Pixel King ETTL Trigger Controller

WARNING: The test Kings we had handled E-TTL and FEC correctly with 550EX flashes. The commercially-released Kings do not. They still handle the 580EX (I) correctly. We'll see what Pixel says. It sounds like a programming error which can be fixed by a firmware upgrade.

I have found that the new foot on the King RX has a poorly-formed thread for a standard photographic 1/4 inch 20 tpi thread screw. It prevents the RX from being clamped down firmly onto the supporting surface. It may be possible to get replacement feet, or to carefully clean up the thread with a UNC 1/4 inch 20TPI bottoming tap...

I do not recommend using a 1/4 inch to hotshoe foot adapter clamp - they are good on metal plates but not on plastic.

More about the RX cold foot and its 1/4 inch screw socket...

1/4 inch 20 BSW was the standard. Then it changed to UNC standard. They are usually more or less interchangeable in non-critical engineering. But it's a problem here.

Three of my 4 RXs required a small amount of cleaning of the socket by the tap. The fourth had a visible damage to an upper thread that prevented a screw being inserted at all. The tap cleaned up the damage and went full depth without further problem.

My problem was with the five plastic and aluminium thumbscrews - they were all BSW, and the metal bound before clamping up the assembly. I ran a loose die down each to re-cut to UNC specs, and performance in use was fine.

Elv insists that there is still a problem with the foot. I have come to agree with him.

THE FIX
1. Re-tap the socket with 1/4 inch UNC bottoming tap, or get foot replaced.
2. Re-tap (die) old BSW screws to UNC, or buy current UNC standard screws.
3. Re-tap socket if thread is damaged - the material is soft.

Pixel made a last-minute change which has its problems!

• TX: Hot foot With locking ring and locking pin. This is the only way to connect with the camera.

Does this mean I cannot use my Sync cable to connect to the trigger as I would with a Radiopopper? This way I can have a flash on camera and use the trigger for OCF at the same time?

fotobymomo wrote in post #13176080
• TX: Hot foot With locking ring and locking pin. This is the only way to connect with the camera.
Does this mean I cannot use my Sync cable to connect to the trigger?

It means that the controller/transmitter unit must be mounted on the camera's accessory shoe, or a fully-compliant Canon E-TTL cable. The reference is to Camera <-> Controller.

The Controller -> Speedlite connection is via a King receiver, using either its hotshoe or pc-sync port.

The controller's pc-sync port currently seems to have no reliable function. It's perhaps not surprising for an E-TTL trigger, where more than one wire is required.

I am using the Pixel King with the Yongnuo YN-565EX. The pictures are fine and I am quite happy but there is the same odd thing that the cameras menu shows HHS on, even the flash does not support it. Does flash bracketing work with your flashes? It is not with mine but flash exposure compensation works fine. Also on low light only the white AF beam on the transmitter is on but there is I think one red on the receiver. At least there is a red window at the receiver. But it is not on. Does anyone know about it?

heinimi wrote in post #13180694
I am using the Pixel King with the Yongnuo YN-565EX. The pictures are fine and I am quite happy but there is the same odd thing that the cameras menu shows HHS on, even the flash does not support it. Does flash bracketing work with your flashes? It is not with mine but flash exposure compensation works fine. Also on low light only the white AF beam on the transmitter is on but there is I think one red on the receiver. At least there is a red window at the receiver. But it is not on. Does anyone know about it?

Thanks for report on YN. You can expect anomalies with 3rd-party reverse-engineered models.

Flash bracketing is not available for any flash.

The AF-Assist beam on Speedlites work when required by the camera. The white beam on the TX comes on always and is not controlled by the camera.

I also bought the Pixel Kings.. I noticed one big issue with these units when you want to use it real-life: the zoom function..

Suppose you've got a common setup with two flashes (430EX-II's):
-One in an umbrella
-One with a snoot for separation/rim-light..

For the umbrella I would prefer a wide zoom of 24mm, but for the snoot I prefer a zoom of 105mm..
The problem is that my Manual (set on the speedlight) zoomlevels are overridden by the values of the in-camera-menu:
If I set it to 'auto' it changes while I'm zooming (50mm lens = 50mm zoom), if I set it to another value (24,28,35,50etc) I off-course sets both flashes to that level ..

Any ideas?

P.S. The built-in-flashcontroller of my Canon 7D (the pop-up flash) doesn't change the zoomlevels when I set the levels manually on my flashunits..

DutchCow wrote in post #13188538
If I set it to 'auto' it changes while I'm zooming (50mm lens = 50mm zoom), if I set it to another value (24,28,35,50etc) I off-course sets both flashes to that level

I know what you mean! It has not been an issue for me because the flashes lie flat on the umbrella and octobox brackets, thus disabling the camera's settings. So the on-flash settings stay as set.

