How to sync Strobe and Flash

<p>Can I sync a AlienBee 800 with a Canon 430ex Flash. I have a pocket wizard on the camera and one connected to the Alienbee. Thanks any help would be great.</p>

<p>The AB800 has a simple optical slave on it. If you don't plug anything into it the trigger port, it will simply go off any time it sees another flash go off.<br /><br />You can use your Canon flash in its simplest, manual mode (so that it emits no TTL metering pre-flashes, no anti-redeye flashes, etc), and fire it from the hotshoe, or via any other triggering method... and when it goes off, the AB800 should go off, too, provided it can "see" the pulse from the Canon unit.</p>

<p>Ok cool thanks a bunch</p>

<p>Just a thought, you could also use the PW that you already have to fire the 430EX off camera, and have that fire the AB 800 via it's optical trigger.</p>

<p>You can't trigger a 430EX with a PW directly. There is no PC port on the 430. You could get a PC/hotshoe adapter on ebay, but thats' a clunky solution.</p>

<p>In this case you are best off going with Matt's advice. You MUST use the 430 in M mode if you use it with a strobe for all the reasons Matt mentioned. But also because when you use a strobe both the camera and all flashes/strobes must be in M mode for consistency. Anything in any auto or metering modes will totally screw up your exposure when using strobes.</p>

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<p>The best solution would be to fire everything from the PWs, clunky or not. The hotshoe adapter for the 430EX isn't all that clunky, and comes threaded to go onto any tripod making it an instant light stand. The reason for wanting it all on radio triggers is that if you ever have anyone else around with a flash it will set off your optical triggers. Not a problem in the studio but if you're ever on location or at an event it gets real frustrating really fast. You go to take your shot and your strobe is recycling from that other flash that went off from someone else a second before.</p>

<p>I have to agree with Dan Ferrel - not just because he gave me some awesome advice today about CWB (thanks dan!). The hot shoe makes so much sense. You have to spend the money to get a good one, else you could fry something - I did a lot of research - Wein Products Inc was the best choice for my Canon Rebel XT. I've been using mine for about 2 years with two pocket wizards. The other PW is attached to my 550EX which then triggers my Alien Bees 400. You will of course need a PC cord to attach to the front of the Hot Shoe. Most high-end cameras come with a PC port - Rebels don't. "PC" has nothing to do with computers. The Hot Shoe is male the cord is female.<br>

I bought 2 hot shoes from B&H Photo for ~ $50 each in '07. One is a spare. Never used the spare.<br>

The cord came from Paramount cords: Male Miniphone (PW port) to Female Hot Shoe ~ $35<br>

I will attached a few photos I just shot to show you my set up.</p><div></div>

<p>Forgot to mention the Hot Shoe under my 550EX. This Hot Shoe came with a sync cord built in. See photo. It is attached to the other Pocket Wizard. PW 1 (attached to Hot Shoe on Rebel) mentioned in my first reply, sends a signal to PW 2 (attached to 2nd hot shoe under 550EX) which fires the Speedlite. The Speedlite's flash triggers the nearby Alien Bees strobe's sensor. </p><div></div>