Differences between Wireless Flash in Auto vs TTL

[sito]

I want to expand my portable lighting gear so that I can be more creative. I like the IR system, but it has its limitations, so I am thinking of a radio slave. Most of them do not work with TTL (PWs, EL-Skyport, Quantum 4i, etc.). The only ones I know they do is the new Radiopopper and the Quantum FreeXWire.

My question is: In practical terms, what is the difference between working wirelessly in Auto vs TTL?

[nadtz]

I'm assuming you mean manual vs. ttl? You wouldn't really want to use multiple flashes in auto mode off camera. The main difference is the camera+flashes don't do your metering for you, also have to sneakernet setting changes among your lights. Its not much different from working with studio lights, minus modeling lights.

[sito]

I really mean Auto. I attended a Lighting seminar conducted by a local wedding photographer who used a Quantum Radio Slave 4i attatched to his Nikon SB-800s in Auto mode.

[Walczak Photo]

This is just my very humble $.02 worth, but I think how "helpful" having auto flash capabilities (ETTL or otherwise) for multiple off camera flashes is really going to depend on how you plan to use them. If you're doing something like architectural photography where your trying to evenly light an entire room with multiple flashes, yea, it might work, but if you're looking to do something like portrait work or something similar, I would think having things set to "auto" would be a big hindrance since the system is going to try and "balance" the lighting to light the whole scene. As an example, let's say you're using a 3 flash system to light a model for a portrait...flash #1 is your side light, #2 is your front light and #3 is your back light. While I could be wrong, even a very sophisticated system isn't going to know that #3 is only being used as a back light, so it's going to fire that flash at the same power as the other two...see what I'm getting at? In a situation such as this, you're probably better off doing everything manually anyways and setting the power of each individual flash separately so that you can get exactly the kind of lighting that -you- want (part of that whole creative process) and not what's predetermined by the automatic settings trying to balance the whole scene.

Again this is just strictly my opinion, but I really think it's just better to use a regular trigger and either adjust the power on the flashes manually or simply move the lights around to where you want/need them to be.

I don't know if that really helped you or not, but good luck with it either way!

Peace,
Jim

[evolved]

Rumor mill is that PW is coming out with something similar to the radio poppers.... but why let your camera decide what you should set your flashes at?

[PacAce]

Originally Posted by Walczak Photo

This is just my very humble $.02 worth, but I think how "helpful" having auto flash capabilities (ETTL or otherwise) for multiple off camera flashes is really going to depend on how you plan to use them. If you're doing something like architectural photography where your trying to evenly light an entire room with multiple flashes, yea, it might work, but if you're looking to do something like portrait work or something similar, I would think having things set to "auto" would be a big hindrance since the system is going to try and "balance" the lighting to light the whole scene. As an example, let's say you're using a 3 flash system to light a model for a portrait...flash #1 is your side light, #2 is your front light and #3 is your back light. While I could be wrong, even a very sophisticated system isn't going to know that #3 is only being used as a back light, so it's going to fire that flash at the same power as the other two...see what I'm getting at? In a situation such as this, you're probably better off doing everything manually anyways and setting the power of each individual flash separately so that you can get exactly the kind of lighting that -you- want (part of that whole creative process) and not what's predetermined by the automatic settings trying to balance the whole scene.

Again this is just strictly my opinion, but I really think it's just better to use a regular trigger and either adjust the power on the flashes manually or simply move the lights around to where you want/need them to be.

I don't know if that really helped you or not, but good luck with it either way!

Peace,
Jim

I take it you've never used ETTL wireless remote or know anything about it? With ETTL wireless remote, you can set flash group ratios so that they are not all providing the same amount of lighting. There is even a third (for background and/or hair lighting) group whose output is not even entered into the equation when the camera is determining what overall exposure will be needed for the picture.

[nadtz]

Originally Posted by sito

I really mean Auto. I attended a Lighting seminar conducted by a local wedding photographer who used a Quantum Radio Slave 4i attatched to his Nikon SB-800s in Auto mode.

Interesting, I've not heard of that combination before. As im unsure of setup or how well it does or doesnt work I cant comment.

[Lotto]

In Auto mode, the speedlight determind the flash output within it's sensor area. In ETTL, the camera decides the flash power based on returned preflash, so even the subject is not directly infront of the flash, the camera can make the "fly by wire" corrections.