If you set 0n-flash zooms and do not touch the camera's Zoom menu, and take a shot, do the set values stay as set?

CliveyBoy wrote in post #13188838
I know what you mean! It has not been an issue for me because the flashes lie flat on the umbrella and octobox brackets, thus disabling the camera's settings. So the on-flash settings stay as set.

If you set 0n-flash zooms and do not touch the camera's Zoom menu, and take a shot, do the set values stay as set?

Thanks for your help, unfornutely it doesn't resolve my problem..

If change the angle to 90deg like you did, the zoom level automatically changes to "--".
I can set it to every zoomlevel I want and it wil stay there, untill I change:

-The power level (eg: 1/8 to 1/4 in the in-camera-menu)
-The zoom level

Not a workable solution for me, because I want to be able to change the powerlevels during a shoot, that's why I bought these triggers.

I think we have to wait for an update from Pixel.

I mailed them a time ago, here's the (not very helpfull) conversation:

===============
To: support@pixelhk.com


Today I received my Pixel King flash trigger set (1transmitter + 2recievers). It works ok, I can control my 2x Canon 430EXII's fine.
However, when I set:

Flash 1: a manual Zoom of (e.g) 24mm for a flash-thru-umbrella
and
Flash 2: a manual Zoom of (e.g) 105mm for a snoot or grid

Then, when I change the powerlevels of the flashes in the in-camera menu of my Canon 7D, it resets the zoomlevels of both flashes to the value given in the in-camera menu, for example 'auto' or '35mm'
So: I can't set my two flashes a different zoomlevel when controlling the powerlevels with the in-camera menu.

Can you tell my how I should solve this?


Kindly Regards,

<ME>

--------------
From: support@pixelhk.com

Hi,
This product is designed according to camera flash Settings menu .
Thanks and Best Regards
Steve

===============

heinimi wrote in post #13180694
I am using the Pixel King with the Yongnuo YN-565EX. The pictures are fine and I am quite happy but there is the same odd thing that the cameras menu shows HHS on, even the flash does not support it. Does flash bracketing work with your flashes? It is not with mine but flash exposure compensation works fine. Also on low light only the white AF beam on the transmitter is on but there is I think one red on the receiver. At least there is a red window at the receiver. But it is not on. Does anyone know about it?

please i have canon 7D .. my question to you is if i buy pixel king and a yn 656ex flash...can i control the YN flash in manual mode through my camera and pixel king attached to the hot show?.....or pixel king can control the flash only in ettl??..thanks in advance

DutchCow wrote in post #13197693
If change the angle to 90deg like you did, the zoom level automatically changes to "--". I can set it to every zoomlevel I want and it will stay there, until I change:
-The power level (eg: 1/8 to 1/4 in the in-camera-menu)
-The zoom level
Not a workable solution for me, because I want to be able to change the powerlevels during a shoot.

I can confirm this behaviour wih my 50D also.

SO I repeated with Canon Wireless (no Kings) using 50D, 580EXII and 2x 430EXII. I was surprised to find that the slaves took no notice of the FCM Auto zoom setting. So Canon's practice is to not control slave zooms; only Master Zoom. Pixel has no slave or master mode, so it is a judgement call as to how this aspect should be designed. A sole flash is handled á là Canon; so are "multiple sole" flashes in the absence of any way to distinguish roles.

DutchCow wrote in post #13197693
This product is designed according to camera flash Settings menu.

There will not be a fix for this. Pixel has provided a camera-controlled system, but with shortcomings. They simply do not understand all the permutations of ways that people use the Canon system, and it will take time (and new products) to learn and implement these tricks.

Elv and I are asking Pixel to do a firmware patch to fix this.

Something like when updating from the FCM, "If Zoom: Auto then do nothing, else set Manual zoom". So you could have Auto and on-flash zooms, and I could have 80mm set globally. Auto has no point if there is no flash on the camera.

CliveyBoy wrote in post #13202582
Elv and I are asking Pixel to do a firmware patch to fix this.

Something like when updating from the FCM, "If Zoom: Auto then do nothing, else set Manual zoom". So you could have Auto and on-flash zooms, and I could have 80mm set globally. Auto has no point if there is no flash on the camera.

Can one flash the firmware at home? I want to buy a set, but I don't know if I should wait for this or not.

pekelnik wrote in post #13207357
Can one flash the firmware at home?

Yes. In fact, 60D owners may need to update their software immediately - it's the only update to factory default released.

See the Pixelhk website King page for the link to another page with the updates.