It's not just you, mine broke in the exact same place too.
I think the weight of the 580exII is just too much for the plastic to hold when hanging regularly from the neck.
wow! that's nuts! I'm gonna have to keep an eye on mine...
I've used them for 2 weddings so far and love them, so we'll have to see how they hold up. Could it be partly the pressure that a large flash in the hotshoe creates? I do shoot with a flash on top 99% of the time.
form wrote:
I did report it very early this morning, shortly before posting the thread here.
BTW I was storing them either sitting on top of something by themselves or together somewhere. They would usually drain while in my bag just before and after a wedding, when they get stuffed in a tighter area that can easily push the power switch with only a little motion.
Not sure if someone else mentioned it yet, but we have the same problem of switches coming on with our Pocketwizards, so I took some gaffers tape (black) and put a small piece over the side of the trigger where the switch is, it keeps it from being able to be slid and now we dont have to worry about drained batteries.
Also, how do you like these with the inability to use high-speed sync? Do you find that it isn't a problem? I often want to sync at 1/800 shooting outdoor when i've already stopped down to f22 and need it even darker. you find that any problem? i am bummed on our pocketwizards and have been wanting to switch to phottix.
jared_irl wrote:
wow! that's nuts! I'm gonna have to keep an eye on mine...
I've used them for 2 weddings so far and love them, so we'll have to see how they hold up. Could it be partly the pressure that a large flash in the hotshoe creates? I do shoot with a flash on top 99% of the time.
It's 100% the strain of the heavy flash mounted on top. It attacks the weak point where there is minimal surface area of the plastic.
I am used to maxing 1/200 sec. for flash when outdoors, so I just stop down. I can't remember ever shooting in an environment where 1/200 and f/16 or so didn't give me an acceptable exposure level in the brightest daylight. If I did...well then I'd have to invest in ND filters.
Hmm. Ok, well I think I'm sold. You're in NV, and we're right near you in AZ, so we get the same light. I'll just rely on my F more and leave the exposure alone. those triggers are nice, way affordable, and way more reliable. i hate my flex system by PW.
I had two sets of these triggers and the transmitters both broke at the base, as shown by these pictures. Apparently over the course of 12-18 months the weight of a 580EX flash was just too much to bear.
I attempted to glue mine back together to no avail. Once they're cracked, they are pretty much useless for putting a flash on top of. I still use a set for studio triggers though and they work well.
It happens, and they're cheap enough I'm willing to accept the flaw. I have one transmitter that has similar but less severe cracks after probably 40 weddings and I've moved that one to backup and now have a few weddings on my second transmitter which is still in perfect condition. I don't keep a flash on them all day though, only during the reception.
