I had some trouble with my flash the other day.

[Texas Dave]

I was shooting this weekend with my nikon d810 on a bright sunny day and I was having trouble communicating with both my flash guns. The speed guns are the nikon sb700 and the mertz.

I had my camera set to commander mode and TTL set for the group.

It seemed that when I got the camera within 10 feet of the flash guns they worked, a step back and I lost one of them, a few feet more and I lost both. A range thing.

Do you suppose this was due to the bright sunlight interfering with the optical triggering?

If so, what will fix this problem. Is it pocket wizard time?

[Manfred M]

Do you suppose this was due to the bright sunlight interfering with the optical triggering?

Yes

If so, what will fix this problem. Is it pocket wizard time?

And yes, again. There are less expensive alternatives to PocketWizards, but I cannot vouch for them, as I use PocketWizards.


I have a FlexTT5 for each of my Speedlights and a MiniTT1 for on-camera use. I also have an AC3 Zone Controller that sits on the MiniTT1 that allows me to bias the light from the Speedlights or shoot in manual mode and control them.

[Texas Dave]

Thank you Sir.

[Loose Canon]

That didn't take long Dave! Was this the first time you had problems outdoors?

[Texas Dave]

Yeah, well, the first time I realized there was a real problems. I had a few non fires last weekend but just thought it was something I was doing wrong. It was a frustrating morning until I realized why the flashes weren't firing, or at least had the new theory of why.

I just figured out that I already have the Elenchrom skyport transmitter so I'm looking at getting a receiver of that brand, along with a cable and or hotshoe. Not 100% yet on what to order. All new stuff for me.

[Manfred M]

I just figured out that I already have the Elenchrom skyport transmitter so I'm looking at getting a receiver of that brand, along with a cable and or hotshoe. Not 100% yet on what to order. All new stuff for me.

Not sure that this is what you want to do and the reason I went with PocketWizards.

First of all, Skyport is a proprietary Elinchrom technology that is fine for their studio strobes which are 100% manual, so I'm not sure if they make a trigger that you can use on Speedlights. If they do, you most likely will NOT be able to use the TTL system to trigger them and will have to shoot 100% manual.

The reason I ended up going with the PocketWizards is that they are compatible with both the Speedlights and my Paul C Buff Einstein 640 studio flash (via the PocketWizard MC2 receiver). The AC3 Zone Controller lets me run both sets of lights either independently or together (I can use the Einsteins and Nikon Speedlights at the same time). Even better, the PocketWizard gear I have is 100% compatible with TTL including the high speed synch. Had I gone with the Paul C Buff triggers, I could have used only the Einsteins and had no way to trigger the Speedlights without investing in another system.

[loosecanon]

A much cheaper alternative is Yongono 622 units, dedicated for Nikon, much cheaper (about £25 per transciver)

[dasmith232]

Here's another vote for the Yongnuo 622's.

My evolution with off-camera flash has been: (1) short, coiled cable back, (2) PC cables (yuck!), (3) optical triggering from inside the camera, (4) simple radio triggers (Yongnuo RF603C's), and (5) Yongnuo 622C's. I'm really, really happy with the Yongnuo's. I was surprised and also was happy enough that I've bought 4 pairs (8 units) of the 603's and 2 pairs (4 units) of the 622's, plus a separate TX-only trigger for the 622's. I can mix-and-match the 603's with my Canon and Nikon stuff and I use it for my teaching. I use the 622's when I'm shooting for me (personal or professional).