Canon ST-E2 or Elinchrom Skyport

Two different ways of getting the flash off the camera, but which one is the best?

With the ST-E2 I can work with E-TTL if needed, but it’s more expensive, doesn’t work with strobes (in the future) and has rather limited range.

The Skyport will not work with E-TTL, but it’s a bit less expensive (not decisive in any way though) and has a lot more range. And it will work with any flash or strobes.

Two very different tools. Which one would you chose and why?

wheres the third option for pocket wizards?

indoors, outdoors? relative distance, flash/strobes you plan to use?

Pocket wizards is not an option… for me at least. They are much more expensive.

At the moment it would be a means of getting my only flash (the 430EX) off the camera for any type of shots. But later on I’m hoping to get a few strobes (maybe D-Lites) or something like that to play with.

Get a canon off camera shoe cord 2 and modify it to any length you need. You can do the whole thing for arounf $70. You will have full E-TTL. I did it and it works great. Mine is a length of 25 feet. Down the road I may get off camera stuff, but I figure that I could use this cord and my 580 ex ON THE CORD OFF CAMERA TO CONTROL A SLAVE 430 EX that I'll buy down the road. If you do it right, the cord isn't bad. I actually like it this way.

An ST-E2 will trigger D-Lites. Nice to be wireless!

From experience, im not to thrilled about an ST-E2... I much rather spend a little extra and buy another 580ex unit as my wireless trigger (set NOT to fire) If you need to start shooting away from your lights, its just easy to turn the 580ex back on, and start shooting instead of switching components. It also gives you another speedlight as a backup. I used to have an full ETTL wireless studio but sold it since it just wasnt powerful enought.

I was going to say pocket wizards too, but if they are too expencive, then its too expencive.

If you want cheap, and are planning on using them with strobes, the ebay triggers are good for the $. Its what I use until I get PW units.

I definitely want it to be wireless, so a off camera shoe cord does not do it for me. The 580EX could be a possibility, but it’s really not that much less expensive than an Elinchrom D-Lite 2 kit which is really ridiculous.

Mind if I ask what you plan on doing with the lights? Your application in regards to the lights might help us direct you better.

I had 4 speedlights (one 580ex and three 420ex) for my wireless studio at one point, but as soon as I started doing group shots... or needing more light modifiers, I started to dislike the wireless studio. Another thing I dont like about "my" wireless studio, is being forced to use ETTL (420ex has no manual mode). ETTL results just were not consistent. If I had all 580 or 430ex, I could then use it in manual mode and it allows me to have consistent lighting. But then you need to meter your lights, and kinda kills the point of ETTL. (my reason for selling).

Im not sure but is the ST-E2 ETTL only?

It really depends on what you are going to use it for. I plan on buying more speedlights for a ETTL studio, just to have around, because there are times where its VERY useful. But just not for my typical application (which is studio work). They lack power and control.

The ST-E2 can be used both in E-TTL and manual. I didn't know I could trigger strobes with a ST-E2 as Joe said.

I've been eying the ST-E2 ever since I got my 430EX. I even thought about a combo of two 430EXs and a ST-E2. However, now the Elinchrom Skyport has got my attention. E-TTL is great if you don’t have a lot of time or ambient light is changing rapidly, but if you’re setting up a multi-flash / multi-strobe shot, I would hope to have a little bit more time and keep everything in manual. Also, never even looked at studio strobes before, but reading about people playing around / shooting with these does make it sound quite nice.

What I’m planning to do with the lights? Product shots, portraits, other funny things I’m just an eager beginner who would love to learn how to work with light

Another question: are there any other real disadvantages in going with the Skyport system other than loosing E-TTL and needing to get a receiver for every flash?

The only point of having a wireless speedlight studio is having wireless triggers built in, and ETTL. + it runs on battries which is both good and bad.

Good because its super portable, bad because the dont recycle fast, the die quick, and becomes kinda a pain after a while.

