So i bought a generic flash trigger for my 5D...

[Dementiak]

I bought some generic no brand wireless flash trigger for my 5D + 580EX II...
(theres a brand i just forgot what it was)

It functions great and it's super cheap... approx us$ 50.
So I started using it... triggers well no problems there but then the usual 5DMKone problem came up, LOW LIGHT FOCUSING.

Now that I'm hooked on the WIRELESS off shoe thing i was wondering what alien bee setup do i need?

Here are the things i was considering on doing:

1. Buying a 430 ex to act as slave to my existing 580ex (580 will end up on cam, will get af assist)
2. buy a Canon Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2 (http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-Speedlite-Transmitter-ST-E2-Review.aspx) to trigger my 580 ex II (this will solve the af assist problem but my 580 ex is way high and i dont know if i'll run into trouble with line of sight triggering)
3. or go take the plunge and buy an alien bee setup... ( but wait alien bees dont have focus assist right, so this is a bad choice?)

If i go for option 3 is this what i need?
http://www.amazon.com/PocketWizard-Transceiver-Transmitter-Receiver-Hildozine/dp/B001J50RY4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1234627036&sr=8-2

OR this?

http://www.amazon.com/PocketWizard-PWP-TR-801-125-Transceiver-Hildozine/dp/B001P5XAOM/ref=pd_bbs_sr_6?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1234627036&sr=8-6

super confused.

Maybe a link or two would lead me in the right direction.
Thanks for reading.

[Lotto]

The AB strobe has modeling light, so focusing with the 5D is not a problem if it is used as the main light. And if the trigger you have right now is working well, then you can use it to trigger the AB too.

[eduardofrances]

I bought some generic no brand wireless flash trigger for my 5D + 580EX II...
(theres a brand i just forgot what it was)

It functions great and it's super cheap... approx us$ 50.
So I started using it... triggers well no problems there but then the usual 5DMKone problem came up, LOW LIGHT FOCUSING.

Now that I'm hooked on the WIRELESS off shoe thing i was wondering what alien bee setup do i need?

Here are the things i was considering on doing:

1. Buying a 430 ex to act as slave to my existing 580ex (580 will end up on cam, will get af assist)
2. buy a Canon Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2 (http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-Speedlite-Transmitter-ST-E2-Review.aspx) to trigger my 580 ex II (this will solve the af assist problem but my 580 ex is way high and i dont know if i'll run into trouble with line of sight triggering)
3. or go take the plunge and buy an alien bee setup... ( but wait alien bees dont have focus assist right, so this is a bad choice?)

If i go for option 3 is this what i need?
http://www.amazon.com/PocketWizard-Transceiver-Transmitter-Receiver-Hildozine/dp/B001J50RY4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1234627036&sr=8-2

OR this?

http://www.amazon.com/PocketWizard-PWP-TR-801-125-Transceiver-Hildozine/dp/B001P5XAOM/ref=pd_bbs_sr_6?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1234627036&sr=8-6

super confused.

Maybe a link or two would lead me in the right direction.
Thanks for reading.
Monolights like alienbees include a incandescent bulb that is on to help you preview the effect of the light you will get when you fire the flash, it also doubles as a a light that will help your auto focus system :)

[Dementiak]

Thanks for the replies...
I'll look into the monolights. do you guys have specific models you can suggest i look at?

[Titus213]

Option 3 would let you use your existing trigger for the Alien Bee units. Or you could take the plunge and buy the AB solution - Cybersyncs - which work as well as anything out there, including PocketWizards.

And as stated above, the Alien Bee units have modeling lights so focus should not be an issue.

[Dementiak]

thanks for the reply
alien bees have focus assist? cool... are you talking about these?

http://www.amazon.com/PocketWizard-T...270 36&sr=8-2

http://www.amazon.com/PocketWizard-P...270 36&sr=8-6


If i was to use just my exhisting flash which of these do i need? (which is the single flash and single cam one... i dont know how many transceivers/receivers i need.. one for cam and one for flash?)

thanks again.

[Titus213]

Alien Bees don't have focus assist. They have modeling lights which should help with focus.

And both of your links are broken...but if it's got the name PocketWizard in it I would consider it too expensive for the work I do.

[Dementiak]

thanks for the reply.
havn't logged-in in a while.

i resorted to using a lamp in the distance to use that to help my flashless 5d to focus.

Im gonna put off buying pocket wizards for now as i have no idea as to what i need for the type of stuff i do. gonna work with what i have for now :)

again thanks for the replies.