studio flash / strobe trigger wireless for Sony A7R

[ilmilco]

What type of infrared trigger do people here use with their Sony A7R /A7RII for studio strobes / flash units?

I am looking for the most simpel model, and will adjust the strobes manual.

Thanks in advance for responses.

[Ed_Ingold]

I use radio triggers for studio flash. I'm not sure IR triggers are available, but in any case IR needs a direct line of sight, within 15' or so. Even 15' is not reliable in a large space with high ceilings. I prefer Pocket Wizard triggers, but there are other choices. I don't bother with TTL control either. A flash meter is quicker to use, more accurate, and less fiddly. There are inexpensive radio triggers which are basically garage door openers. Pocket Wizard uses digitally encoded signals, which work even in high EMI areas (e.g., downtown Chicago), at 100' or more.

[ilmilco]

I use radio triggers for studio flash. I'm not sure IR triggers are available, but in any case IR needs a direct line of sight, within 15' or so. Even 15' is not reliable in a large space with high ceilings. I prefer Pocket Wizard triggers, but there are other choices. I don't bother with TTL control either. A flash meter is quicker to use, more accurate, and less fiddly. There are inexpensive radio triggers which are basically garage door openers. Pocket Wizard uses digitally encoded signals, which work even in high EMI areas (e.g., downtown Chicago), at 100' or more.

Ed, what type of connector is on your radio trigger ? Are these specific for the Sony flash connector on the camera, or are you using something like a nikon shoe ? Many thanks for your response.

[Ed_Ingold]

My Pocket Wizard TX has a foot with a single contact in the center, which works in a Sony flash shoe, Nikon, Leica, and probably nearly every other camera. There is also are two 1/8" phone sockets in both the TX and RX modules. One connects to the camera (e.g., for use with a cold shoe) and the other to the flash. There are a variety of cables available to fit other devices. Mine are ancient, so there is no provision for TTL (nor do I need it).

[ilmilco]

My Pocket Wizard TX has a foot with a single contact in the center, which works in a Sony flash shoe, Nikon, Leica, and probably nearly every other camera. There is also are two 1/8" phone sockets in both the TX and RX modules. One connects to the camera (e.g., for use with a cold shoe) and the other to the flash. There are a variety of cables available to fit other devices. Mine are ancient, so there is no provision for TTL (nor do I need it).

Many thanks Ed-Ingold, i think i already own a device that can be used for the purpose. You've helped me a lot.

[rodeo_joe1]

I use radio triggers for studio flash. I'm not sure IR triggers are available....

 

+1

- Definitely use radio triggers, they're much, much more reliable than optical triggers.

 

I like the YongNuo RF-603s but they're more suited to hotshoe flashes. They can be used with studio flash using a P-C cord but then you have to strap them to the lighting stand or somesuch unless you want them dangling from the P-C cable - not recommended.

 

If you search the net, you can find triggers like this - Link.

They're cheap and cheerful and do as good a job as anything else. Cheap enough to overstock and have a few spares in hand should one break.

 

Nearly forgot. One word of warning when using radio triggers. They all introduce a slight coding/decoding delay of a fraction of a millisecond. This means you can't use the very maximum X-synch speed of your camera. If the maximum flash speed is, say, 1/200th second, then you need to drop it to 1/160th, otherwise you might get a shading band at the bottom of the frame. A drop down to whatever the next lower shutter speed is, is usually enough IME.

Edited November 28, 2018 by rodeo_joe|1

[Gary Naka]

You could use a "small" shoe flash with a block, so that the flash goes to the side, not towards the subject.

Then put an optical slave on your studio flash.

 

I like optical slaves because for me, they are reliable, compared to the old RF triggers/slaves that I used to use, which was about 75% reliable. When I used multiple RF slaves, I was never sure that ALL the slaves triggered.

I should probably check into the current RF slaves and replace my 12 year old slaves.