If you take that away, its just a VERY overpriced, underpowered studio lighting with very limmited # of light modifiers. Which is the reason I went to Alien Bees. OR which you can do with cheaper flash units like Vivitar + skyport.

ETTL can be a total blessing, but it can also be a total nuisance at times. I found myself spending as much time trying to get my exposure right using ETTL be using FEL and flash exposure compensation than using everything in manual mode and metering with a light meter.

One thing I do like about ETTL, is when you are really moving around, dont have time and space for big lights, dont have time for metering, ETTL will get you close enought, and sometimes even hits exposure right on. I guess what im trying to say is that its hit or miss. But thats just the nature of the technology. For example, shooting cars and shiny reflective objects, makes the ETTL system freak out, and underexposure like crazy. This happened a lot for me when shooting product photography. But when shooting product, you have plent of time to get exposure correct using normal strobes. + the needed power to shoot at like f/16 f/22.....

All I can say, is if you really want a speedlights system, just got to try it for youself. I had 4 speedlights, it was a blast to use while I had them. But moved on to bigger things.

If you are going speedlight, I would say go with a 580ex as your master. It also allows you to shoot 580ex as your main, and ur 430ex as a hair, or background light on channel C.

IMO I think you would be better off with one AB800 and a ebay slave if you only plan on having one light. Another point of ETTL is the ratios beteween lights. A, B, and C. You set all your ratios from the master, and FEC for channel C from the master and shoot. If you only have one light, cant really take advantage of those features, and you paid for them.

Living in Europe, ABs are kind of out of the question. I suppose Elinchrom has some lights in the same performance / price group as the ABs. Whenever I get strobes, I will probably get a 2 strobe kit. That seems like a good beginning.

I guess I could go with my single 430EX on camera when I need to be very mobile and use E-TTL, and then use something else when it's possible

Speedlights or monolights, they are a different kind of breed
Both have their advantages (and disadvantages).


But regarding your initial question, I would NOT choose for the Canon ST-E2. For the only reason that it's infrared.
I'd go fo a radio triggered system.
Till now, I'd say that Pocketwizards are the way to go but there's a new guy in town now !
I didn't know that the Elinchrom system was able to fire "non" Elinchrom systems. At first I even tought it was developed for the Elinchrom RX serie only !
Since they're new, I want to wait for a while. Check out the reviews.
Maybe the pocketwizards become cheaper because of the competition !?

I didn't know the ST-E2 was able to fire studioflashes by the way !??? ( still doubting that) but anyway, I would stay away from that one and if you really would want to keep ETTL, I'd prefer to buy a 580EX over the ST-E2.
The more since they will become cheaper shortly when the MarkII comes on the shelves !

You did mention the D-lite 2 ! I'm sure they deliver quality and once you're in the Elinchrom "environment, you might get an additional RX flashead in the future and then you have full control when you own the Skyport !

Rgds
Velu

www.veluart.blogspot.c​om

I just checked things out ...

You have a universal transmitter and two kinda receivers. One for universal use and the other one for RX units.
This way you can control power as from the transmitter !

Transmitter costs about 65 Euro. Receiver for the RX 65 as well and a universal receiver costs 95 Euro.

So a universal system to fire 2 heads ( 1 transmitter and 2 receivers) cost you about 255 Euro !
A single Pocket Wizard Transceiver cost you about 225 Euro over here !
A ST-E2 will cost you about the same !

Rgds
velu

Yes I had a look at the Skyport system yesterday at a photo trade fair. It did look pretty promising but maybe it's a good idea to wait a while and see what people are writing about it

Thank you everyone for your input

Never understood why the E-TTL2 system cops so much flak on the Net. Mine has never let me down.

Then again, maybe I understand the system a whole lot better than I understand the Net folks...but the net result is that it works for me.

If you have the time, set manual flash power control. The 420EX will not help you with OR without the ST-E2.