For those that are considering radio flash triggers. FlashWaves

[wll]

Originally Posted by WMBP

Click on the "Radio Slaves/Triggers" link on the left side of any page, then click on the picture for the ver 1 or ver 2 product that you're interested in. Here's a direct link to the ver 1 product, with prices at the bottom of the page:

G9Chon - FW-1B

Will

Thank you,

Their expensive, but from all the reports they work very well.

Are they as well built as my Cybersync's I just recently bought and are these better. I like the fact that they have a hot shoe in the receiver and I don't have to connect using a cord (to me this makes it so much cleaner) and the Cybersync does not.


wll

[Peter Zack]

I choose FW's for a couple of reasons:
1) Hot shoe. Makes these much more versatile than any other. There isn't a flash you can't use.
2) daisy chain connections. Since it has the hot shoe, and 2 PC connections, you can connect at least 3 flashes off one transmitter. So it can really save money in setting up a studio system. Say you want a hair light and one strobe on the side. You could connect both via a single cable from one reciever. Saves you from buying extra receivers.
3) Has every connector and cable you could need. No need to source or buy extra PC cables. They are included.
4) Tripod socket with removable hot shoe adapter. So you could mount the receiver directly to the top of a light stand or tripod to place a flash almost anywhere.
5) No cables connecting to either camera or flash. No velcro required.
6) The transmitter sits down on the hot shoe. This might seem minor but as any event shooter knows, this can be tough on gear. Something that sticks up will eventually get caught on something and break off. Not what you need during an event

[WMBP]

Originally Posted by wll

Their expensive....

Well, depends on what you mean by "expensive." They're not the cheapest ones on the market. But the Flashwave version 1s are much closer to the low end of the scale than the high end represented by Pocket Wizards. I got FW v1 transmitter and 2 receivers for less than I'd spend for a Pocket Wizard transmitter alone.

Are they as well built as my Cybersync's I just recently bought and are these better. I like the fact that they have a hot shoe in the receiver and I don't have to connect using a cord (to me this makes it so much cleaner) and the Cybersync does not.

I don't know. Haven't used any of these devices at all, so I have no personal experience. I've read very good things about the Alien Bees products, too, and my GUESS is that, in terms of reliability and performance, the Cybersync and the Flashwave are probably pretty similar.

Will

[WMBP]

Originally Posted by Peter Zack

I choose FW's for a couple of reasons:
1) Hot shoe. Makes these much more versatile than any other. There isn't a flash you can't use.
2) daisy chain connections. Since it has the hot shoe, and 2 PC connections, you can connect at least 3 flashes off one transmitter. So it can really save money in setting up a studio system. Say you want a hair light and one strobe on the side. You could connect both via a single cable from one reciever. Saves you from buying extra receivers.
3) Has every connector and cable you could need. No need to source or buy extra PC cables. They are included.
4) Tripod socket with removable hot shoe adapter. So you could mount the receiver directly to the top of a light stand or tripod to place a flash almost anywhere.
5) No cables connecting to either camera or flash. No velcro required.
6) The transmitter sits down on the hot shoe. This might seem minor but as any event shooter knows, this can be tough on gear. Something that sticks up will eventually get caught on something and break off. Not what you need during an event

I chose the Flashwave for the same reasons that prompted me to choose Pentax in the first place: Flashwave (especially the version 1 product line) seems to offer the best ratio of features over price. But of the specific features that Peter mentions above, #1 and #3 were the ones that really sold me. I am baffled by the web sites of some of the competing products. Of course, I would not have bought the Flashwave if it hadn't gotten so many excellent reports of reliability here in this forum specifically, so I'm confident that I'm getting (a) a solid, reliable product and (b) a product that other Pentax photographers I respect have found works well with Pentax.

Will

[Genes Pentax]

Originally Posted by Peter Zack

I choose FW's for a couple of reasons:
1) Hot shoe. Makes these much more versatile than any other. There isn't a flash you can't use.
2) daisy chain connections. Since it has the hot shoe, and 2 PC connections, you can connect at least 3 flashes off one transmitter. So it can really save money in setting up a studio system. Say you want a hair light and one strobe on the side. You could connect both via a single cable from one reciever. Saves you from buying extra receivers.
3) Has every connector and cable you could need. No need to source or buy extra PC cables. They are included.
4) Tripod socket with removable hot shoe adapter. So you could mount the receiver directly to the top of a light stand or tripod to place a flash almost anywhere.
5) No cables connecting to either camera or flash. No velcro required.
6) The transmitter sits down on the hot shoe. This might seem minor but as any event shooter knows, this can be tough on gear. Something that sticks up will eventually get caught on something and break off. Not what you need during an event

Ditto.
My main reasons were (1) hot shoe built into the receiver and (2) tripod socket. It really is "wireless." Don't know why people buy "wireless" radio triggers that REQUIRE using wires.

