. Depending on the dollar exchange rate, it might be a good buy.

http://www.radioflash.com.br/

use this to translate the website

http://babelfish.yahoo.com/

[Skid]

My cheapo cactus thingies fire whenever there's a wireless internet, or DECT style (aka anything on 2.4 Ghz) near me :p

[tim]

on camera = 100% reliable

but if you are using wireless flash in a wedding, you can't afford to miss the shots. it has to be also 100% reliable. I saw my friend shoot a wedding, while his gear was not top-of-the-line (Nikon D60 and F100), his wireless triggers were!


When you have umbrellas, brackets, people moving, and bright light wireless ETTL isn't reliable. You need direct line of sight, and sometimes it's just fussy even when it should be ok. This is why I use skyports (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/505381-REG/Elinchrom_EL_19360_EL_Skyport_Universal_Radio_Slav e.html/BI/2312/KBID/3114) rather than wireless ETTL most of the time now, they've been rock solid for me.

[ebann]

When you have umbrellas, brackets, people moving, and bright light wireless ETTL isn't reliable. You need direct line of sight, and sometimes it's just fussy even when it should be ok. This is why I use skyports (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/505381-REG/Elinchrom_EL_19360_EL_Skyport_Universal_Radio_Slav e.html/BI/2312/KBID/3114) rather than wireless ETTL most of the time now, they've been rock solid for me.

Heh... I should have used the term "radio wireless"... forgot that Canon ETTL infrared is also "wireless"! :oops:

[Blackey Cole]

To me it means that it fires some of the time but something causes it not to fire every time.

[RDKirk]

eBay triggers do not, and will not, fire 100% of the time. That's a given.

Not necessarily. I've got eight sets of AC-powered eBay triggers (I usually use four to six at a time) that I've used for five years now that have never, ever misfired.