Purpose of photocell on/off switch?

I just picked up an Elinchrom Digital 1 1200w/s pack (similar to the Digital

1200 RX's) without a manual. The components are fairly self explanatory, but I

don't understand the function of the on/off photocell switch. What does it do

and do I need it on during certain set ups? I don't want to unknowingly cause a

catastrophe.

 

Thanks!

 

 

Jenny

 

Mamiya 645af / Canon 5D / Canon A2

 

 

www.photojj.com

Not specifically sure, but sounds a bit like an optical slave. ie. would trigger the pack if it

sensed another flash somewhere.

The only scenario I can think of is when you're firing the Elinchromes with a radio transmitter like a PocketWizard and there are other photographers using flash around you.

this is a very useful feature:

 

you can keep a strobe turned on an make a quick testshot without fill light for example.

 

you can use the modeling light for focussing withouf firing the strobe.

 

and as a previous poster said you can use another synchronisation method if there are other shooters. but this does not happen in real live.

 

and: if you do stillives with multiple pops, you can turn one strobe off after a few pops and keep firing the other strobes until you get the exposure. sometimes you just need lets say 24 pops from one strobe and 50 from another...

 

 

D.

It's simple enough, Jenny - if you're using other packs/flash units and want to synchronise

this one with them, switch the cell on. If you don't want it to go off when other flashes fire,

switch it off

 

(my old Elinchrom's cell lights up red (off) and green (on) - maybe the new ones do too?)

 

Of course, if you're only using the one pack, it doesn't matter whether the cell is on or off,

although my rule would be - if you don't need it, switch it off :)