Noob question: What's the advantage of this over just using the wireless capabilities of the 580 itself? Price? Distance? Does the pocket wizard site explain this?
I did two 550EX's a week ago and a 580EX today. Though the 580 is easy, I wouldn't recommend adding the sub-mini jacks to the 550EX unless you're quite handy with a Dremel, don't mind "making" room for the jack with the Dremel (lots of grinding in the flash foot), and don't mind working with tweezers for hours. The first 550EX took three and a half hours, the second 90 minutes, and the 580EX 30 minutes.
joekraft wrote:
Noob question: What's the advantage of this over just using the wireless capabilities of the 580 itself? Price? Distance? Does the pocket wizard site explain this?
You can't trigger a 580ex wirelessly without another 580ex or ST-E2 in the camera hotshoe. That's an expensive trigger!
With a pocketwizard (also expensive) or an eBay equivalent (significantly less expensive), you get a wireless flash. However, you only get manual flash power instead of ETTL magic.
joekraft wrote:
Noob question: What's the advantage of this over just using the wireless capabilities of the 580 itself? Price? Distance? Does the pocket wizard site explain this?
Largely range. ETTL wireless uses IR light which generally needs line of sight, though indoors in small rooms it can bounce around and still work.
outdoors though your looking at a range off about 30 feet or even less with bright sunlight and you definatly need line of sight.
Pocket Wizards on the other hand work up to about 1600 feet away, through walls and so forth because they use radio waves. Though they wont give you any ETTL features.
So it depends on usage. If Im doing an indoor portrait, I use the wireless ETTL stuff, works great.
If I however want to clamp a flash to each side of a bleachers at a HS basketball game and expect them to both fire, I'll use pocket wizards.
You can get the cheap hotshoe adapters for $8 by sending an email to photoland168 at yahoo dot com. Tell them what you want and they will invoice you through paypal.
Here is a description http://www.flickr.com/groups/strobist/discuss/72157594348038530/ They are quick to respond and they ship from the US. Not the highest quality, but for $8 what can you expect, they do work.
I've been waiting 3 weeks for a reply to numerous emails to magic-triggers via eBay with no response.
Brutus_B wrote:
Pocket Wizards on the other hand work up to about 1600 feet away, through walls and so forth because they use radio waves.
I have four PW MultiMax's, and the true maximum range is closer to 300 feet. And that's if you have clear line of sight and keep the units away from your body, equipment or vegetation. Quite disappointing, but certainly better than the Chinese units.
Jack M wrote:
You can get the cheap hotshoe adapters for $8 by sending an email to photoland168 at yahoo dot com. Tell them what you want and they will invoice you through paypal.
Here is a description http://www.flickr.com/groups/strobist/discuss/72157594348038530/ They are quick to respond and they ship from the US. Not the highest quality, but for $8 what can you expect, they do work.
I've been waiting 3 weeks for a reply to numerous emails to magic-triggers via eBay with no response.
Yep...these little hotshoe adapters work!!! I have been using it with an ebay wireless trigger to trigger my 580ex. It then triggers my AB800. Inexpensive alternative for the amateur. This way I don't need to modify my 580 and it only costs a few dollars more than the DIY modification.
Drew_Persson wrote:
I have four PW MultiMax's, and the true maximum range is closer to 300 feet. And that's if you have clear line of sight and keep the units away from your body, equipment or vegetation. Quite disappointing, but certainly better than the Chinese units.
You can always use one as a relay over longer distances if range is a problem. It is a good point though that a quarter mile is under "ideal" conditions.
I've always been surprised at the range even in less than ideal situations such as having a transmitter in an arena catwalk with tons of metal around it and so forth. Drop lines work best when possible, but in a pinch the PW'd didnt let me down.
Daniel Bates wrote:
Well, the off camera mod is soon to be Option 2 for those of us seeking PC sync capable 580's. Thank you, Canon... it took long enough!
What does that mean? Did you see something to indicate the new 580EX II has a PC socket?
dirb9 wrote:
Thats the flash sensor that allows the flash to be used on any camera. The PC socket is located on the side of the flash, under the rubber flap.
Wow, that is good news. Despite my having just bought two Paramount cords for my 580's.
dirb9 wrote:
Thats the flash sensor that allows the flash to be used on any camera. The PC socket is located on the side of the flash, under the rubber flap.
