advice advice advice please :)

dazftw

Im upgrading all my equipment and adding lots of stuff, so far ive gotten:

Canon 5D w/ Battery grip
2gb memory card

Over the next few weeks ill be adding 2 Canon 430EX's and 3 Pocket Wizard Plus II! Heres where i've run into a slight problem the 430EX's don't have a pc port to attach to the PW's! Im pretty sure the 430EX's don't have any wireless built in so my only option I think I have is to buy 2 hot shoe - pc adapters so I can attach them. Im about 90% sure this will work but as this is my 1st time(and only time I could afford it) having a go at getting into flash im not 100% sure! So heres were you lovely smart people come in :pac: Do you reckon this will work?

Also ive been doing some research and people have said get the infrared canon transmitters. I feel they wont work for me as I wont be in a studio or anything, atleast not at the beginning! Ill be outside and everytime I use the flashes it will be a totally different setup! The infrared needs a line of sight with the flash to work! That will be too restricting for me as ill be shooting skateboarding.

Here are the adpaters:

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Terminal-Hot-Shoe-PC-Sync-Adapter-4-Canon-Nikon-Kodak_W0QQitemZ190264410150QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item190264410150&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

Lastly Ill leave until around christmas time cause im going to be broke after this im going to get a bag to put all this equipment in! Ive been looking at brands such as Tenba and Lowepro, im looking for a normal kind of backpack to fit the following:

Canon 5D w/Grip
Sigma 70-300mm
Canon 50mm
Canon 15mm
2 430EX's
3 PW's
1 normal sized? tripod maybe 2!

Anybody(and I know theres a few) have the same kinda setup and could recommend me a bag?

Heres 2 ive been looking a:

http://cgi.ebay.ie/LOWEPRO-Mini-Trekker-AW-minitrekker-camera-bag-rucksack_W0QQitemZ260293501411QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item260293501411&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

http://www.teamworkphoto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=13174

I really like the 2nd one but its a tad more expensive!

Ok done.. Any advice would be great my head is about to explode with all the information im trying to take in :eek:

dazftw

Surely someone has an idea? No?

pippatee

Hi There...

that's an impressive set-up ... just a couple of things to keep in mind ...

It's not really worth your while buying the canon 430 flashes as the only advantage you have over spurious flashes (sigma, sunpak, vivitar etc.) would be the TTL and ETTL metering systems ... which automatically become reduntant when using pocket wizs (only manual flash settings can be used)...

dont get me wrong, the pocket wizards are the way to go, but you'll save yourself a fortune if you go into Conn's or the like and buy second hand non-canon flashes for your set-up, or even new ones online ..

http://www.amazon.com/SunPak-383-Sunpak-Super-Flash/dp/B00007E8D1
http://www.amazon.com/Vivitar-285HV-Auto-Professional-Flash/dp/B00004TVSP/ref=dp_cp_ob_p_title_0
http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-EF-530-DG-EO-ETTL-Electronic/dp/B000V7TJHC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=photo&qid=1226482619&sr=1-1



If you do need a hotshoe-pc adapter, they'll work fine on this set-up, mind you, they may be cheaper @ €6-ish in any of your local camera shops ...

As for Tripods ... get a good one for your camera (as it will need to be held steady .. and 2 cheap ones for your flashes ... they just need to be held (ahhhh sure don't we all :D:D)

hope this is a help and best of luck :-)


Phil

thedarkroom

I'm afraid I'm not familiar with Canon, Nikon is my baby. However, looking at your proposal, and following your link to eBay, I can tell you with almost 100% certainty that you will lose your TTL functionality when you use the PC flash adapter. It might allow you to trigger the flashes but even that I can't be sure about.
I haven't used a 5D and on previous occasions with Canon cameras, my students have had difficulty using anything other than a Canon flash directly attached to the hotshoe. The 450D was definitely temperamental and when I attached a flash trigger (Bowens Infra-Red Flash Trigger) to it using the PC adapter shown on eBay the camera just locked up and gave an error message which was very difficult to get around. The Bowens trigger device is basically a low powered flash with an Infra-Red filter over the front so it this operation would be similar to using your flashes on manual with the PC connector. This doesn't necessarily mean that this will happen with your camera but beware. It could possibly be down to my own inexperience with Canon but I could never figure out a work around when going through the menu system and eventually figured that it was a Canon way of ensuing you only use a Canon flash.
I also found that even if I attached a plastic device to the hot-shoe (non-electronic) that it interfered with the camera's operation and it would not function properly. It was as if the camera could detect the hot-shoe was being used and if the attachment was anything other than a canon flash the it stopped working.
My Nikon allows the built-in flash can be used in 'commander' mode which means that up to three (I think) external flashes can be controlled and triggered remotely by the camera. I'm sure your camera must have the same facility and this would allow you to work the flashes without trailing leads and retain TTL exposure.
Another alternative, having looked at the Canon website is their trigger unit Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2, review available at
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/reviews/Canon-Speedlite-Transmitter-ST-E2-Review.aspx
and it is priced at £109 plus £10 P&P from this link
http://cgi.ebay.ie/New-Canon-ST-E2-ST-E2-Speedlite-Transmitter-UK_W0QQitemZ300267680059QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item300267680059&_trkparms=72%3A1300%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
That price is not prohibitive, I actually expected it would be a lot more for what it appears to do.
A word of caution, if you decide to consider this item then research properly that it will do what you want because I'm not a Canon head and wouldn't want to you to spend good money on something that I might be wrong about. Having said that I'm pretty sure that I have it sussed.
On the bag issue, I have the Lowe Pro Mini Trekker and love it, it's a great bag. You should also consider the Tamrac range. I got one for a colleague recently (can't remember which exact model) and he's very happy with it. The Tamrac model has a great selection of pockets on it, which are very useful. I got it in Bermingham Cameras and I see that they still have them in stock. I also see that they have their annual sale starting this saturday so you might even get a bargain there this weekend. I'm not familiar with the prices of these on eBay or else where but it's always worth a look even when you factor in the postage.
Hope all this reading has been of some use to you, Good Luck!

