Remote shooting, remote flash, 200 feet in the air.

Hi everyone,

I have a shooting situation that I'm not quite sure where to start as far a gear is concerned.

The shot I'm planning is 200 feet up a Douglas Fir tree. The camera will be remotely placed near the trunk and two flashes will be setup on branches towards the outside of the tree, above and below the main branch that I will be photographing. I need to be able to remotely trigger the camera and flashes in one system. I'm looking for a rig that operates as both a RT shutter release and a speedlite transmitter. The reason being that climbing this high safely takes a couple days of rigging and setup and I want as little gear as possible to lower the chance of failure so I won't have to go back up. This means I don't want a shutter system and a flash transmitter. If it can also trigger without flashes going off (and me climbing back up to turn flashes off) that would be amazing. Operational distance is important, preferably 100 meters or more as I don't want to have to setup in a tree next to the primary tree.

This rig will sit in the tree for several days and I will be on the ground, so I'll be weather proofing everything and it needs to be able to work through this. I'm an experienced climber so rigging isn't a concern, but I'm not very familiar with RT systems.

Cameras are 5d III and 5d IV. Cost is not the final decision maker, reliability is, but I'd like to keep it within reason. I'll be working with Canon RT Speedlites.

Thanks

Yikes. This is all a really tall order. Are you shooting aerial maneuvers? (helping with a bump here, I have some ideas, but they probably don't work with an RT system)

ksbal wrote in post #18591802
Yikes. This is all a really tall order. Are you shooting aerial maneuvers? (helping with a bump here, I have some ideas, but they probably don't work with an RT system)

Yeh I figured it probably be pretty tricky to find. At this point I would just be happy with a system that acted as both a flash transmitter and shutter release. But it is looking like I'll need to go with two separate setups for this.

I'm wondering how you plan to provide power to everything for several days?

PhotosGuy wrote in post #18592035
I'm wondering how you plan to provide power to everything for several days?

After dark I will ascend to retrieve the day's images and replace batteries. The main goal of reliability is to minimize climbing during the day as to not disturb the wildlife that use the tree.

ksbal wrote in post #18591802
This is all a really tall order.

I see what you did there.



YN603II is a simple trigger, that will sit in the hotshoe and fire the camera and flashes, but I doubt it has the range you are looking for. You might be able to set up some kind of cone/parabolic cover to extend both the transmitter and receiver.

YN622 has a longer range and has the ability to let the flashes be set to go to sleep and then be reactivated with a half press. They are not remotet triggers for the camera. The 603 does not need to be in the hotshoe to trip the shutter, so you could combine systems. While that doesn't meet your current goals, having the 622 as a flash trigger that will let the flashes conserve power might prove to be a better option.

I was thinking the same... 603.. last time I checked, it did have the range ... horizontally.. But that was with version I. If I have time, I'll check on Version II this weekend I still have 4 of them.

I at one time had 8 of the buggers (v1) and set it up so I had two flashes and two cameras firing at a a remote 603 button press.. but there is no ttl involved.. it's fire only.

The godox xpro transmitter I think can act as a remote? but I don't know if it fires the shutter? if you somehow connected it to the 603 that is the remote signal.. correctly.. would it give both the ability to fire the camera, and be able to adjust the flash power ? I have no idea of that triggers range and it needs compatible flashes with built in remotes.

It's quite the challenge you have there. The cold is going to give the batteries a challenge as well as the transmitter range.

Thanks for the pointers, I'll check them out. Still can't believe someone hasn't made a receiver/shutter release system, I would think that would be pretty useful. But maybe its too niche.

Columbia wrote in post #18592535
Thanks for the pointers, I'll check them out. Still can't believe someone hasn't made a receiver/shutter release system, I would think that would be pretty useful. But maybe its too niche.

603 does both, but it is super basic.

Columbia wrote in post #18592535
Thanks for the pointers, I'll check them out. Still can't believe someone hasn't made a receiver/shutter release system, I would think that would be pretty useful. But maybe its too niche.

