Radio Triggers - Options?

Hey guys. I recently purchased a pair of Pocketwizard Plus II's from a member of this forum and have been having issues with interference. If you're interested, you can chronicle my adventures by following this thread. The next solution is a short extension cable for the mini to PC adapter. But that's another story.

One of the reasons I went for the Plus IIs over the flex/mini combination is that I wanted to trigger my 580EXII and not have to deal with interference. From my experience talking with those who own this setup, interference is not an issue. For me, however, it's become quite a headache.

As such, I'm looking at switching over to other triggering systems. My main goals are reliability and distance. At this point I'm willing to forgo features for reliable functionality. That being said, I am interested in potentially adding on ETTL or more complex features at a later point. So the system I'm looking into needs to be backwards compatible in that sense. The above is what led me to Pocketwizard, but the interference issue is a pretty major turnoff. I'm looking to possibly jump to either Cybersyncs or Radiopoppers, so I'm hoping to hear from owners both.

Cybersyncs seem to be what everyone else is using, and Radiopoppers interest me because apparently they don't have the interference issue. But then again, I can't use ETTL with their system without a dedicated flash on camera (or an ST-E2), which is a turn-off.

So I think I have a few options at this point:
1.) Live with the PW+II's, get an AC7 or AC5
- Does the AC7 fit over the 580EXII when it's in its case?
2.) Ditch the PW+II's and get the TT5/TT1, since there is no real advantage to the Plus IIs
3.) Ditch the PWs and go for Cybersyncs
4.) Ditch the PWs and go for Radiopoppers
5.) ?

Thanks for any advice!

I have cybersyncs and the radio popper P1's. I dont really use the P1's much. They cybersync's should give you PWII like functionality with very good, but perhaps not the insane range the PW advertise.

If I may ask gonzo, why do you not use the Radiopoppers that much?

TheBurningCrown wrote in post #12612187
If I may ask gonzo, why do you not use the Radiopoppers that much?

I dont use wireless ettl that much.. I have two kits. Alien bees comprise one, and speedlites the other. I only have one trigger and one receiver so the only time I use it is when I want HSS in the bright daylight and the st-e2 or 580ex master wont work.

gonzogolf wrote in post #12612238
I dont use wireless ettl that much.. I have two kits. Alien bees comprise one, and speedlites the other. I only have one trigger and one receiver so the only time I use it is when I want HSS in the bright daylight and the st-e2 or 580ex master wont work.

Makes sense. Why did you decide to go with the two system split instead of PocketWizards?

When I got into it, the pocke twizard ettl options didnt exist. I use my cybersyncs with my alien bees, and my speedlites when I am using them in manual mode. I bought the poppers from a member here because I was intrigued by hss off camera, but while its useful, its not a great solution unless you have a big bag of speedlites like mc nally and arias use. I certainly have approached it in a scattershot fashion, taking advantage of bargains when I find them but sometimes that leads to odd purchases. I've pondered selling the poppers, but they arent eating anything so I might as well hang onto them.

Thanks for all the help gonzo, I quite appreciate it .

If only someone else would chime in as well .

The RF noise issue with Pocket Wizards has been around for quite a while. The triggers operate at a frequency that is close enough to the noise generated by the charging circuit in the Canon 580 ex flash that performance is degraded. The fix that Pocket Wizard came up with is a shield to put around the flash. If you do not have the shield, that would be the first fix I would go for. (if you are stuck on Pocket Wizards)

http://www.pocketwizar​d.com/products/other_g​ear/

Hope this helps,

110yd

Thanks for the help 110yd. I knew about the interference issues before I went with the Pocketwizards, but from everything I had heard the Plus II's didn't have this problem. Apparently I heard/was told wrong.

There are a couple reasons I'm not terribly fond of the shield: these were meant to be a reasonably small solution, and the AC7 may not fit in my bag (I have no way to test it out, and can't find any pictures of similar setups). I'm not fond of the AC5, because I have Plus II's, not a TT5, which means that I wouldn't be able to change the power setting easily without taking the sock off and putting it back on every time (major headache). Besides - I'm not thrilled about spending even more money just to make these work properly.

I could re-sell the Pocketwizards without much loss, so I'm really not committed to the system. The design and capabilities are what's most attractive, but if they don't work it's really a moot point, isn't it?

