tropics68 Loc: Georgia

I hoping someone here can help me out with a "reasonably priced" solution to firing an HSS flash off camera. I know you need a compatible flash and trigger but not which is compatible with what other than from the same mfg. I bought three of the Cell-II transceivers from one of the big NY stores because they claimed they allowed 1/8000 sec shutter speed and offer no caveats as to what type of flash is required. They did not work on my Canon DSLRs and my Viltrox HSS flashes. These flashes work perfectly when mounted in the camera hot shoe and allow me to shoot flash at up to 1/8000 so it ain't the flash. I returned them and asked for a suggestion and got Pocket Wizard which are $125 a copy and I need three which means about $400 for the three. That is not in the "reasonably priced" range for me, for flash triggers. I am a hobbyist and do not earn my dinner with a camera. If I did I MIGHT consider it. I then ordered, from a different store, a Godox flash/trigger package with a HSS flash and remote that looked like a mainframe . Here I was assured that I was buying what I wanted. That did not work either and they are on the way back to the store. I could not even fire the flash in the hot shoe. Viltrox supposedly has a HSS trigger but only in China. I am not prepared to send $150 to China and then have the hassle of returns back over the pond if it too fails to work. If if costs more than $20 I do not buy from China direct. Is anyone shooting HSS off camera?

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Interesting question. I am using a Yongnuo transceiver to radio trigger several Canon 600EX-RT flashes using ETTL, but I haven’t tried with HSS. I will try the combination and report back.

tropics68 Loc: Georgia

Thanks

I will look for your results.

These flashes are supposedly 100% Canon compatible. But I need something that allows real fast shutter speeds ala. 1/8000 second.

CO

The PocketWizard Flex-TT5 (transceiver) and Mini-TT1 (transmitter) support TTL metering and HSS. I have both of them. I put the Mini-TT1 on my camera and mount my Nikon flash on the Flex-TT5. I haven't tried HHS. Those models come in versions for Nikon and Canon cameras.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

I think the FlexTT6 for Canon is even better and I got a message from B&H that a 3 pack is on sale for $449 with a group controller included. I have Canon 600s with built in radio and the STR3 controller so I can do anything with that setup off camera. Some capabilities just come a price I guess.

Tony Northrop has a video on controllers and radios on YouTube. He covers Phottix, Buff and a couple others. Maybe the Buff Cyber Commander would work for you, you could look into that. They would probably cost about $359 for a Commander and 3 receivers. I am also exploring some of these issues as I try to use my Speedlites with Studio Monolights together. No easy or cheap high capability answers from what I have so far discovered.

Best,
Todd Ferguson

wcmoorejr Loc: Birmingham Alabama

Hey,

I use a yogonu 622c and 3 yonuno flashes that have a built in radio transceiver and hss support. I lso have 2 yonuno transceivers so I can use my older yogonu flashes. They do not support hss but provide extra light when I need it and don't need hss. The 622c run about 49 for canon and the flashes were 100 a piece. the extra transceivers were about 30 a piece. I picked it all up on amazon.

Regards,
Willie

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

Well, I use a cheap ($19.95) Flashpoint wireless Intervalometer, timer and shutter release for that. I use it for all the shooting, flash or no flash!
Its good for 300' range! It triggers the camera, not the flash (depends on which flashes I use, for that I use PW's, or Canon's RT's!

CO

I didn't know about the Flex-TT6. I've had the Flex-TT5 for Nikon for about four years. I got the Mini-TT1 to use on the camera because of its compact size. The 3-pack for $449 sounds like a good deal. I paid over $200 for one Flex-TT5.

Tony Northrup is very good. I've watched a lot of the videos that him and his wife have done on studio photography. They use Buff stuff. I have the new DigiBee DB-800 strobe. Its output level can be controlled with one of the CyberSync commanders. I haven't explored that yet.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Some of my so far limited research indicates that there might have been some reliability issues with the FlexTT5 on Canon. Maybe some fixes resulted in the FlexTT6 for Canon. Some of these radio systems are sort of hard to understand what does what, what works together and what features are included. I have 3 Canon 600 Speedlites and the STR3 transmitter. That all works great.

Last week I picked up a couple Alien Bees 800s. So, I am looking for a solution that can integrate this all together and also work with my Sekonic meter radio. That seems to be either Phottix or PocketWizard so far. Or you can go Buff Cyber Commander and use that to control and test fire the lights. The Sekonic then is a non radio using meter only. My friend Haydon here on the Hog is doing that approach. Right now I am manually setting the Alien Bees and using the slave mode to fire them with a flash, sometimes minimal, from my Speedlite(s). That works at the moment but my investigation will continue. The Buff radio stuff seems very well built and reasonably priced.

Best,
Todd Ferguson

CO

I have the Sekonic L-478DR light meter that I use for studio photography. It has a built-in PocketWizard radio. It's very handy as I can walk around the set and trigger the strobes. I still have to adjust the strobe's output manually though. My Paul C. Buff DigiBee DB-800 has digital control. It has a receptacle on top for the CSXCV transceiver. I need to explore that next.

The Sekonic light meters are available with radio triggers for Elinchrom, Phottix, or PocketWizard.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

I recently upgraded from the 758 to 858 meter. My 758 had PW radio module but I never used it. I have not purchased a radio module for the 858 as it is a $150 option and I don't know if I will go that way. I would like a radio system that can make full control of my Speedlites and Buff or Profoto monolights. If I wast to fire from the Sekonic too it seems that PW or Phottix are the options right now. But my question becomes what PW and at what cost... The Digital Bees and Einstein lights have a lot of nice features. The $30 radio receiver is a great deal too...CSXCV as you said. Haydon has 4 Einstein lights and the Cyber Commander controller.

Best,
Todd Ferguson

twowindsbear

I'm really curious. . .

Why do you need to use a flash and such a brief shutter speed?

TIA

CO

I've done what you described. I've had the PocketWizard Mini-TT1 on my camera, my Nikon flash with grid for hair light on my Flex-TT5, and my PocketWizard Plus III or Plus X connected to my strobe. The Mini-TT1 and Flex-TT5 transmit both the PocketWizard standard and controlTL channels simultaneously. The Mini-TT1 triggered both my Nikon flash and my Buff Digibee. Since the Mini-TT1 supports TTL metering, I could adjust flash compensation at the camera to vary the intensity of the hair light. I still had to adjust the output of the DigiBee manually though.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

I use HSS (Auto FP in Nikon-speak) outside so I can use wide apertures for shallow depth of field.

If you limit yourself to the normal 1/200 or 1/250th sec sync setting, with ambient light at ISO 100 you could be at f/11 or so.
That's wayyy too much depth of field for a nice portrait.

More on how it works HERE.
Tons of examples HERE.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Also sometimes you want to kill the brightness of the ambient light. And sometimes you want to control the percentage of flash in combination with the ambient light. Many people like to keep the percentage of flash at 20-30 percent of the overall light. That percentage of flash fills shadows and keeps the photo from having the flash photo look.

Best,
Todd Ferguson