How to use D70 with Studio Lights?

[wainism]

hi guys,

noob to studio lightings.

understand that u can generally trigger strobes with
1) IR Trigger
2) Radio Trigger
3) Sync cable
4) using a speedlight?

the problem is i am using a D70, just wanna find out whats the most reliable way of triggering strobes?

because heard that the IR trigger is not that reliable.

thanks for any help rendered

[ShawnQuah]

Buy a hotshoe for sync cable and buy a long sync cable.

I personally feel that it is still the most reliable and cheapest

[wainism]

Originally Posted by ShawnQuah Buy a hotshoe for sync cable and buy a long sync cable. I personally feel that it is still the most reliable and cheapest

whats a hotshoe for sync cable? and where can i get it?

[catchlights]

Hotshoe sync adapter is around $15.00, can get from Cathy, ms color, etc. but you still need use it together with sync cable, personally I don't like to use cables, had too many broken cables over the years. anyway if you are shooting still life mainly, sync cables, power cables all over the place will not be an issue.

IR Trigger nowadays are cheap, most modern studio flashes have built in sensor, IR trigger can trigger most of the studio flash indoor well. you can move freely in studio while shooting.

Generally radio Trigger are more effective, and you need a transmitter unit and a receiver unit, but some high end models which allow you to use it at outdoor, but it is not cheap, may cost as much a studio flash, I'm using a cheap single channel radio trigger, are working fine in the studio.

For using speedlight/hotshoe flash is workable, it can trigger most studio flash, the trick is you have to disable the pre flash function by using manual mode, and cut the power down until just enough to trigger the studio flash, also need to turn the flash away to prevent causing unwanted highlight/shadows on the subjects.

Hope this helps.

[espn]

The model number for hotshoe adaptor should be AS-15. You still need the sync cord (should br provided by studio)

I've used

i) IR trigger
ii) SB-800/80DX
iii) On-body Camera sync

for triggering of studio lightings.

[wainism]

thanks catchlights and espn,

sorry didnt make myself clear what i am shooting.

i will be shooting mostly people both indoors as well as outdoors.

i think maybe i wont use speedlight to trigger. basically considering between ir, radio and sync cords

for ir, i was thinking of those jinbei types? any idea how much do they cost?

for radio, those expensive ones meaning pocket wizards? if it is, then its too ex. but what abt those jinbei types being MOed here? apparently, they have 4 channels too at abt $80? like this? http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=179618
are they reliable?

also, one more question. i've been searching ard cs, and notice there is

1) slave hotshoe
2) optical slave

may i know the difference? apparently from the above thread, it seems this slave hotshoe is for plugging in the radio trigger?

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

get the RF ones, and hope that nobody is using mobile fone while u are shooting... that the only limitation that i notice...

IR sucks... esp with certain background & outdoors... or occasional 'flash'

think the only brand that doesn't allow direct mount of iso shoe triggers is minolta... the rest got no problem... as far as i know...

[espn]

Use radio if outdoors, indoors can use radio also, avoid using sync cord unless traffic's minimum, else you might fall over the wires yourself.

[enivre]

IR outdoors will be completely useless, you either need RF triggers or use a cord, I used to cord a light to my SB800 attached on to my D70...

[wainism]

ok,

seems like consensus is that IR is totally crap.

DCA, what u mean by radio will be affected by handphones in the area?

looks like solution will be radio trigger and receiver with maybe the hotshoe adaptor as back up?

is the radio trigger from jinbei gd enuff? YS-1A i think. any one tried that before?

[espn]

Originally Posted by wainism ok, seems like consensus is that IR is totally crap. DCA, what u mean by radio will be affected by handphones in the area? looks like solution will be radio trigger and receiver with maybe the hotshoe adaptor as back up? is the radio trigger from jinbei gd enuff? YS-1A i think. any one tried that before?

IR is not totally crap but if you do outdoors somebody just happens to flash their flash, ur strobes will flash also.

It's a cheap solution I do use IR also

Radio might get interference when SMS comes in and trigger off, we experience a few times when we were shooting in studios.