It’s a timing issue...
If you trigger a shutter there’s a delay whilst the mirror lifts and the first shutter curtain opens, that’s the point to fire the flash, and that delay is different with different cameras, so you’d need a very smart trigger that was either camera aware or programmable.

Frankly when a remote camera trigger is such a cheap and simple addition, there’s no real point in putting a load of R&D into a very complex product to make them redundant.

ok, so here are my results

I put the Xpro trigger on the camera. I had a godox 860vII (ttl compatible, capable) sitting about 30 feet away.
(disclaimer, I'm using the flashpoint equals here, but they are the same rebranded)

I plugged the RF-603vII yongnou trigger into the side of the 5D3 on the side of the camera with the proper cord (mini jack into the 603, remote into the side of the camera)
second 603vII is in my hand, press button on end to fire the 603 connected to the camera. both are set to tx/rx setting on the on/off switch.

So everything turned on... paced off... 60 feet, bang
80 feet.. bang

100 feet.. bang

300 feet... bang

Basically, I ran out of line of sight before I ran out of radio transmitter.

So...just in case.. I grabbed the camera this time, turned off the 603's and just wanted to see how far the xpro and the godox/flashpoint flash would talk.


got the same results... ran out of room before the xpro on top couldn't talk to the flash.

So ...

The only thing I can't figure is how to turn off the flash and fire the camera... and honestly, I'd say have a second camera up there, without the flash

btw, the camera does focus on the button press, before it fires with the 603's.. so it will AF.. but probably easier to leave it prefocused perhaps?


So.. in theory.. have two cameras up there. 1 with trigger for flashes, one without.

Buy two sets of 603 triggers.. and then set the dip switches so they will only operate in pairs.

one to the non flash camera
one to the camera with an RT trigger on top to fire your canon rt flashes in ttl (if that is what you want.)

I think you can get 4 603v2 triggers for $80, and then be sure to buy several of the remote cords to make sure you have spairs (heaven forbid you drop one and it's in a tree.. never find it again)

Here are links to what I'm talking about.

pair of 603vII with correct cord

extra cords

603's take tripleA batteries (AAA) and last all day no problem, at least, and sometimes I've left them on a week and they still work.

What I didn't test... putting them in plastic or baggies and then trying this out. I did try some odd angles, and behind a car didn't work, but putting a tree trunk between me and the camera at 80+ feet didn't matter.. or thru bushes on the side of the house at a 90* from the lens direction.

And honestly... may want to use a used 50D or something way up there.. unless you need awesome tracking or something.. but if this is prefocused on a branch or something... then I'd get two 50D's or T5's or whatever and set them up there since you are going to weather seal the rig anyways.

Good to know the 603 can work at that distance. But for a true test, did you not climb a tree and mount it up there?

Phil V wrote in post #18595553
It’s a timing issue...
If you trigger a shutter there’s a delay whilst the mirror lifts and the first shutter curtain opens, that’s the point to fire the flash, and that delay is different with different cameras, so you’d need a very smart trigger that was either camera aware or programmable.

Frankly when a remote camera trigger is such a cheap and simple addition, there’s no real point in putting a load of R&D into a very complex product to make them redundant.

No, that's not the way it works. The trigger units don't have to be "smart."

The trigger in hand sends a signal to the trigger on the camera, and it sends a signal through the cord to the camera. The camera lifts the mirror and then the shutter begins to open but it is the shutter/camera that sends a separate signal out through the hotshoe to fire the flash.

Alas I do not have an old growth Douglas fir to test this upon. Not sure there is one anywhere in Kansas

Left Handed Brisket wrote in post #18596069
Good to know the 603 can work at that distance. But for a true test, did you not climb a tree and mount it up there?



No, that's not the way it works. The trigger units don't have to be "smart."

The trigger in hand sends a signal to the trigger on the camera, and it sends a signal through the cord to the camera. The camera lifts the mirror and then the shutter begins to open but it is the shutter/camera that sends a separate signal out through the hotshoe to fire the flash.

Exactly what I said.