Failure to trigger

[colormaniac]

Hi, I am experimenting my studio lighting gear and run into a weird situation. Let me describe my gear and setup first.


I have two PC cords. They are connected to a 1-to-2 splitter (don't know the exact name). In this way, I may trigger the flash by my camera, 50D, and also by Sekonic 358 without plugging and unplugging a cord. All the cords and splitter are from Flash Zebra.
430EX as hair light, connected to the splitter.
2 x 430EX II as background light. They are sitting on adapters with optical slaves, all from Flash Zebra.
AB400 as main light. It's going to be triggered by its own optical slave.
My problem is that, even when I change nothing, sometimes there is no flash, sometimes there is flash. When there is no flash, the image is just completely dark. If I press the test button on the 430EX, all the others are triggered. So, there should not be a battery problem.

It's quite frustrating as I cannot figure out why sometimes it doesn't work.

I've been using similar setup for several months (once or twice a month). But previously I didn't have the splitter and the light meter. I don't recall situation like this earlier.

I tried to use no splitter and to just connect the 430EX to my camera with one PC cord. Still, this situation persists.

Is there a setting or a button in the camera that get accidentally turned on or overlooked?

Thanks!

[MT Stringer]

It sounds to me like you have a faulty cord. When your frustration peaks, you will probably decide it is time to upgrade to a wireless trigger/receiver system from one of the manufacturers.

I suppose you could get by with the minimum (one transmitter and one receiver) if your other flashes will be triggered by the optical slaves. Seem like I recall having trouble with my 430 EX when using the optical slaves.

Skyports ended all of my frustration.
Hoep you find a solution to your problem.
Mike

[colormaniac]

Are PC cords usually that unreliable? I owned them for less than 6 months.

Too bad that I have a model coming next Wednesday. Should I buy a wireless set now?

I just said to myself not to spend any more money on camera for the rest of this year!

[SilverHCIC]

It sounds to me like you have a faulty cord. When your frustration peaks, you will probably decide it is time to upgrade to a wireless trigger/receiver system from one of the manufacturers.

I suppose you could get by with the minimum (one transmitter and one receiver) if your other flashes will be triggered by the optical slaves. Seem like I recall having trouble with my 430 EX when using the optical slaves.

Skyports ended all of my frustration.
Hoep you find a solution to your problem.
Mike

It's easy enough to determine whether a faulty cord is your problem:
1) Set up equipment as you described (as you intend to use it).
2) Test several times to replicate your intermittent triggering experience.
3) After replicating the problem, take your 430 off the sync cord and mount directly on camera --- Leave everything else exactly the same.
4) Test several times.

If the entire set up works perfectly when the 430 is mounted directly on camera, but your setup fails when you fire the 430 via the sync cord, then the cord is faulty. Regardless of how the 430 is triggered, the other optical slaves should always work (assuming 430 is properly set to Manual).

Then, just replace your sync cord.

[colormaniac]

Right. I was in the impression that I screwed up some setting and overlooked some camera features, such that I forgot to do this simple test.:o

[colormaniac]

Nailed it. It's the cord that comes with the AB400 that is dead. I got it in May. Used for less than 10 sessions. Now it's gone.

[Jim M]

Sync cords are the iffiest deal in photography, especially the old style PC cords. But think about what they have to put up with. They aren't just laying there on the floor. They are being bent, wiggled, and tugged on all the time they are in use. If you bend a piece of wire enough, it will fail. Also, PC cord connections get stretched and bent a little every time they are put on and taken off, to say nothing of banging around in your camera bag. I'm actually amazed they last as long as they do.

[colormaniac]

It's tugged on once, accidentally. I think that's it. In other times, it's just hanging on a lightstand and an adapter.