Need off camera flash/remote camera advice

[chriso145]

Hey guys, my first post on AP!


Over the past 6 months or so I have been experimenting with my SB-600 and D80 (and a D300s of late) in commander mode and doing some off camera flash. But I have two main problems with it:
1) In bright daylight, it has very limited range.
2) I shoot primarily sports, and using the commander mode (onboard flash triggering speedlight) and cannot shoot in burst mode, only single frame "mode"

BUT, in the future I would like to expand my horizons and try some remote camera work. I would do this mainly for basketball shooting from the base line with a 70-200 and then a wide angle sitting next to me on the floor or behind the backboard. I would like to set it up so that everytime I took a photo with my 70-200, it would also trigger the wide angle to shoot.

Like I said before, I am really looking for some cheap options just to experiment (I really dont want to spend $200 per unit for pocketwizards). At the moment the only thing I have found is Cactus V4 triggers for $50, but these only cater for off camera flash.

Or, is it all a bit too much and am I better just saving for some pocketwizards?

Cheers
Chris

[ricktas]

SNIP

So, can anyone recommend some cheap off camera flash triggers?

At the moment the only thing I have found is Cactus V4 triggers for $50, but these only cater for off camera flash.

Confused : . You want cheap off camera triggers, but then say the Cactus only do that. What are you really wanting then?

[chriso145]

Sorry for the confusion,

What I was trying to say is that I'm basically looking for a cheaper version of a Pocket Wizard (eg. something that will do off camera flash, but that I can also use to trigger a remote camera)

Ricktas you are right, that middle sentence does confuse things a bit. I will remove it and hopefully that will help

So, now that my post is somewhat less confusing, does anyone have any ideas/recommendations?

Cheers
Chris

[ricktas]

ok. pocketwizards are the best, to find something cheap that works like they do will be a challenge. But see if you cannot find a Chinese version (though i cannot say how well they will work). Probably something on E-bay from one of the Hong Kong stores. Elinchrom also make a system called skyport, but they are not cheap either

[I @ M]

1) In bright daylight, it has very limited range.
2) I shoot primarily sports, and using the commander mode (onboard flash triggering speedlight) and cannot shoot in burst mode, only single frame "mode"

#1 The commander mode is basically an optical triggering method and bright sunlight confuses the signals. You need an effective radio trigger.

#2 Using the inbuilt flash or an SB800 as a commander entails metering signals to be transmitted between the master unit and slave, those signals take a short time to finish the transmission cycle and will slow frame rate down to basically zero. The other more important part is that at anything much over minimum power on the speedlight requires anywhere up to 5 or 6 seconds for the flash to recharge.

As far as having two cameras working at once, that is easy fixed, simply grab a cheap Chinese trigger set. The yongnuo radio triggers will act as remote shutter releases or as radio controls (manual only) for remote flashes. The trigger simply sits in the hot shoe of one camera and the receiver is connected to the other cameras shutter release via the 10 pin plug.

Problem solved, press one shutter button, activate 2 shutters.

Ebay link below to a seller with a pic of the trigger/receiver in a pack.
Do a thorough ebay search, single trigger and receivers are out there at about $35.00 delivered.

Yongnuou radio trigger.

[Assassin]

Try radio poppers, cheaper and some say better that p.wizards... The problem with buying el-cheapos off eBay is that they won't be ETTL, which means you will manually have to adjust the flash exposure...: