I just purchased four AB800's.... I'm looking for advice as to the best way for me to operate these in a wireless configuration.... My camera is a 5D mark II.... I will have these strobes located in a bonus room in which I have turned into a small studio.... I'm really looking for the positives and negatives of the different wireless systems.... Thanks for your time and effort....
Steve Kelley wrote:
I just purchased four AB800's.... I'm looking for advice as to the best way for me to operate these in a wireless configuration.... My camera is a 5D mark II.... I will have these strobes located in a bonus room in which I have turned into a small studio.... I'm really looking for the positives and negatives of the different wireless systems.... Thanks for your time and effort....
The best system for those lights is the Paull C Buff CyberCommander and Cybersync+ receivers.
The second-best system is the Paul C Buff CST transmitter (non remote power control) with the non-remote-power control Cybersync receivers. Those are inexpensive enough not to look any further.
Buy either CyberSync transmitter & receiver, or an RF-602 pair. You only need on receiver since the other light will fire by its optical. Using wireless will get rid of wires running all over.
Since the Alien Bees don't do ETTL, you just need simple (yet reliable) triggering system, which means the CyberSyncs from Alien Bees are perfect. As for the optical triggering system, that's up to you and your working environment.
I have been an avid reader on here for a couple of years.... I'm going to make an attempt to try portrait photography.... When I learn how to operate the Bees and the camera in manual mode, I will start posting my results on here.... My plan is to have these great photographers on here, guide me through the different lighting and posing scenarios in this line of work....
rdkirk: I would have thought the Radiopopper JrX Studio would be 2nd best since they and the CyberCommander offer remote power level control of the bees...I'm very happy w/ mine, though I do wish they had 4 groups instead of just 3...
kenyee wrote:
rdkirk: I would have thought the Radiopopper JrX Studio would be 2nd best since they and the CyberCommander offer remote power level control of the bees...I'm very happy w/ mine, though I do wish they had 4 groups instead of just 3...
I have deduced that the Paul Buff Cyber Commander is the way to go for the lights. If you want to control the camera remotely I would add to that 2 Pocket Wizard plus II units. They will fire the camera remotely and in turn fire the Cyber Commander through the camera to fire the flash. The Cyber Commander as I understand will not fire the camera remotely.
The Cyber Commander as I understand will not fire the camera remotely.
It can be adapted to do that (with the proper adapter cable, not supplied by Paul Buff Inc), but it can't fire both at the same time. The inexpensive CybeSyncTransmitter can also be adapted to fire the camera, when not being used to sync the flash system. However, neither provides a half-press stage to enable AF or IS.
I'd love to upgrade to the cybersynscs eventually, I currently use the Yongnuo RF602's with great results.
you could potentially use an external flash for now if you own one and experiment with. just mount it on your hotshoe and have it face away from the scene. The ab's will trigger via optical sensor.
If you think you will be mostly a studio guy, or at least a full size flash guy (and especially a Paul C Buff guy), then the Cyber Commander set up would be awesome if they are in the budget, something to grow with for sure. It would give you fingertip control, right from the camera.
If you think you might like to mix in some Canon strobes for location work at some point, you might want to look into the Radiopoppers. You could start with the JrX Studio set which would give you control of the power of your Alien Bee's for now, and in the future they would mix with your ETTL Canon strobes if you upgrade to the PX Transmitter. You would need PX receivers for the Canon strobes, but you can keep the Jr's on your alien bees... http://radiopopper.com/products/
And of course... If your in a small white room right now, you probably don't need any wireless set up, you could just run a sync cord to a single strobe to fire them off optically, or use an on camera light to do it. Of course you will need to set your power levels at the flash and not the camera.
I haven't tried the ebay triggers, but that would be a cheap way to trigger as well.
