Elinchrom skyport wireless control

I have been looking at Elinchrom strobes. I have been mainly considering the 500 BX-Ri or 600 RX. I'm also looking the Profoto D1 Air 500. I'd like to make a decision in the next few months.

One thing I've been looking at is wireless remote controls. I really like the idea of being able to remote control the power of a strobe up high on a light stand or a hair light up on a boom. I was looking around on the Elinchrom site for details on how their wireless El Skyport system works and what it can do. I found this brochure:

http://elinchrom.s3.am​azonaws.com …el-skyport-140910-eng.pdf

From this it looks like the EL-Skyport Transmitter Speed has + and - buttons that let you increase and decrease the power in 1/10 f-stop settings. There is no display of any kind to tell you what power you have set. I suppose if you can see the LED display on the back of the strobe (not likely for a hair light) you can tell what the current power setting is.

If you get the USB Transceiver RX and use it on a Mac or PC with the EL-Skyport Studio Management Software, then it looks like you can see all the power settings and have full control of everything. From the diagram on page 2 of the brochure, it looks like the USB Transceiver RX does not work with the 500 BX-Ri. At least there is no red line from the USB Transceiver RX to the BX-RI.

Does this mean that the 500 BX-RI power can be remote controlled by the EL-Skyport Transmitter Speed, but not from the EL-Skyport Studio Management Software? Do you have to buy the 600 RX to use the Studio Management Software?

Is this Studio Management really usable or does it just get in the way?

I've noticed that the Profoto system is about the same. Just up down controls on the remote. Need to get a USB transmitter to interface with their software for more control.

If you have an iPhone check out the Elinchrom app - free to download at the Apple App Store. You would need the Elinchrom WiFi module to make the system fully functional with select Elinchrom strobes - but you can run the iPhone app in "Demo Mode" to get a taste of what the app can do and you may like the potential functionality.
The WiFi module is just hitting stores now.

You are correct in your understanding of the Skyports, only the units with the RX designation work with the Studio software. I have the BXri's and love the skyport system, I just take my meter readings and then adjust the lights from the remote. As much as I like my toys, I never have run super complex lighting setups where I would get a huge benefit from the Studio software. Another nice thing is while you can adjust you lights your lights individually (if you have each one on a different group) you can also adjust them all together, so if you have your ratios the way you want you can bring the whole thing up or down as needed.

There is really no need to see what power you have set. I usually just make sure the light is at it's lowest power setting, which is 2.3, then take a test shot. From there, lets say you feel you're 1 stop under, just hit the + button on the remote 10 times to come up to 3.3. The power settings on Elinchrom's aren't what you usually find on other strobes ( 1/1, 1/2, 1/4,1/4...etc.) The power ranges from 2.3 at the low end and increases in 1/10 increments to 6.3. This is why you don't really need to look at them. Just establish a base point and adjust from there.

For me, the real advantage of the studio software (and WiFi app that hasn't been released yet) is the ability to see where you are on the power scale.

When I'm working with the Skyport transmitter and a strobe is mounted such that you can't see the display on the back, I have no idea of power level.

Rob you do make a good point and I have felt like an fool a few times thinking the skyport wasn't working when I was just at the bottom of the range and it would not go any lower. Still waiting for somebody to build a lightmeter with a spotmeter with built in skyport.

No spotmetering, but Skyport built in: http://www.gossen-photo.de/english/foto_​p_digisky.php

Here's the Elinchrom web page on the WiFi product - and the iPhone App is available to download right now - run it in "Demo mode"

http://www.elinchrom.c​om …Skyport-WiFi.html#content

SamFrench wrote in post #13338294
Here's the Elinchrom web page on the WiFi product - and the iPhone App is available to download right now - run it in "Demo mode"

http://www.elinchrom.c​om …Skyport-WiFi.html#content

Hi Sam,

The app is available. I should have been more clear. The app is useless until they release the WiFi Skyports. No idea when that's going to happen so you can't demo the software without communicating with a skyport.

So sorry.

Thanks for all the replies.

Reading the brochure from my OP, I noticed this:

"Up to 1/150s shutter speed for SLR cameras in NORMAL mode and a 1/250 s in SPEED mode."

"Up to 60 m range indoor for NORMAL mode and up to 40 m in SPEED mode"

I guess the "NORMAL" mode is for backwards compatibility with some older versions of wireless triggers. I usually use 1/250 s for most of my work. I assume there is no problem with triggering at 1/250 s now.

I am currently using PW plus II and I have a light meter that will trigger them. I was thinking of using something like skyport only to control power, turn strobes on and off, and other control options, while continuing to use the PW I already have to trigger the strobes. PW plus II operates on different frequencies, so they should not interfere with each other. Is that possible?

mikeca42 wrote in post #13339319
Thanks for all the replies.

Reading the brochure from my OP, I noticed this:

"Up to 1/150s shutter speed for SLR cameras in NORMAL mode and a 1/250 s in SPEED mode."

"Up to 60 m range indoor for NORMAL mode and up to 40 m in SPEED mode"

I guess the "NORMAL" mode is for backwards compatibility with some older versions of wireless triggers. I usually use 1/250 s for most of my work. I assume there is no problem with triggering at 1/250 s now.

I am currently using PW plus II and I have a light meter that will trigger them. I was thinking of using something like skyport only to control power, turn strobes on and off, and other control options, while continuing to use the PW I already have to trigger the strobes. PW plus II operates on different frequencies, so they should not interfere with each other. Is that possible?

Absolutely. That's what I do. I still trigger with Pocket Wizards. I find them to be more reliable, less prone to interference or intermittent dropouts in communication, and I can always get 1/250s from the Pocket Wizards. I don't have a speed transmitter and the RX's don't work in Speed mode at this time. With standard Skyports I can only get a clean 1/160s or 1/200s is there is enough dark content in the frame to hide the slight vignette from shutter curtain.

TMR Design wrote in post #13339328
Absolutely. That's what I do. I still trigger with Pocket Wizards. I find them to be more reliable, less prone to interference or intermittent dropouts in communication, and I can always get 1/250s from the Pocket Wizards. I don't have a speed transmitter and the RX's don't work in Speed mode at this time. With standard Skyports I can only get a clean 1/160s or 1/200s is there is enough dark content in the frame to hide the slight vignette from shutter curtain.

so you can only get 1/160 or 1/200 with the skyport and you can get 1/250 with the pw?
how important is it to get 1/250?

hootmon wrote in post #13346890
so you can only get 1/160 or 1/200 with the skyport and you can get 1/250 with the pw?
how important is it to get 1/250?

Correct.

In the studio, shutter speed is irrelevant. On location, when shooting outdoors, a higher shutter speed allows me to knock down the ambient light a bit more when I'm trying to change the relationship of flash to ambient.

TMR Design wrote in post #13347109
Correct.

In the studio, shutter speed is irrelevant. On location, when shooting outdoors, a higher shutter speed allows me to knock down the ambient light a bit more when I'm trying to change the relationship of flash to ambient.

so is it the mini? and flex ? would it work with a 30d?

hootmon wrote in post #13349090
so is it the mini? and flex ? would it work with a 30d?

I'm using Pocket Wizard Plus II's. Strictly manual flash, no TTL. A Plus II works on any camera with a hot shoe.