 

Which is why for on-site work, using shoe flashes, I prefer to use a combination of a single RF slave on my main flash + optical slaves on my secondary flashes. The camera fires the main flash, then the flash from the main flash triggers the secondary flashes. This way I only had ONE RF link, and if any of the flashes fired, they all fired.

 

But, optical has limitations. You can't use them where others are shooting their flash, cuz their flash will trigger your flash. If the optical slave can't see the flash from the main flash, it won't trigger, so you can't use them anywhere, like you can with a RF trigger.

 

At home with a pack type studio strobe, I prefer the RF slave. One RF slave on my pack, and all the heads are wired to the pack.

[AJG]

You could use a "small" shoe flash with a block, so that the flash goes to the side, not towards the subject.

Then put an optical slave on your studio flash.

 

I like optical slaves because for me, they are reliable, compared to the old RF triggers/slaves that I used to use, which was about 75% reliable. When I used multiple RF slaves, I was never sure that ALL the slaves triggered.

I should probably check into the current RF slaves and replace my 12 year old slaves.

 

Which is why for on-site work, using shoe flashes, I prefer to use a combination of a single RF slave on my main flash + optical slaves on my secondary flashes. The camera fires the main flash, then the flash from the main flash triggers the secondary flashes. This way I only had ONE RF link, and if any of the flashes fired, they all fired.

 

But, optical has limitations. You can't use them where others are shooting their flash, cuz their flash will trigger your flash. If the optical slave can't see the flash from the main flash, it won't trigger, so you can't use them anywhere, like you can with a RF trigger.

 

At home with a pack type studio strobe, I prefer the RF slave. One RF slave on my pack, and all the heads are wired to the pack.

I have been using the Paul C Buff/White Lightning radio triggers/receivers for a number of years now with almost no problems. They aren't the cheapest ones on the market but they aren't prohibitive. Batteries in the trigger seem to last about a year with regular use and they are the main reason for occasional failure in my experience. I had far more failures with optical slaves when I used them.

[BeBu Lamar]

I am old fashion I use wires.

[rodeo_joe1]

I am old fashion I use wires.

 

- Even less reliable than optical triggers in my experience. In a busy studio environment the old P-C to 1/4" jack cables used to last about half a dozen sessions before the P-C socket became loose, an internal wire broke, a short developed or some similar fault developed. That's if nobody fell foul of the trip hazard the cable presented!

[Gary Naka]

The PC socket was a compromise design :(

It was compact, but it came with a bunch of operational problems due to its small size.

I remember having to nudge the pin to the side to make sure it contacted the sides of the socket, and having to pinch the outer conductor when it became loose. Sometimes it became soo loose that it would fall out of the socket during a shoot :mad:

And as RJ said because of the small size, the wires were small and easy to break. We used to wrap electrical tape around the plug to "try" to provide more flex protection to the wires. SOP was to carry TWO sync cables, primary and spare, cuz there was a good chance that the heavily used primary cable would fail.

[BeBu Lamar]

- Even less reliable than optical triggers in my experience. In a busy studio environment the old P-C to 1/4" jack cables used to last about half a dozen sessions before the P-C socket became loose, an internal wire broke, a short developed or some similar fault developed. That's if nobody fell foul of the trip hazard the cable presented!

I work on wires daily. I know how to make them very reliable. I do use RF for some application but none is as reliable as wires.

[AJG]

The PC socket was a compromise design :(

It was compact, but it came with a bunch of operational problems due to its small size.

I remember having to nudge the pin to the side to make sure it contacted the sides of the socket, and having to pinch the outer conductor when it became loose. Sometimes it became soo loose that it would fall out of the socket during a shoot :mad:

And as RJ said because of the small size, the wires were small and easy to break. We used to wrap electrical tape around the plug to "try" to provide more flex protection to the wires. SOP was to carry TWO sync cables, primary and spare, cuz there was a good chance that the heavily used primary cable would fail.

Only 2? When I depended on on PC cables I never traveled without at least 4 or 5 that I had tested before I left my studio. I didn't often need them, but as a pro you need to be prepared for any eventuality.