G2 Remote w/ External Flash

[jmhobbs]

Hey all,

Connected my G2 to my laptop, fired up G2 Remote (Breeze version, not Canon), attached exteral flash using a hot-shoe adapter and a PC synch cord and shot some portraits. Used the laptop to trigger the shutter and flash. Everything worked great.

A week or so later, tried the same setup, but using studio lights with power pack instead of a simple flash unit. Flash will not fire when triggered by the laptop. The shutter fires, but no flash. If I switch the camera to Record mode and press the shutter button on the camera, *FLASH*, just like it should be.

What am I missing? Everything worked beautifully the first time. Second time around, the flash would not fire if triggered remotely. Thoughts? Suggestions?

Thanks!
Jon

[Stoneh]

This could be something to do with studio lights, which hotshoe adapter are you using? There are posts on this forum about this issue, technically you can damage your G2 if the correct hotshoe with voltage protection isnt used.

This depends on the voltage your Studio lights kick back (or thats as far as my understanding goes)

[jmhobbs]

Thanks Stone. I'm just using a generic adapter that slides onto the hot-shoe plate of the G2. I know I'm running a big risk not using voltage protection. That's at the top of my wish list. Hopefully that will correct the problem.

Jon

[jmhobbs]

The curious thing is, the studio strobes work fine if I trigger the shutter with the shutter release button on the camera. They don't work if I trigger the shutter remotely via the computer. If it were a voltage issue, it wouldn't matter how I trigger the shutter, would it?

Thanks!
Jon

[jmhobbs]

Hey Stone, I just read your sig. I've traced my family roots back to Yorkshire. Maybe you know some of my rellies?

[Stoneh]

Jon,

Hmm very strange, I must admit I havent tried my stobes firing by remote. I will try it when I get the chance.

What kind of results you getting Jon using ur strobes? Im getting mixed results at the moment but I must confess Im a newbie to Studio lighting.

Re your family roots.... maybe!!

[kiwikeith]

stoneh wrote:
Jon,

Hmm very strange, I must admit I havent tried my stobes firing by remote. I will try it when I get the chance.

What kind of results you getting Jon using ur strobes? Im getting mixed results at the moment but I must confess Im a newbie to Studio lighting.

Re your family roots.... maybe!!

Hi Stone
WB is most important when using strobes witht the G2.
I usually get a custom reading off a white piece of polystyrene first and get good clean light,if a little red..easily desaturated in P/shop..that is with dark backgrounds..high key BG's tend to give a bit of trouble because my home studio is so small..
On another matter..in New Zealand where the light is so strong I find I have great difficulty with high contrast outdoor shots and have started to put the camera away as it seems to blow out the highlights too easily,now just use it for my studio portraits and interior commercial shoots.
From an EX Clitheroe Kid..Lancs.
KK

[Stoneh]

Cheers KK (PS I like the nick)

I've found that if I put WB to Flash then the colours are quite accurate and good, I did try Manual WB with a white card, and couldnt tell diff between that and the Flash WB setting, could depend on the subject I guess.

I have prob too with teh room being too small.... looks like gona have to rent a room.... along with some ahem.... models

[kiwikeith]

Wouldnt mind seeing those images..watch out for camera shake..eh!Wink..Wink

[Stoneh]

here are a few of those........ (i wish!! but never mind some good pics I took on my holiday)



http://www.dialasif.pwp.blueyonder.c...aphy/Index.htm

[kiwikeith]

That sure aint the Costa Del Sol,great images,what made you head up that way??
KK

[Stoneh]

Inlaws!!! should make any sane man run other way, but free holiday, lots of natural scenary any excuse to get out and take some pics, there were the awesome K2 (8512M) and Nanga Parbat (8100M) to photograph but the roads were well dodgy. New Zealand is one of the best places for scenary ive heard. Would love to go there someday..... (any young girls over there wana marry a briton?)

[kiwikeith]

We got too many poms here now
KK

[jmhobbs]

Hey guys,

Sorry I kind of fell asleep on this topic.

I'm still quite a newbie with studio lighting myself. One of the driving factors behind my purchasing a G2 is so I can experiment/learn without burning a whole bunch of film (and cash!).

I struggle a bit with getting the right exposure. I have a flash meter that's been pretty reliable in the past. I find that the flash meter and the G2 don't always agree. I haven't done any real scientific investigation yet, but I find I have to fiddle with the exposure a bit, rather than just going with the meter.

That being said, once I get the lighting and exposure nailed, the G2 is delivering some pretty good results. I have printed a few 8x10's on an old Epson 870 and the results are quite nice.

I have some examples on my family website: http://www.lonestargopher.com/portraits.html

Cheers!

[kiwikeith]

Hi Jim?
Put your bleeping meter away!The whole idea of a digital camera is WYSIWYG what you see is what you get.
Use the histogram on playback to tell you whether you have nailed the exposure or not..you want to have signal right accross the graph but not all bunched up on one side or 'tother.
Your camera does not meter the same way as your meter..but you can maybe get the exposure right on the camera..then take a meter reading to give the Fstop plus or minus variations.
Hope that helps..sorry about taking over your post,it was pretty boring before we highjacked it..