Wireless Flash Trigger

What wireless flash trigger would you recommend? I am about to get (hopefully) 2 580EX flashes and would like to be able to work with them off camera as well as on.

Also, what kind of stands does anyone use for off camera flash? (like light stands for flashes type setup... Sorry I am new at the whole flash deal, but I might get these 580's at a...VERY... good deal)

clickcanon40 wrote in post #6200429
What wireless flash trigger would you recommend? I am about to get (hopefully) 2 580EX flashes and would like to be able to work with them off camera as well as on.

Also, what kind of stands does anyone use for off camera flash? (like light stands for flashes type setup... Sorry I am new at the whole flash deal, but I might get these 580's at a...VERY... good deal)

How much are you willing to spend on the triggers? Do you want to use ETTL off camera, how much range do you "need"?

Are you looking for a portable flash stand, one that you can use with studio lights later on, what is your budget?

doidinho wrote in post #6200450
How much are you willing to spend on the triggers? Do you want to use ETTL off camera, how much range do you "need"?

Are you looking for a portable flash stand, one that you can use with studio lights later on, what is your budget?

Wow, thank you for your time considering my needs.

Well, I could spend maybe.... $200 total. I would like to get stands that will last me through to studio lights but I also need it to be portable. I enjoy more outdoor work at the time and would like something that is durable and reasonably portable, but not too wimpy.

I would like to use ETTL off camera but dont know if my price range will allow, again I know next to nothing about this part.

As Far as "range" I would like to maximize my availiable range as much as possible within my range of price. I would like to shoot some night sport shots (like skateboard type things) and that would probably be the most range demanding situation I would be in.

Hope that helps and makes sense. Again I am new in this area and if my buget is too low, please be blunt with me and tell me what I should expect to pay. Thank you in advance for your help.

I like my Skyports. Extra receivers here.

You want it all for $200 and thats just not possible.

Triggers:

check out ebay for some cheap (and from what I have heard unreliable triggers and receivers). I don't have a link or know the exact make of them, but you could goggle "ebay wireless flash triggers" and find them, no prob. I think you could get two receivers and a trigger for around $60 or so.

For about $200 you could get Alien Bee gear (one trigger, two receivers) No experience with them; however I have heard they are a good choice for the budget shopper who wants more quality than the ebay triggers offer. Forget ETTL, if your going to get into the strobist thing then you don't really need it anyways.

Stand.

I have two Bogen Nano stands; they are very small and light, but not too sturdy. Great for small flash if some sort of weighting is used. They retail for around $70 a piece. Cheaper stands are out there, but you get what you pay for. There are a lot of choices for decent stands in the $70 price range. There are lots of entry stands for cheaper as well.

Don't forget about umbrellas and the bracket to mount you flashes to the stands (around $20-$30 a piece for these items).

You could do it for $200, but do you really want to.

Bottom line is that my advise would be to get the AB triggers and then by the stands and umbrellas as you get some more cash. Or if you have $300, the AB's, one cheap stand, and an umbrella.

Hopefully some other members will chime on this as well.

Alien Bees Cybersyncs...less expensive, reliable solution.

Update; you should consider getting just one 580 and then a cheaper flash. The extra features of the 580 only work while on camera (unless you go for an IR system), so the extra features of an additional 580 are useless. Why pay for these feature when you can put the $ towards stands and light modifiers.

doidinho wrote in post #6200866
Update; you should consider getting just one 580 and then a cheaper flash.

Great advice. Match the 580 with a 430, which you can use as a slave to get ETTL. Then you can use the extra money to get Cybersyncs and take both flashes off camera. At that point you will be winging it in manual mode like the rest of us numskulls. My Cybersyncs just arrived this week replacing the trusty old sync cables. The triggers have worked flawlessly (at least so far).

Ditto on the Bogen Nano stands - they are perfect for traveling light.

You should also consider the Sigma EF-530 DG Super. Its less expensive than the 430 and more powerful (but not as powerful as the 580). It also comes with an optical trigger, as well as IR to control another 530 (also works to trigger 430 as a slave).

doidinho wrote in post #6200866
Update; you should consider getting just one 580 and then a cheaper flash. The extra features of the 580 only work while on camera (unless you go for an IR system), so the extra features of an additional 580 are useless. Why pay for these feature when you can put the $ towards stands and light modifiers.

Well, to be honest, I would go that direction considering I have a very limited budget at this time but a good friend of mine's brother-in-law is getting out of the photography biz (dont know why) and is selling off a bunch of equip. He has about 3 580's that he hardly used and is selling them (if he keeps the price we talked about a few months ago) for around $150 each. So 2 would oddly be cheaper than even just one 580 on its own. I dont know why he doesnt sell them for more but I am not complaining and I think he just wants to reduce his gear quickly (not to mention his seemingly endless money supply, which could be a huge factor for just selling it off cheap)

Thank you all for your help and I hope to hear and lean more from this as you continue to put in some input in this area. If anyone has helpfull tips to add in your comments as well I would love to learn more about flash systems, etc. Thank you.

I'd love another 580, PM me if he wanted to get rid of the other one.

tim wrote in post #6201335
I'd love another 580, PM me if he wanted to get rid of the other one.

I will do that. The only problem is that I cannot get in contact with him... I have been trying for about 2-3 weeks and it is really frustrating. His brother-in-law (my friend) said that he will remind him again (just like last week...:confused and hopefully he will call me back. He is a nice guy but VERY hard to reach by phone and even harder by e-mail... So now I wait... and wait...

Oh, I almost forgot, I have looked at skyport, which look really cool. Anyone know where the cheapest place I might find these is? Also, (other than tim, which thank you for the tip by the way) have these and/or enjoy them?

clickcanon40 wrote in post #6201226
He has about 3 580's that he hardly used and is selling them (if he keeps the price we talked about a few months ago) for around $150 each.

You've died and gone to strobist heaven my friend.

Phil H wrote in post #6203088
You've died and gone to strobist heaven my friend.

I very much agree, but I must admit I know next to nothing about settings and (of course) the accessories.... Any advice or tips or equipment help would be very useful to me!