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

Originally Posted by wainism ok, seems like consensus is that IR is totally crap. DCA, what u mean by radio will be affected by handphones in the area? looks like solution will be radio trigger and receiver with maybe the hotshoe adaptor as back up? is the radio trigger from jinbei gd enuff? YS-1A i think. any one tried that before?

i using YS-1A for my strobes... it'll trigger off when i have an incoming call or someone making a call around the area... and it will make my bloody strobes flicker... cos its charging and its 'shooting' at the same time... might damage it thou...

thought u work for Eastgear, how come u ask others for eastgear products? .. hmm... maybe i should go send my resume to eastgear... pss... the pay good anot?

[Witness]

Originally Posted by wainism hi guys, because heard that the IR trigger is not that reliable. thanks for any help rendered

an ir will work fine indoors...

[wainism]

Originally Posted by Del_CtrlnoAlt i using YS-1A for my strobes... it'll trigger off when i have an incoming call or someone making a call around the area... and it will make my bloody strobes flicker... cos its charging and its 'shooting' at the same time... might damage it thou... thought u work for Eastgear, how come u ask others for eastgear products? .. hmm... maybe i should go send my resume to eastgear... pss... the pay good anot?

haha, when i was working there, the radio trigger seems fine leh, but cant remember if kena any intereference with hp. seems like dont have. then again, maybe just coincidentally no one call/sms.

like that seems like sync cable most fool proof, maybe tape the wires to the ground?s

[espn]

Originally Posted by wainism haha, when i was working there, the radio trigger seems fine leh, but cant remember if kena any intereference with hp. seems like dont have. then again, maybe just coincidentally no one call/sms. like that seems like sync cable most fool proof, maybe tape the wires to the ground?s

Tape liao then you can forget about moving around, people can still trip.

[wainism]

alright, thanks for all help!!!

think i must go back and think abt what i require... maybe radio with hotshoe or something

[Witness]

if u are shooting outdoors maybe the radio will be better..but for indoors use..i have never had problems with an IR

[sykestang]

Have tried the cheap JinBei last time... forget about it. Apparently your h/p SMS can trigger the flash. Seems like the receiver is tune to h/p signals.

However, the IR would be a better option for both outdoor and indoor. However for outdoor, got to be more careful. My friend's strobe was burnt when an ambulance move pass. The IR receiver receive the siren (red flashing lights) and think that the ambulance siren is a IR trigger.

A very cheaper IR trigger can be made by using a red color gel, cut to the size of the diffuser cap SW10 and cap it to your SB800 flash. Set the flash to Manual, 1/256 (lowest power). Twist the SB800 flash head, point towards the back of your camera. Tada... a cheap IR trigger. If power is still too big that affect the picture... stuff some tissue paper/tracing paper into the SW10 than cap it on the SB800. A simple guide, one tracing paper folded to 2pcs thickness will cut about 1-stop of light. And SB800 set to 1/256, the recycle will be very fast as 1 full charge cycle of the flash can fire about 8-10 flashes before it needs to cycle another recharge.

[wainism]

wah seh unker tang!

super duper... ok, will try out the hotshoe adaptor first then see how. thanks!!!

[espn]

Originally Posted by sykestang Have tried the cheap JinBei last time... forget about it. Apparently your h/p SMS can trigger the flash. Seems like the receiver is tune to h/p signals. However, the IR would be a better option for both outdoor and indoor. However for outdoor, got to be more careful. My friend's strobe was burnt when an ambulance move pass. The IR receiver receive the siren (red flashing lights) and think that the ambulance siren is a IR trigger. A very cheaper IR trigger can be made by using a red color gel, cut to the size of the diffuser cap SW10 and cap it to your SB800 flash. Set the flash to Manual, 1/256 (lowest power). Twist the SB800 flash head, point towards the back of your camera. Tada... a cheap IR trigger. If power is still too big that affect the picture... stuff some tissue paper/tracing paper into the SW10 than cap it on the SB800. A simple guide, one tracing paper folded to 2pcs thickness will cut about 1-stop of light. And SB800 set to 1/256, the recycle will be very fast as 1 full charge cycle of the flash can fire about 8-10 flashes before it needs to cycle another recharge.

Hmmm 1/256? Thot SB-800 lowest is 1/128?

IR trigger have to be careful, because it can also be triggered by flash output IIRC.