BTW - this is really a sales pitch for me ... but should help out those who want to try Flashwaves. I got a Flashwaves compatible product (same manufacturer ... just different model) I want to sell. See here http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/p...h-trigger.html

It's in a perfect working condition. It's just bigger than my Flashwaves b/c it uses 3 AAA batteries vs 2.

Gene

[Genes Pentax]

Originally Posted by wll

Thank you,

Their expensive, but from all the reports they work very well.

Are they as well built as my Cybersync's I just recently bought and are these better. I like the fact that they have a hot shoe in the receiver and I don't have to connect using a cord (to me this makes it so much cleaner) and the Cybersync does not.


wll

Hey, that FW-1B is a different product. It's not Flashwaves. Check out the pictures. Doesn't have the hot shoe built-in.

As for Cybersyncs vs Flashwaves, I tested Cybersyncs and use Flashwaves. Cybersyncs had longer range than Flashwaves. But as you said, doesn't have hotshoe built in and is heavier b/c its receiver uses AA batteries compared to AAA. Flashwaves is just as well built as Cybersyncs. But if you really need a LONG range, you should go with Cybersyncs.

CS is a good product. But not my cup of tea. I just don't have the need to trigger my flashes from 100 yards away.

Gene

[Mike Cash]

I'm very well satisfied with my Flash Waves.

Does anyone have any experience with their remote shutter release? I never had a use for one before but lately I've been trying some flash work where instead of setting up the lights on a stand and moving around with the camera what I do is set up the camera on a tripod and mount a flash/umbrella on a monopod and move around with my lighting. So far I like what I'm getting with it, especially as even a light breeze can sometimes topple an umbrella outdoors....but using the 12 second timer for firing the shutter is hardly an ideal solution.

Would I be correct in assuming the receiver does not go on the hotshoe? I would definitely want to use the shutter remote and the Flash Waves as the same time.

[DAZ]

Originally Posted by Mike Cash

I'm very well satisfied with my Flash Waves.

Does anyone have any experience with their remote shutter release? I never had a use for one before but lately I've been trying some flash work where instead of setting up the lights on a stand and moving around with the camera what I do is set up the camera on a tripod and mount a flash/umbrella on a monopod and move around with my lighting. So far I like what I'm getting with it, especially as even a light breeze can sometimes topple an umbrella outdoors....but using the 12 second timer for firing the shutter is hardly an ideal solution.

Would I be correct in assuming the receiver does not go on the hotshoe? I would definitely want to use the shutter remote and the Flash Waves as the same time.

If you have at least 2 transmitters and 2 receivers FW2 you can do this with what came in the boxes. Just plug a second receiver into the cable shutter plug on the camera using the cable that came in the box. If you don’t want it hanging from a cable you can use the plug that came in the box that is double ended. You will need to go to radio shack and get an adapter to go to the camera. Put the receiver and the other transmitter on some other channel then the flash are using. When you press the test button on the transmitter you have in your hand it should trigger the shutter on the camera and the camera will trigger the flash.

Flashwave also makes a trigger just for this.

DAZ

[Mike Cash]

Originally Posted by DAZ

Flashwave also makes a trigger just for this.

Yes....I know. That's the product I was specifically asking about.

Thank you for your instructions on the other bit, but I only have one transmitter and buying their shutter trigger would be cheaper than buying another flash trigger.

[DAZ]

Originally Posted by Mike Cash

Yes....I know. That's the product I was specifically asking about.

Thank you for your instructions on the other bit, but I only have one transmitter and buying their shutter trigger would be cheaper than buying another flash trigger.

Well you are right about cheaper and it is hard to argue with cheaper. What the heck, just for the practice I will give it a try.

For $20 more you get a backup to you flash transmitter trigger.

For $20 more you get a camera wireless trigger (assuming you already have more the 1 receiver and you should have more then 1 because 2 is more fun, and three is even better!).

For $20 more you can make a relay to get more range if you need it (see above about receivers).

For $20 more you can make 2 flash zones you can turn on and off (again see above).

What the heck am I talking about this is $20 we are talking about here. Just go buy the dedicated wireless camera trigger. Just make sure you pick the correct cable option. You are going to have fun what ever you do.

DAZ

[Mike Cash]

For $20 less you get bulb mode for doing exposures over 30 seconds.

[DAZ]

Originally Posted by Mike Cash

For $20 less you get bulb mode for doing exposures over 30 seconds.

That’s a good point too. Although I can see how using a wireless camera trigger for exposures longer then 30 seconds may have its uses for me my cheap cable trigger that I can lock seems a better option most of the time. One use I can think for a wireless camera trigger over a wired trigger is if I had to put the camera someplace I could not go like up a tower. Other then that I would rather be close to the camera so I can chimp the exposures as this can be extremely important with long exposures. But using it in bulb mode is something to be weighed against the other points.

DAZ