HaroldBarks4u

I just purchased a studio light set at Best Buy which has a wireless trigger. I want to use my Canon 430exii flash as a slave with the set.

The radio trigger came with the Platinum PT-DPSGK which can be set to several different channels. Does anyone know if the trigger will sync up with my flash and what the channel settings are?

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Harold, Welcome to the Hog!
I don't know either of those systems but since nobody seems to want to help, I'll give it a try and maybe someone can come on and tell me how wrong I am and take over!! LoL
The trigger needs to have come with a receiver as well(two pc set). The Canon flash is NOT gonna recognize the trigger without a receiver. It can work as a slave if you set the Canon up to be line-of-sight, optically triggered by another light, that's activated by the trigger on the camera, or another light that's activated by the reciever.
Do the lights have a built in receiver, so you got no receiver with the trigger, which is made just for those lights?
BTW, the receiver and the trigger have to be set to the came channel, but not the lights or the flash.
Harold, now you're probably even more confused...., Sorry...., but at least, welcome again!!! LoL
SS

CO

I just downloaded the owner's manual for the Platinum PT-DPSGK set and the Canon 430exii flash. The strobes that come with the Platinum PT-DPSGK set can be triggered three ways - remote trigger, light sensor, and PC sync cable. The strobes have a photoelectric eye on them but the Canon flash does not seem to have that (although it has Canon's 2.4GHz. radio triggering).

You could do it with sync cables. I've done it with my Paul C. Buff studio strobes and Nikon speedlight. I have a PocketWizard Mini-TT1 (transmitter) on the camera. I have my Nikon SB-700 flash mounted on a PocketWizard Flex-TT5 (transceiver). I have either PocketWizard Plus III or Plus X triggers connected to my Paul C. Buff strobes.

The PocketWizard Mini-TT1 and Flex-TT5 are TTL triggers and transmit both the PocketWizard standard and the more complex controlTL signals simultaneously. I triggered both the strobes and speedlight simultaneously.

You'll need to order the Canon versions of the PocketWizard Mini-TT1, the Flex-TT5 or Flex-TT6 (you can also use two Flex-TT5 or Flex-TT6 radios). You can get a 2-pack of PocketWizard Plus X units for the strobes.

If you get PocketWizard Mini-TT1 or Flex-TT5 units you'll want to download the PocketWizard utility from their website. You connect those units to your computer with the supplied mini-USB cable and open the PocketWizard utility to program them and do firmware updates.

CO

Does the Canon flash have optical triggering? I couldn't find that in the owner's manual. That would make it all easier since the strobes that come with the Platinum PT-DPSGK set have optical triggering.

jdubu Loc: San Jose, CA

If you go the PW flex system, I suggest going with the newer Flex TT6. With 2 of those, you don't need the mini TT1 and they are compatible with the Canon 5D IV, whereas the Flex TT5 is not. An added bonus is you can now mount the AC3 controller on top of the Flex TT6 and control channels and groups just like an AC3 on the mini TT1. I have a mix of all the above units and rarely use the mini TT1 unless it's going on a second camera.

CO

Yes. I understand that the Flex-TT6 was designed specifically for Canon. I have Nikon so I got a Mini-TT1 because of its low profile and the Flex-TT5 for the speedlight. I could also just use two Flex-TT5 radios. I didn't get an AC3 but it would be great for complex setups.

jdubu Loc: San Jose, CA

Even using one simple flash set up, the AC3 allows for manual or TTL flash compensation with a simple turn of the dial. I still use it a lot for 1 or 2 flash setups and on the fly flash compensation.


I was using your info on the PW as reference for the OP. Sorry if I was confusing.

HaroldBarks4u

Thanks so much for the suggestions. I will look into it more and make it happen.

berchman Loc: South Central PA

I mount an AC3 on a Flex TT5 (Nikon) on my Fuji X-T2 to manually control external Nikon speedlights.

Ron Dial Loc: Cuenca, Ecuador

The purpose of different channels, is so if you are shooting in a big studio and someone else is also using the same brand of radio slave as you, you can just switch channels, and he will not set off your strobes. Experiment to find which one works.