[alohadave]

I shoot strobist style with three old Sunpak flashes. They have two modes, Auto and Manual. I trigger with cheap eBay triggers (PT-04TM) and they are reliable up to 20-30 feet.

You don't need expensive flashes to shoot off-camera, and TTL (or P-TTL) isn't really necessary unless you want to play with it. FP flash is one thing that using the expensive flashes will get you.

Since you shoot Pentax, you will be limited to 1/180 sync speed, but I haven't found that to be a huge detriment.

[Oldphoto678]

Rodney. What has been your experience with the cactus triggers?


matt rickman
colorado

Hey Matt, I've had good and not so good luck with the cactus triggers. They've pissed me off more than once because of misfires and short range, but I'm still using them. Just bought a new set about three months ago. Guess that says it all.

Rodney...

[Venturi]

Hey Matt, I've had good and not so good luck with the cactus triggers. They've pissed me off more than once because of misfires and short range, but I'm still using them. Just bought a new set about three months ago. Guess that says it all.

Rodney...

Mine worked great as long as I was at home just dinkin' around but as soon as I took them out anywhere they'd get stage fright. I'm using CyberSyncs now and LOVIN them.

[pingflood]

While not directly transferable to Pentax, here's where I am going...

1) Good on-camera TTL-everything blah blah flash.

2) Off camera flash compatible with the camera wireless system (trading my 420EX for a 430EX)

3) Ideally, have both flashes capable of manual control

4) Get some decent wireless triggers

That way you can blast on-camera flash with full TTL/HSS functionality when you need, you can setup a two flash setup with one on-camera and retain all the TTL stuff, or you can go completely off camera with the wireless triggers.

e.g.

Option 1) Leave my Metz 58 on camera and have all the auto functions

Option 2) Have the Metz control a slave Canon flash either as a single off camera source or as main or fill together with the Metz on camera

Option 3) Place both flashes off camera with wireless trigger

The built in wireless flash stuff works fine as long as they have line of sight or there's enough stuff to bounce the trigger flash off things. Outside or at distances I'd go proper wireless (like Pocket Wizards).

[irish_spring]

I'd keep the 540 and get a Viv285 or some other cheap manual control strobe, or if money is not a concern I'd get another 540. I'd steer clear of the 360 for this type of work due to the fact that when off-camera it turns off automatically after 5 minutes or so of inactivity and it does not retain its settings. Frankly this drives me crazy during shot set up. The 540 does the same thing by default but it has a setting in the menu to disable auto-off. If you want to maintain either multi-strobe HSS or P-TTL capability I'd save up for another 540.

In my case the 540 is my workhorse, followed by the 285, and then the 360 in a pinch if I have to have it.

One other benefit to getting another 540 is that all your modifiers will be compatible with both strobes. For example, you can get speed straps and snoots from Honl and you won't have to worry about fit on a 285 (larger head) or 360 (smaller head).

[janosh]

The gossip about Vivitar QC seems unfounded. A bias toward Japan and against China makes no sense (there's a similar bias among guitarists). I use a pair of 285HV (one ancient, one newish) with Elincrom Skyports and cables from FlashZebra.com (Vivitar requires unusual proprietary attachments at the strobe end of its cables and Elincrom requires proprietary at its end, making the flashzebra cables necessary). I also use an old Sunpak with a "peanut" optical slave.

[sveinmb]

There is only one downside with the 360fgz in a manual strobist setup, and that is the auto power off that can't be overridden/turned off in the 360 vs 540. Other than that it's just fine. Also remember that both fgz can be set into "dumb optical slave mode" and trigger on any flash, not just pttl-encoded ones.

[arjen]

Is it possible to use an old flash, say a sunpak from the film era, on a new trigger divice. I've heard that using old flashes on your brand new DSLR could be dangerous. The last thing I want is to blow up a brand new wireless trigger.

[figmental1978]

I have one Viv825HV which I use with cactus V2s triggers off camera. I've had the setup for about a year now and everything still works as it should. The cactus fires 99% of the time, even through walls. The only issue I have with them is when I replaced the battery on the receiver, now the door doesn't close properly, but that's it. I wan't another flash but decided to get an umbrella, reflector combo and figure out the one lighting system before I go to two. When I do get another flash, it will probably be a Lumopro 120.

[Duck Dodgers]

I do it on the cheap; two Canon 300TL units set to manual, and PC cords and adaptors hooked to a K10D. I have a couple of those little $5 stobe stands that attach to the shoes, and some ball-bungees. Oh, and the $10 DIY light box.

[figmental1978]

I've just ordered a 199cm light stand, shoot through umbrella, clamp and 33" reflector set from gadget infinity for about $80, hopefully they don't fall apart!

[oinkely]

i've recently started into this strobist thing too. i got some cheap light stands, umbrellas and holders from ebay, two sets of PT04 triggers and then went to the irish version of craigslist and found a couple of older canon 540ez strobes for a good price. can be set to fully manual with power from 1/1 to 1/128 and manual zoom head etc. (and there's the added bonus that they work as on camera in ttl mode with my older canon film cameras). These joined my mets 48 so I now have three flashes that can be set on manual. One thing i did get recently was a westcott umbrella which is streets ahead of the cheap fleabay ones but then it did cost almost three times the price (and the fleabay ones came with a bracket!) In all i reckon i'm in for less than $200 (not including the metz 48 that i had already) and so far it's money well spent. The only down side is that my wife will proabably strangulate me some day while repeating her mantra of 'stop messing with the f********* flashes and take the damn picture!'

[soccerjoe5]

Lots of stuff you can do with strobes (whether big lights or speedlights)

[MPrince]

Is it possible to use an old flash, say a sunpak from the film era, on a new trigger divice. I've heard that using old flashes on your brand new DSLR could be dangerous. The last thing I want is to blow up a brand new wireless trigger.

It isn't so much the age of the flash that matters, it's the trigger voltage. Refer to this site:

Photo Strobe Trigger Voltages

for information on lots of flashes.

[GeneV]

I have one Viv825HV which I use with cactus V2s triggers off camera. I've had the setup for about a year now and everything still works as it should. The cactus fires 99% of the time, even through walls. The only issue I have with them is when I replaced the battery on the receiver, now the door doesn't close properly, but that's it. I wan't another flash but decided to get an umbrella, reflector combo and figure out the one lighting system before I go to two. When I do get another flash, it will probably be a Lumopro 120.

Perhaps it is just me, but the Lumopro seems a bit pricey on the strobist -recommended site for a completely manual flash with the same guide number of an AF360.