Borderfox

The 430ex's have a slave capability built into them and the can be fired either by a 580ex/550ex/580exII/ST-E2 I have used quite a few of the remote firing systems and the pocket wizard way is probably the most expensive to start with but the most reliable. I have used a lot of gear from Calumet including flash remotes (much cheaper than pocket wizards) and find their stuff to be excellent

dazftw

@pippatee: So your telling me to get the pocket wizards and cheaper flashes?

A friend of mine actaully told me to do this as well hes got 2 vivitars in his setup, cheap ones he got from ebay and they work perfect for him! The thing here is though he didnt have the money to go for something more expensive! He said if he had the money he would have got the PW's and some good nikon flashes! Im just trying to get the best quality kit I can pickup while I have the money

Also you have any idea if those flashes have pc ports on them?

@thedarkroom: I thought about buying the Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2 at 1st but I did a little research for it and found its infrared so the the transmitter needs to be able to see the flash to work, in alot of cases this might not work for me!

Ill think ill go for the Lowe Pro bag, its cheaper than the other and is nice and small!

@Borderfox: Yeah the fact I have the money I want to go with the better quailty equipment, I know the cheaper stuff would be perfect for me but atm im thinking if I get the cheaper stuff and realise right time to get serious ill have to buy the better stuff! I dunno does that make any sense or do I just sound stupid crazy person with too much money in his hands?

On a side note: 5D and memory card came today

whyulittle

dazftw wrote: »

On a side note: 5D and memory card came today

Make sure you don't drop it from shoulder height like I did mine yesterday. Less than a week old.

dazftw

whyulittle wrote: »

Make sure you don't drop it from shoulder height like I did mine yesterday. Less than a week old.

You should see me, im slowly putting it down every where! As long as it still works its fine! War injuries!

pippatee

dazftw wrote: »

@pippatee: So your telling me to get the pocket wizards and cheaper flashes?

A friend of mine actaully told me to do this as well hes got 2 vivitars in his setup, cheap ones he got from ebay and they work perfect for him! The thing here is though he didnt have the money to go for something more expensive! He said if he had the money he would have got the PW's and some good nikon flashes! Im just trying to get the best quality kit I can pickup while I have the money

Also you have any idea if those flashes have pc ports on them?

Definitely, unless of course you plan to use one of the flashes on-camera as well, then it's worth having a 430ex, but just the one mind...

as for PC ports...you'll find most cameras other than canon ones have them ...if not, the €6 adaptor will do the trick ..

Phil

Borderfox

I am a full time pro and use a lot of different gear, I would only get Pocket Wizards if I needed to trigger a second camera at the same time as the lead one as this (apart from the range) is the only difference I have found in all the time I have been using the Calumet branded triggers both camera and flash.

pippatee

Borderfox wrote: »

I am a full time pro and use a lot of different gear, I would only get Pocket Wizards if I needed to trigger a second camera at the same time as the lead one as this (apart from the range) is the only difference I have found in all the time I have been using the Calumet branded triggers both camera and flash.

That's great to hear .. Pocket Wizards have been on my shopping list for quite a while now .. I tried a set last year and was blown away by them ...but man oh man are they expensive :eek: ...

I'll definitely have a look at the calumet ones, would they be the "LiteLink" system??

Borderfox

They are radio based and they plug straight into my studio lights just need a pc to pc cable for my flashes

Borderfox

pippatee wrote: »

That's great to hear .. Pocket Wizards have been on my shopping list for quite a while now .. I tried a set last year and was blown away by them ...but man oh man are they expensive :eek: ...

I'll definitely have a look at the calumet ones, would they be the "LiteLink" system??

The best thing about the Calumet camera radio triggers that you wont find on the PW's is that they will focus the camera for you. I use the camera in AIservo and shoot away.

Borderfox

These ones
http://www.calumetphoto.co.uk/item/CF0048/

soccerc

Borderfox wrote: »

The best thing about the Calumet camera radio triggers that you wont find on the PW's is that they will focus the camera for you. I use the camera in AIservo and shoot away.

The PW's will focus the remote camera - I've done it many times as do many sports snappers - you need the correct cable though