AG Schnozz wrote:
>
> I use a second flash (a studio flash) shot into an unbrella up
> on a stand as high as I can get it. Between the two flashes, I
> get pretty good formals. If I had my druthers, I'd be using two
> stand mounted umbrellas as well as a background light, but time
> to setup, complexity, and cost. It's best to go wireless, but
> three flashes and two cameras all wireless can get pretty
> expensive.
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Wireless isn't so expensive if you use these:
<http://cgi.ebay.com/Wireless-Radio-Slave-Flashlight-4-Channel-battery_W0QQitemZ7540788949QQcategoryZ30086QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem>
I have four of these units. Two of them I bought from Joe's Photo
Auction on the bay. The other two I bought on the bay from Carolyn Ho
(nycarolshop) at a much lower price. Carolyn charges $15.99 for
shipping but her radio slave units typically sell for only $20-24 so you
can get one of these for a max of $40. These are far from the quality
and range of a Pocket Wizard but other main line sellers like B&H and
Paramount Cords are selling basically the same stuff for well over $100.
I think the technolgoy is basically repackaged car door or garage door
openers. In my own experimentation I have found the 100 foot range to
be optimistic for some of the units. They are quite variable from one
to the other and also quite directional. I have one that reaches 150
feet to the front but only 65 feet to the rear. Still, perfectly
adequate for firing background lights in a banquet hall. I've heard
from another owner of these units that range is affected by battery
power. Since they arrive with the battery already installed and
operating the battery may already be in less than optimal conditon.
Been meaning to check this with fresh vs. older batteries but haven't
gotten around to it yet. I need one of Walt's "round tuits".
But you can buy lots of batteries with your savings. You can buy four
of these for $160. That's less than 1/2 B&H's $349 price for a single
Pocket Wizard transmitter/receiver set. They're cheap enough that I use
one of the transmitters on my light meter with the meter set to the
cable triggered flash position. My Sekonic L-358 meter actually has a
Pocket Wizard transmitter module in it but I can't afford the Pocket
Wizards to go with it :-)
If you've used Pocket Wizards you may find these a bit mysterious at
first. Like an OM-4, neither transmitter or receiver has a power
switch. They are extremely low power devices when idling with a claim
of one year battery life. I was skeptical of this at first but battery
life appears to be as long as the claims. My oldest unit was bought in
June 2004 and I haven't had to change the 12 volt 23A battery yet but I
probably should. Recall that I haven't rechecked the range or tested
them with known fresh batteries. I replaced the pair of AA alkalines in
the receiver when I thought I was having some trouble but the problem
was me and not the batteries. Don't know if they really needed changing
or not. It's not practical to preserve the 23A battery in the
transmitter by removing the battery after use since it requires a small
screwdriver to get in there. The transmitter, however, has a more
normal removable plastic cover to get at the batteries.
Another major difference from a Pocket Wizard. These are 4 channel
devices but you can't simply throw switches at both ends to change
channels. Channel selection on the transmitter is done by setting a
pair of DIP switches. Channel selection on the receiver is set by the
receiver's detection of the channel frequencey when the receiver powers
up. Therefore, the channel changing procedure is to set the dip
switches on the transmitter and then remove and replace the batteries in
the transmitter to switch the power on and off. I think you have to
wait about 30 seconds between power off and on but I can't recall.
Depending on the type of flash unit you have your first problem may be
getting a proper connector from the receiver to your flash. Some other
versions of this unit (model YHDC-B) had a female PC connector on the
back of the case. Carolyn Ho's units do not have the PC connector. The
only connection is a 1/4" phone plug with downsize adapters to a 4.0mm
plug and 3.5mm miniplug. These plugs are correct for some studio flash
units. The 3.5mm miniplug is perfect for my Alien Bees. But trying to
connect to a portable flash unit is more troublesome. Paramount cords
sells cords to connect from a Pocket Wizard receiver to various
connectors such as PC and the proprietary Vivitar and Sunpak connectors.
The Pocket Wizard is also a 3.5mm miniplug but in this case you have
the problem of connecting male to male. Radio Shack sells a miniplug
male/male coupler for a few dollars.
Anyhow, I have found that they work acceptably at events in moderately
large halls. If they're limited to studio use where range and
reliability is less important it should be a no-brainer given the price
difference with Pocket Wizard. I make up for the as yet uncertain
reliablity by having a spare or two which is easily done at the price.
I recommend buying all that you will need (including a spare) all at
once. You will never be able to get them repaired and when you go back
to the source for another it may not be available or may be a different
frequency. After buying two YHDC-B's from Joe's Photo Auction I decided
to commit to two more but Joe had stopped selling them in favor of a
very similar but frequency incompatible model. That's what sent me on a
search for another soure and the discovery of Carolyn Ho. She sells
only YHDC-B's. But who knows for how long.
Good luck. I'll be happy to answer any other questions about these things.
ps: Despite the apparent superior build quality of a Pocket Wizard over
these simple things, my experience with Pocket Wizards is that their
achilles heel is an unreliable power switch. I know two people who own
them and they are constantly banging them on the palm of their hand to
get contact on the power switch. These things have no switches.
Chuck Norcutt
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