Help Me Figure Out OCF Triggering On The Cheap

[gonzogolf]

Originally Posted by bmaxphoto

Thanks. That is good to know. I guess I need to do a bit more research and evaluate all my options.

On another note, does anyone know where I can get the hotshoe adapter I mentioned in my OP? I am looking for something that slips into my camera's hotshoe, and has a 3.5mm jack in the side of it. I'd go the PC route, but I cant stand that connection type. This seems to be the cheapest and most reliable of my options right now, albeit with less flexibility.

http://www.flashzebra.com/products/0135/index.shtml

[bmaxphoto]

Originally Posted by gonzogolf

http://www.flashzebra.com/products/0135/index.shtml

I found those but I dont think it will do what I need it to do. The male side of that adapter only has a tripod thread, no pin for oncamera hotshoe connectivity. Correct?

I want something that allows me to connect my camera (that has no PC port) to my flashes via cheap sync cords. I thought I read somewhere that you can put something in your hotshoe oncamera, that then has a port on it to plug in a 3.5mm cord. Perhaps I misunderstood the concept.

[gonzogolf]

Originally Posted by bmaxphoto

I found those but I dont think it will do what I need it to do. The male side of that adapter only has a tripod thread, no pin for oncamera hotshoe connectivity. Correct?

I want something that allows me to connect my camera (that has no PC port) to my flashes via cheap sync cords. I thought I read somewhere that you can put something in your hotshoe oncamera, that then has a port on it to plug in a 3.5mm cord. Perhaps I misunderstood the concept.

If you are buying radio triggers you wont need anything in your hotshoe other than the trigger.

but if you want to go corded, take your pick. http://www.flashzebra.com/hotshoes-s...hotshoes.shtml

[dedsen]

Originally Posted by bmaxphoto

Thanks. That is good to know. I guess I need to do a bit more research and evaluate all my options.

On another note, does anyone know where I can get the hotshoe adapter I mentioned in my OP? I am looking for something that slips into my camera's hotshoe, and has a 3.5mm jack in the side of it. I'd go the PC route, but I cant stand that connection type. This seems to be the cheapest and most reliable of my options right now, albeit with less flexibility.

Flash Zebra
http://flashzebra.com/hotshoes-shoes...hotshoes.shtml

[shankarhokie]

Originally Posted by bmaxphoto

I found those but I dont think it will do what I need it to do. The male side of that adapter only has a tripod thread, no pin for oncamera hotshoe connectivity. Correct?

I want something that allows me to connect my camera (that has no PC port) to my flashes via cheap sync cords. I thought I read somewhere that you can put something in your hotshoe oncamera, that then has a port on it to plug in a 3.5mm cord. Perhaps I misunderstood the concept.

YN602 recievers come with a sync chord that has a mini jack on one end & a 3 pin connector at the other. I had to buy a PC Synch chord to wowk with my YN560 flash that has a sync port. What kind of port does you flash have? You will only have to have the transmitter on the camera hot shoe. The triggers work via radio frequency control

[Eldorf_Dragonsbane]

Even though it isn't a "cheap" option, it is still way less expensive then the Pocket Wizard route, I would have to second the Paul C. Buff CyberSync route.

1 CST Transmitter is $59.95 iirc and 1 CSRB receiver (battery powered) is $69.95 iirc. Starting off you could get away with 1 receiver connected to one of the flash units, then have the additional flash set for optical slave, or you could get a 3.5mm male to 2- 3.5mm female y-splitter connected to the receiver and 2- 3.5mm male to 3.5mm male cables connected to the splitter and the flash units.

I have a set of Cybersyncs and haven't had any problems with reliability, other then when the batteries are about dead (though this isn't the fault of the wireless triggers). I have also been able to fire them off out to approximately 500ft (line of sight) without any miss fires (allowing for 3 sec. between pops so the flash can recharge). What's nice about the Cybersyncs is if you wanted you can use one of the receivers as a repeater for that additional range if needed, say you are shooting outside at night and you want to get some lighting in the background that's out of the range of the triggers, place one midway between the camera and the farthest light and set it to repeater mode, granted you do have a latency of about either 1/2000th or 1/4000th of a second when in repeater mode (not enough time for it to be visibly noticeable).

If you eventually plan on getting soem Alien Bees or White Lightening lights from Paul C. Buff you could go a step up to the CSRB+ receivers (again battery powered) that are $89.95 iirc and have the ability to manually control the power of the lights from anywhere in the room with the use of the Cyber Commander ($179.95), a plus with the Cyber Commander is that it also has a built in Light Meter. If you get the CST transmitter also you can keep that on camera while using the cyber Commander to meter and adjust the lights from around the room.


