Pocketwizards rotten using 580EX's

[snakeroot]

Anybody had success using PW's with off camera 580EX's? My one

equipment purchase I regret. I would advise not to buy PW's for off

camera flash usage with the 580. If you want to get it for camera

triggering, seems to work ok, but unless I am doing something wrong,

PW's and 580's just don't mesh.

[snakeroot]

Apparently a "camera equalization" problem. Ho hum, no upfront discussion of that issue from Pocketwizard. Yawn. I would think that company would address that issue with a major vendor like Canon.

[wakeforce]

Works well for me! Simply a female hotshoe to PC adapter, with a miniplug to pc adapter, and all works well!

[snakeroot]

I'm learning there is variability in individual cameras, though you sound blessed in this regard.

 

Luckily my camera has a lag, but a reproduceable lag, but my shutter speed is very slow after equalization of the camera. I've been able to get useable exposures, which under manual mode seems adjustable. Somewhat difficult for the nature photography I plan, but hey, who said this would be easy?

 

I didn't quite understand your setup. My camera is set to a MultiMAX on transmit mode through a pre-relase cable (not a pc cable), and the 580 is set to manual mode and connected via a hot shoe cable to the receiving MultiMAX. Can you explain again what setup you have had success with?

[brad_w]

Crikey, Michael, no wonder you're having issues. All kinds of unnecessary electronics in the

system. Put the Tx Mulitmax on the camera hotshoe. Get shoe mount to PC adapter ($10 at

Wolf). Put the adapter in the 580EX's shoe. Connect the Rx mulitmax to the adapter with a

short PC cord. Should work fine. Circumstances where PW's have sync/timing issues are very

rare. FWIW Nikon flashes ad Vivitar 285/283's have built in PC ports, saving thee need for

the shoe adapter. Which Canon would do that...

-B

[snakeroot]

Thanks Brad, I'll try what you say and post results. You still have to use manual mode on your 580 with your setup, right?

[john_jovic]

I consider Pocketwizards (Plus, not the multimax), to be my single most appreciated accessory purchase, and I would have paid twice as much for the benefit I gain from it's use.

 

I use Metz 54 and 60 flashes, no problems with Canon/Pocketwizard/Metz.

 

JJ

[snakeroot]

Working better with the PW on the hot shoe and no pre-release cable, but still no TTL function.

 

Looking now at Dynalite 1000wi setup with 2040 flash heads. It has PW functionality, and I see there is simply a learning curve. My shutter speed is at a useable speed, though still some lag.

 

TTL metering is not possible with PW's, correct?

[mark u]

Correct. For that you need the Quantum system:

 

http://www.qtm.com/FreeXwire/?res_set=&res=800

 

I've never really seen the point of trying to use Pocketwizards with EX flashguns given the fact that the gun can only be fired at a manual power setting. You might as well use cheaper flashes and the radio slaves from ebay.

 

If you want to use TTL for a nature application (i.e. no pre-flash to alert the subject), you will of course need to use a film body, since DSLRs only handle versions of E-TTL which involve a preflash.