Help Me Figure Out OCF Triggering On The Cheap

[bmaxphoto]

Hey guys, you have probably read my other posts about my desire for new gear, etc. Well after spending a few days shell shocked about a pretty drastic change in my financial situation that will not enable me to purchase much gear for about 8-12 months, I decided to think more clearly about what it is I want to improve on and if there are cheaper ways than new gear (camera + lenses) to do so.

I have concluded that learning to light portraits better is one goal of mine and one that I can do with the gear I already own. That being said, let me run through my list of gear that I already own and then conclude with a couple of questions you guys might be able to help with.

Canon Rebel XT
Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II
Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II
(2) LP160 Manual Hotshoe Flashes
(2) 8' Light Stands
(2) 43" Shoot Through Umbrellas
Etc. (All the stuff that comes in a Strobist 2 Light kit from MPEX)
Cactus v4 Triggers (crap, totally unreliable, 1 in 10 trigger rate)

What I am looking for is a relatively inexpensive way to trigger my flashes.

I would be happy with triggering one flash via a hotshoe to 3.5mmm adapter and then using the built in optical slave to trigger the other one. However, I cannot seem to find a hotshoe to 3.5 mm jack adapter (I dont want a built in cord as I have found a 25' audio patch cable for less than $2).

I am also considering the Radio Popper JrX setup. A bit more expensive, but more flexible too. Are they reliable? How close to the Pocket Wizards are they in reliability?

I really want to experiment and learn OCF, but every time I try to use the Cactus, I am frustrated to no end.

What would you do? Thanks in advance.

[john5189]

you can get passive triggers that just slide onto flash. Manual flash only

Phottix Odins for RF and ETTL use are brilliant and cheap compared to competition.

[bmaxphoto]

Originally Posted by john5189

you can get passive triggers that just slide onto flash. Manual flash only

Phottix Odins for RF and ETTL use are brilliant and cheap compared to competition.

Thanks for the info. What I am looking for is the cheapest manual flash triggering I can find. I don't need any ETTL etc. But I also absolutely demand that it fires every time. Even 9 out of 10 is not good enough. My range is going to be less than 25 ft. in almost all cases to start with. Are the options you list above cheap yet very reliable? I am tired of having my triggers not do anything but take up space. What brands of these passive triggers should I be looking at, given my necessity for reliability?

[FLiPMaRC]

"Cheap" and "Reliable" don't go together

[bmaxphoto]

Originally Posted by FLiPMaRC

"Cheap" and "Reliable" don't go together

Quite true. I guess I want something more reliable (and more expensive) than the Cactus and less expensive (and less reliable) than the Pocket Wizards. Any ideas?

[va_rider]

I use these triggers and I absolutely love them.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wireless-Rem...item35ad18d98b

They're nothing fancy... no E-TTL or anything.... so you've got to go all manual... but they've been very reliable for me.

[bmaxphoto]

Originally Posted by va_rider

I use these triggers and I absolutely love them.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wireless-Rem...item35ad18d98b

They're nothing fancy... no E-TTL or anything.... so you've got to go all manual... but they've been very reliable for me.

Thanks!

On another note, wanted to say hello to a fellow western Virginian. I am originally from Winchester, but my grandmother grew up in Staunton and my grandfather grew up in Mt. Solon, just west of there. Beautiful area.

Thanks again.

[joeblack2022]

Originally Posted by bmaxphoto

Cactus v4 Triggers (crap, totally unreliable, 1 in 10 trigger rate)

That's really bad - I use the even cheaper PT-04 TM models you can find on eBay and while they're not 100% reliable they are probably in the 80-90% range.

Maybe you have a bad battery in the transmitter / receiver?

[gonzogolf]

RF603 or RF 602 from YN. They are well regarded compared to the older cactus.

[drvnbysound]

I have no experience with Cactus or PocketWizard... When I started looking into OCF PocketWizard was just too costly for me. I read a number of reviews and threads discussing a number of other alternatives. I ended up going with CyberSync's from Paul C. Buff. They have been very reliable (no misfires) for me and are a cheaper alternative than PocketWizards.

The only time I ever feel like I wish I would have spent the money for (or think about upgrading to) PocketWizards is really with regard to 3rd party items... such as the Sekonic light meters. If I went with PW, I could have got the model with the trigger built in. Instead I purchased a second CyberSync trigger (CST) and use it - instead of having to remove the one on top of my camera over and over. Otherwise, at the end of the day, it's really not that big of a deal to me... as long as I can press the shutter button and the flash fires, I'm happy

[bmaxphoto]

Originally Posted by joeblack2022

That's really bad - I use the even cheaper PT-04 TM models you can find on eBay and while they're not 100% reliable they are probably in the 80-90% range.

Maybe you have a bad battery in the transmitter / receiver?

I thought maybe this was the case. I replaced all batteries in all units and have the same problem. Not sure what the deal is. Perhaps I will try another el cheapo brand and see what happens before jumping into Pocket Wizard territory. Thanks.

[watt100]

Originally Posted by gonzogolf

RF603 or RF 602 from YN. They are well regarded compared to the older cactus.

my Yongnuo RF-602 wireless flash triggers have been going strong for over three years.

[shankarhokie]

Originally Posted by FLiPMaRC

"Cheap" and "Reliable" don't go together

Usually true...

RF602 by Yongnuo... Excellent value.. Noa "cheap" product, but a great value... 100% reliable. I have 2 triggers & 4 recievers and they have never faile dme.

[bmaxphoto]

Originally Posted by drvnbysound

I have no experience with Cactus or PocketWizard... When I started looking into OCF PocketWizard was just too costly for me. I read a number of reviews and threads discussing a number of other alternatives. I ended up going with CyberSync's from Paul C. Buff. They have been very reliable (no misfires) for me and are a cheaper alternative than PocketWizards.

The only time I ever feel like I wish I would have spent the money for (or think about upgrading to) PocketWizards is really with regard to 3rd party items... such as the Sekonic light meters. If I went with PW, I could have got the model with the trigger built in. Instead I purchased a second CyberSync trigger (CST) and use it - instead of having to remove the one on top of my camera over and over. Otherwise, at the end of the day, it's really not that big of a deal to me... as long as I can press the shutter button and the flash fires, I'm happy

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.

[bmaxphoto]

That is several votes for the Yongnuo. I think I will research them further.

Thanks to all.