As previously mentioned/implied to get near 100% reliable wireless triggers you aren't looking at a cheap solution.

I have a set of the Cactus V2's that I still use on occasion, that came with the MPEX Strobist Kit I bought a few years ago. These are mostly regulated as absolute emergency triggers and/or for letting friends learn about off camera lighting, though I do inform them that they are cheap triggers that may not fire every time, there are better solutions that do cost more.

[drvnbysound]

Originally Posted by bmaxphoto

Thanks. That is good to know. I guess I need to do a bit more research and evaluate all my options.

On another note, does anyone know where I can get the hotshoe adapter I mentioned in my OP? I am looking for something that slips into my camera's hotshoe, and has a 3.5mm jack in the side of it. I'd go the PC route, but I cant stand that connection type. This seems to be the cheapest and most reliable of my options right now, albeit with less flexibility.

I believe this is what you were asking about:
http://www.flashzebra.com/products/0156/index.shtml

Curious, are you just looking to use one of these until you get a wireless system?

[bmaxphoto]

Thanks all for your advice. I guess I need to clarify what I was asking about.

The adapter for the hotshoe is for the option NOT involving any wireless triggers. For that option, I need to know how to connect my camera to my LP160 flashes via a $2.00 25 ft. long 3.5mm to 3.5mm sync cord. My flashes have many sync options: optical slave, hotshoe, PC, and 3.5mm. I really don't like the PC connection, so I want to use the built in 3.5mm jack for syncing with a cord if I go that route. I just don't know how to connect the other end of the cord to my camera.

On the other option, using the RF 603, it appears as though for the Rebel series I need the RF 603 C1 version. Correct? Anyone know off hand which type of connection I can use on those? I.E. how to connect to the LP160 manual flash?

Thanks again.

Edit: Looks like PC connection only on the RF603. Ugh. Oh well.

[bmaxphoto]

Originally Posted by drvnbysound

I believe this is what you were asking about:
http://www.flashzebra.com/products/0156/index.shtml

Curious, are you just looking to use one of these until you get a wireless system?

That's it! Thanks! Yes, totally a stopgap until my financial situation opens up a little.

Thanks again.

[VIXIV]

Maybe some Phottix Strato II's?

[gonzogolf]

Originally Posted by bmaxphoto

Thanks all for your advice. I guess I need to clarify what I was asking about.

The adapter for the hotshoe is for the option NOT involving any wireless triggers. For that option, I need to know how to connect my camera to my LP160 flashes via a $2.00 25 ft. long 3.5mm to 3.5mm sync cord. My flashes have many sync options: optical slave, hotshoe, PC, and 3.5mm. I really don't like the PC connection, so I want to use the built in 3.5mm jack for syncing with a cord if I go that route. I just don't know how to connect the other end of the cord to my camera.

On the other option, using the RF 603, it appears as though for the Rebel series I need the RF 603 C1 version. Correct? Anyone know off hand which type of connection I can use on those? I.E. how to connect to the LP160 manual flash?

Thanks again.

Edit: Looks like PC connection only on the RF603. Ugh. Oh well.

What are you wanting to connect to a rf603?

[bmaxphoto]

Originally Posted by gonzogolf

What are you wanting to connect to a rf603?

If I go the route of the RF603, I will want to use a short sync cable to connect to my LP160s. I dont like connecting via hotshoe for some reason. I was hoping the RF603 had a 3.5mm port as I find it to be more reliable than the PC connection.

[gonzogolf]

Originally Posted by bmaxphoto

If I go the route of the RF603, I will want to use a short sync cable to connect to my LP160s. I dont like connecting via hotshoe for some reason. I was hoping the RF603 had a 3.5mm port as I find it to be more reliable than the PC connection.

Why wouldnt you use the most reliable connection available, the hotshoe? You are making this way too complicated. Each additional component you add is a failure point.

[bmaxphoto]

Originally Posted by gonzogolf

Why wouldnt you use the most reliable connection available, the hotshoe? You are making this way too complicated. Each additional component you add is a failure point.

I guess I felt the Cactus housing was fairly weak, and I didn't want to risk a flash falling off if the receiver decided to break. Stupid worry, perhaps. I guess I will just use the hotshoe on the RF603 until I see a need otherwise. Thanks.

[Maverique]

The Odin is awesome, E-TTL WORKS.