Pixel King ETTL Trigger Controller

Pekelnik - thanks for update.

The PC-sync port on the King TX is not operative. The RX is output-only.

It's not surprising that it will not work with cameras other than EOS Digital ones - it requires a close integration with the camera body's own microprocessor. "Pixel King for Canon" is its title. Or Nikon or Sony.

CliveyBoy wrote in post #14305227
Pekelnik - thanks for update.

The PC-sync port on the King TX is not operative. The RX is output-only.

It's not surprising that it will not work with cameras other than EOS Digital ones - it requires a close integration with the camera body's own microprocessor. "Pixel King for Canon" is its title. Or Nikon or Sony.

Well, from that point of view it is quite surprising that it works with the 1v, which is a 12 year old film camera.

Agreed that it is remarkable, even although "work with" will be limited. The Kings for Canon are designed to provide radio communication for Canon technologies from 2007 on. Any extension is a bonus.

The King system has a specific niche – passing a camera’s flash controls to off-camera flashes by radio frequency. Apart from some communication channel settings, the Kings have no way for users to make flash settings. The camera’s buttons and flash control menus are used. If Canon provides it, then Pixel tries to handle it.

The Kings do not behave like a "radio TTL" cord. No Canon Master or Slave functions are available. An off-camera ETTL cord is just an extension of the camera's hotshoe and does no interpretation. The King TX does interpret.
The TX controls some settings of the camera and makes it think there’s a Speedlite mounted.
It then intercepts the various codes emitted by the camera.
Then the TX converts the code to King commands and transmits them to the RX.
The RX interprets the King code and issues Canon code commands to the flash.
The RX also keeps the TX informed of the nature and state of the mounted flash.

Because of the highly-integrated nature of the system, a thorough knowledge of Canon technologies is required. Some often-overlooked Canon facts affecting King behaviour include:

Custom Function - Lighting Optimisation. Should be set to “Disable”. The optimisation compromises both EC and FEC and can defeat the photographer’s intention.

Live View Silent Shooting. It disables flash. Also, in LV – FEL and Model Light are disabled.

If any Speedlite has Custom Functions and on-flash settings other than FEC set on both devices, the latest will take effect. There is a problem of interpreting “latest” on power up, but there may be no logical solution to this. Something as simple as rotating or raising the SL head or replacing the wide panel can change a flash’s last used status – while turned off. Multiple flashes last used on different focal lengths may depend on order of powering up. Canon’s Flash Control menus provide for only one global zoom setting.

Pixel King and Canon Zoom Behaviour

There have been questions about the King’s implementation of the Zoom facility. and especially the Speedlite’s LCD display.

There are several Canon actions which there has been no need to learn – they just worked. But they needed investigating first. I found that with a Speedlite on-camera, there were times when the display did not match the settings. But we do not normally study the zoom display, and it all comes right when required. The display becomes even less relevant with off-camera flashes due to distance, rotation, softboxes etc.

But I found that Pixel fails to update its profile maps at the right time in one case, and I will let Pixel know. But it does not matter - rely on the Kings to get it right, and they do, is just in time.

Some relevant Canon behaviours include:
Flash Control Zoom menu is a global, not group, setting. (Auto, 14, 24, 28, 35, 50, 70, 80, 105mm)
If a zoom setting on the Speedlite LCD blinks, the value is not usable with the current lens.
When the Wide Panel is extended, Zoom is locked to 14mm.
Auto zoom will move to 24mm when in Slave mode. Slave mode should not be set on the Speedlite.
Auto Zoom will adjust for focal length changes for 6 seconds after AF.
AutoAdjust for image size should be disabled. It’s irrelevant for Off-camera flash.
With Canon, each OCF unit can be set manually and not altered by FCM Zoom setting. The King enforces the global zoom setting.

The details of my zoom/display tests can be found in this pdf:
https://docs.google.co​m …7OmmGIg0gMQlUyc​W5EMWhpaDg

What remains is – what do photographers want?
1. Flash on camera bracket – AutoZoom.
2. Flash off-camera – lazy user – AutoZoom.
3. Flash off-camera – intelligent user – Single unit set on menu as a global setting.
4. Flash off-camera – intelligent user – Multiple units set on-flash individually and not changed by global setting.
Creative uses of Zoom – better light for longer lenses; barn doors; spotlight; filling softbox/umbrella.

I would appreciate any input on this before I write (again) to Pixel.

2 and 4 would personally cover it for me. Just having the ability to override manually would cover most of the modifier work. 2 is when you need quick and dirty and you either forget to set it or you need to change the one light setup.

One more question: don't the Pixel King RX units work with any other (possibly not-TTL) pixel triggers? (I suppose not, but doesn't hurt to ask. I asked pixel but they aren't responding.)

Hi, sorry to barge in on this thread but I was wondering if anyone has experienced problems using the kings, particularly with a 430 EX II speedlite? My speedlite "froze up" on me. I mean it wouldn't let me change anything, either by in camera menu or from the flash unit itself. It's not the only issue I've had. The in camera menu sometimes gives me error messages and once it just stopped working after I tried to fire a 320 EX on full power manual. (I checked it after without pixel kings and it worked fine on camera). I contacted tech support two days ago and no reply. Am I doing something wrong?

Z

Hi, pekelnik - the Pixel Opas Pro trigger works with the Kings, and very well. It's a question of matching frequencies, checkwords and digital coding.

Zanjum28 wrote in post #14338567
I was wondering if anyone has experienced problems using the kings, particularly with a 430 EX II speedlite? My speedlite "froze up" on me. I mean it wouldn't let me change anything, either by in camera menu or from the flash unit itself. It's not the only issue I've had.

It sounds very much like poor contacts. Clean, tighten all hotshoe and hotfoot contacts, especially the two rails. The 430EXII can also have problems jamming before it has locked securely. Servicing of the Speedlite could be needed.

CliveyBoy wrote in post #14340249
Hi, pekelnik - the Pixel Opas Pro trigger works with the Kings, and very well. It's a question of matching frequencies, checkwords and digital coding.

Ah, cool! And can I trigger the Opas Pro with just a PC cable?

Do you mean camera pc-port - pc-sync cable - Opas pc-port? Not sure what you are asking.

If you are running Kings, just set the Opas to the same channel and connect flash to its sync-out port or hotshoe. The Opas auto-switches to receiver mode.

CliveyBoy wrote in post #14341050
Do you mean camera pc-port - pc-sync cable - Opas pc-port? Not sure what you are asking.

If you are running Kings, just set the Opas to the same channel and connect flash to its sync-out port or hotshoe. The Opas auto-switches to receiver mode.

Oh, sorry. I think it's not clear what I want.

I'd like to use the King receivers with flashes mounted on top for two cameras at the same time. One camera would use the TTL King TX trigger (A 5dm2) and the other would use a "dumb" trigger that just fires the flashes. My point is that I don't want to have to re-mount all the flashes to different receivers when I switch from digital to film and back.

Ah, I see you problem. The only way to trigger the Kings or Opas - in sync - is by mounting on an EOS digital camera, preferably from 2007 on. It seems a bit like wanting coaling stations on the M1 highway for your steam engine.

The only possibility seems to be - two inputs to each flash. There is a possibility. Take a Pixel TF-321, move the wires from the foot output to the top shoe as an input. You will then have a TTL passthrough and a two-wire input. Mount flash on TF on King RX, and attach an RF602RX by sync cord to the TF.

I do not know what effect the shorting of the main output on the King might have on its electronics, so beware!

This is a very informative thread. It's kinda lead me to reconsider my thoughts on purchasing a set of pixel kings. I'll do alittle more research before I make my decision.