Some questions on wireless trigger

[torque6]

Hi guys,

Have the following questions.

1) Why is TTL triggers much more expensive than non-TTL triggers?
2) Is "Through the lens" metering important for wireless trigger if using a soft box to diffuse light?
3) How does TTL works if your flash is 4 ft away from the subject and you are using an 55-200mm and shooting the subject 8 ft away?
4) For non-TTL triggers, what recommended power and settings for general shooting?

Appreciate some advise.

thank you

 

[eleveninth]

Hi guys,

Have the following questions.

1) Why is TTL triggers much more expensive than non-TTL triggers?
2) Is "Through the lens" metering important for wireless trigger if using a soft box to diffuse light?
3) How does TTL works if your flash is 4 ft away from the subject and you are using an 55-200mm and shooting the subject 8 ft away?
4) For non-TTL triggers, what recommended power and settings for general shooting?

Appreciate some advise.

thank you

1) extra features cost extra, same for everything else.
2) no.
3) it goes beep beep boop boop, coordinates the numbers and boom. correct exposure.
4) depends on situation. same for f-stops, shutter speed etc etc. there is no recommended settings.

 

[Octarine]

1) Why is TTL triggers much more expensive than non-TTL triggers?

TTL has its own communication protocol between camera and lens, that's brand specific. During TTL a preflash is used to determine the correct exposure, based on what the camera measures the flash gets a final set of settings to be used. 3rd party manufacturers for TTL triggers might need to licenses certain things from original manufacturers or they need to reverse engineer the protocol. Both costs money. Triggers without TTL simply know only one command: FLASH!

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

TTL has its own communication protocol between camera and lens, that's brand specific. During TTL a preflash is used to determine the correct exposure, based on what the camera measures the flash gets a final set of settings to be used. 3rd party manufacturers for TTL triggers might need to licenses certain things from original manufacturers or they need to reverse engineer the protocol. Both costs money. Triggers without TTL simply know only one command: FLASH!

FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!! ;p


TS,

TTL is certainly helpful at times when situation calls for it, though sometimes you may feel that you're paying a lot for seemingly little benefit. R&D is definitely costly.

If you're doing a very deliberate set-up for a shoot (softboxes, etc), then presumably you have the luxury of time to check the captured image and make the necessary adjustments. In such a scenario manual control of the flash(es) is probably the way to go.

 

[torque6]

1) extra features cost extra, same for everything else.
2) no.
3) it goes beep beep boop boop, coordinates the numbers and boom. correct exposure.
4) depends on situation. same for f-stops, shutter speed etc etc. there is no recommended settings.

This is one of the few confusing points. Does that mean that if I used a soft box on my flash on the camera's hotshoe, I dun need to set my flash to TTL and would still get the correct exposure every time? Does softbox negates TTL?

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

This is one of the few confusing points. Does that mean that if I used a soft box on my flash on the camera's hotshoe, I dun need to set my flash to TTL and would still get the correct exposure every time? Does softbox negates TTL?

If the flash TTL metering system emits a pre-flash for the purpose of measuring and then adjusting the flash output, it should be able to cope with the presence of the softbox. The output will likely be increased as a result.

 

[torque6]

FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!! ;p


TS,

TTL is certainly helpful at times when situation calls for it, though sometimes you may feel that you're paying a lot for seemingly little benefit. R&D is definitely costly.

If you're doing a very deliberate set-up for a shoot (softboxes, etc), then presumably you have the luxury of time to check the captured image and make the necessary adjustments. In such a scenario manual control of the flash(es) is probably the way to go.

Ya the difference between a non-TTL and TTL triggers are pretty huge. Just like a 35mm DX and a 35mm 1.4... I am beginning to think that photography equipment are all like that.

 

[torque6]

If the flash TTL metering system emits a pre-flash for the purpose of measuring and then adjusting the flash output, it should be able to cope with the presence of the softbox. The output will likely be increased as a result.

Agree, this was what I was thinkg. In my opinion, if we are already using TTL metering system on our cameras, it would seems odd that for external flash, we would choose to go manual and use a trigger without TTL.

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

Agree, this was what I was thinkg. In my opinion, if we are already using TTL metering system on our cameras, it would seems odd that for external flash, we would choose to go manual and use a trigger without TTL.

Depends on situation I think. If camera position is quite static and you have time to adjust this and that, manual (flash and also camera settings) works best. More consistent from shot to shot as well.
To me, TTL flash photography works best when you have to shoot in a hurry. You simply adjust the flash EV and possibly the angle and let the system do the rest Less stressful.

 

[detritus]

Agree, this was what I was thinkg. In my opinion, if we are already using TTL metering system on our cameras, it would seems odd that for external flash, we would choose to go manual and use a trigger without TTL.

i dun see a problem with that actually - as mentioned earlier, if its a studio set-up with the luxury of time to test and tweak settings, why not?

or if one is constrained by budget and cannot afford the full complement of TTL controllers and triggers?

or if one is looking for a very specific look / effect that is different from the technically correct calculations that TTL can deliver?

sure, equipment plays a part. but in using them, we're only constrained by our creativity and imagination. no? cannot be that no TTL, cannot take nice photos right?

 

[eleveninth]

This is one of the few confusing points. Does that mean that if I used a soft box on my flash on the camera's hotshoe, I dun need to set my flash to TTL and would still get the correct exposure every time? Does softbox negates TTL?

-_-

if you dun have ttl on and the flash is in a softbox, u have to set it manually. either by a light meter or trial and error.