Answering my own question, I know . I'm just hoping to get some opinions of those with alternative systems and those that have a similar setup to myself (Plus II's with a 580EXII).

TheBurningCrown wrote in post #12612925
Thanks for the help 110yd. I knew about the interference issues before I went with the Pocketwizards, but from everything I had heard the Plus II's didn't have this problem. Apparently I heard/was told wrong.

I don't know how you got the impression but it was known issue with Plus II. I believe I posted my experience in one of the discussions here long time ago. Ever since I learned from the forum and bought the the screw lock cables and their trigger caddies I kind forgot the issue all together, well thought little gadgets.
I don't have experience with radio popper or cyber sync so not much help there but I do use Skyport for other lights. They are not even close, in terms of reliability and range. So I suggest not to ditch the PW before trying others.
Good luck.

How about getting a few manual flashes instead? Your plusII's don't use ETTL, so get a few cheap, powerful flashes and use them manually. I have 3 sunpak 555's. I also have a few mini/flex now, with a 580 and 430 with NO range issues. I can trigger them ALL with my mini on camera, as they're all the same frequencies. I have the manual ones for guests and backgrounds, and the ETTL for the bride/groom dancing.

dchen99 wrote in post #12613082
I don't know how you got the impression but it was known issue with Plus II. ...So I suggest not to ditch the PW before trying others.

I researched the issue a bit before buying, asked a friend that uses them with his 580EXII, and posted a topic on here (link). Thanks for the information and the kind words. Nothing is set in stone (yet), but I'm definitely frustrated...

ootsk wrote in post #12613507
How about getting a few manual flashes instead?

Sorry - just to clarify: I'm not looking at building a big lighting setup at the moment, I'm just trying to get a reliable wireless solution to use on the go. I have a pelican case put together with all of the (general) gear I would need for a day of shooting, and I don't want to keep using a long PC cable for obvious reasons (clunky, hazardous...). I don't want to omit things to make room for an extra flash simply because the expensive triggering system I bought into doesn't like the one I've got .

But thank you for the suggestion. I'm looking at a few manual flashes (Vivitar 285HV's) that I found a good deal on, but I want to find a way to trigger the 580 first.

Your flash is noisy. Nothing you can do about that. Some are, some aren't.
I wonder if there's any trigger that will work reliably with that flash...who knows.
1) I doubt it...the case is pretty snug.
2) the flex/mini have a bad reputation when used with noisy flashes.
3) Cyber's may or may not work. not backwards compatable with ettl at this time.
4) See above, possibly compatable with ettl.
5) Get a different flash. Keep the plus2's.
My .02.

ootsk wrote in post #12613917
I wonder if there's any trigger that will work reliably with that flash...who knows.

I've heard that the Radiopoppers work on a different frequency that doesn't pick up the interference, but then again "hearing things" doesn't seem to be boding well for me right now .

ootsk wrote in post #12613917
1) I doubt it...the case is pretty snug.
2) the flex/mini have a bad reputation when used with noisy flashes.
3) Cyber's may or may not work. not backwards compatable with ettl at this time.
4) See above, possibly compatable with ettl.
5) Get a different flash. Keep the plus2's.
My .02.

1.) That's what I figured, but I wanted to make sure.
2.) Right - my point is that if I'm already dealing with noise (which is what I hoped to get around with the PW+II's) why not get the features as well?
3/4.) Thanks. Is ETTL why you chose the PW system over other options?
5.) Any suggestions? Trying to maintain high power output, ETTL, HSS, second curtain sync, PC port, full rotation in both directions, illuminated controls/screen, weathersealing, and thyristor metering. I've heard that Yonguo (SP) has something similar to the 580EXII, but had mostly mixed reviews.

Thanks again for the help.

I got the plus2's for my 3 sunpak 555's for weddings/receptions 8 years ago. Great combination and worked ALL the time. When the flex/mini came out, I jumped on it, as I was tired of chasing settings every time a bride/groom moved across the dance floor, or came closer down the aisle.
Not sure how compatable those "YON" flashes are with the flex mini if it comes to that in the future.
My advice, get a different off-camera flash, non-ettl, and trigger it with your plus2's. Use that..it should work like a charm.
Next step, eventually, get a mini. Then you can put your 580 on the mini and have fill, ETTL, or not, while still being able to trigger the plus2.