Wireless flash trigger choice (h-system and others)

[Shelby Lewis]

Hey All,

Can any of you (Marc :ROTFL enlighten me as to how to get the full 1/800th sync speed out of the H-series cameras... via wireless triggers. I've finally got some cash and am down to choosing between a few compelling used options that are available to me right now. One of those is a mamiya based system with an afdiii body (no hs sync).

The other is a p30+ on an h2 body.

Pocketwizards (my wireless trigger of choice) only sync to 1/500th with leaf-shutter lenses. I guess I'm spoiled with the high speed wireless sync via the flexTT5 triggers on the canon system (if only the IQ were better ).

Do skyports (or similar) sync at the full 1/800th with the h-system? How reliable is your trigger-of-choice?

When it comes to firing consistently at all distances PWs have been, historically, almost 100% reliable for me.

Lastly... I shoot with a full compliment of canon speedlights via wireless PW FlexTT5 triggers. I know full well that the e-ttl is not usable on another system... but I have wild idea. The triggers can be set to "dumb" mode where e-ttl is ignored. They should fire from a h-system camera as if they were standard PlusII triggers. I have this crazy thought that, via using the ac3 zonecontroller attached to the on-camera trigger, one might still be able to trigger and control the 3 zones of speedlights (in manual mode, of course) from the ac3 on the camera. This would be VERY handy if, indeed, the PW ttl system is self contained and needs no input from the camera to work in m mode. Either way I'm probably keeping my canon as a backup, along with the speedlights... but it would be handy to use them with the h for a kiss of light during location shoots.

Have any of you heard of someone attempting this?

Thanks!
Shelby

 

[mvirtue]

I tried using my TT1 on my R67 with the AC3 controller. But the TT1 counts on the wake signal for 1/2 shutter button press So if I triggered the TT1 to wake it up then took the shot it would work And yes I got the AC3 to change my ST4. If you change the TT1 to be always on then it will not fire the control TL channel and there goes the AC3 use YMMV with a TT5 though.

 

[Shelby Lewis]

I tried using my TT1 on my R67 with the AC3 controller. But the TT1 counts on the wake signal for 1/2 shutter button press So if I triggered the TT1 to wake it up then took the shot it would work And yes I got the AC3 to change my ST4. If you change the TT1 to be always on then it will not fire the control TL channel and there goes the AC3 use YMMV with a TT5 though.

Thanks for the thoughts and anecdotes... pretty illuminating.



I'll give it a shot and see what happens when I'm set up. Maybe the half-press on the h might contribute positively (yeah, right...). My guess is that I'll face the same problem as you.

 

[mvirtue]

The TT5 might be "better" behaved. If it does work, please report back.

 

[jorisvm]

also interested which wireless triggers on H4D sync at 1/800 without loss...
- skyports: not
- pocketwizard: ?
- profoto air: ?

 

[Bob]

I don't know about Hassy, but the Skyport "speed" version works at 1/800 on a phase DF with a 110LS lens.
You must use a strobe with a very short duration since often it is the strobe duration and not the trigger delay that is the issue.
-bob

 

[dougpeterson]

I've never found any wireless transmitter that can sync at 1/800 with a Hassy H2 (we rent them frequently so we have tried pretty hard). They always lose a bit of light starting at 1/500 and a lot of light at 1/800. That kind of stinks when you're on location running off battery power as you want to keep the strobe power at 1/2 or 1/4 to maximize the number of pops you can get from your battery and you don't want to have to turn the system up in order to compensate for a defacto ND filter imposed by your system not being able to sync at full speed with a wireless transmitter.

In the Phase world a DF/LS/V-Grip kit will sync at 1/1600 with no loss of light and the transmitter is built into the camera so there are no transmitters sticking up on top of the camera and no extra batteries to run out. And you get a vertical grip .

As Bob points out you need to make sure your strobes flash duration is shorter than 1/1600 for Phase (when using it at 1/1600 at least) and at least 1/500 (when using them at 1/500) with Hassy. When you're in the studio with good studios strobes or on locations with battery powered strobes at 1/2 or 1/4th to preserve the battery this will be no issue but many portable strobes have a flash duration longer than 1/1600 when at max power.

Doug Peterson (e-mail Me)
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[Shelby Lewis]

Thanks all... this has been very informative. I'll see what I can dig up and report back here when I get up and running.