Studio lights and trigger

[kacey]

I have a 2 light setup and I am wanting to add 2 more lights in my studio. Can I have 2 different brands of lights running off the one wireless trigger?

[Wayne]

A wireless radio trigger will usually only trigger 1 light, but there may be several that will do more than 1 light at a time. I know that a flash bracket for 3 lights has recently been released, and the hotshoe accepts 1 trigger which will trigger all 3 lights together, but that is really only useful for filling large softboxes etc.

If you shoot Nikon and have SB600/700/800/900 the Nikon CLS with most modern bodies will allow you to wirelessly trigger many lights at a time, and all in iTTL or manual modes.

Perhaps more info about the gear you have or intend to use..

[kiwi]

if they also have optical triggers you can run as many as you like

[I @ M]

Looking at your original question Kacey, there is no reason that 2, 3 or 4 different brands of studio lights can't be fired wirelessly ---- providing that ----
[a] the radio trigger and receivers are preferably the same brand or at least on the same frequency
[b] the studio lights have synch ports to accept the radio receivers

[kacey]

Thanks for the info :)

Andrew, I am currently using a trigger that attaches to my camera and my lights have the sync ports so what I was thinking is if I get 2 more lights that are a different brand to the ones I have, could I get a new trigger/receiver set that will fire all 4 flashes from the trigger attached to my camera. Hope that makes sense, sorry.

[MarkChap]

Kacey,
Yes that is what you need,
Get yourself a set that has 1 trigger and 4 receivers, connect the receivers to the lights and away you go.
Of course if these are studio lights that you are talking about, they will probably have optical slaves that you could use, I prefer not to, but that is just me

[I @ M]

kacey, as Darren said above this post, one trigger and multiple receivers connected to the synch ports of 1, 2, 3 or more lights ( different brands of lights make no difference ) and as long as the triggers and receivers operate on the same frequency and channel as each other you will have no problems. If you buy one trigger and one receiver the other lights should be able to be triggered by the light from the first one via the optical slave function if they have one.

The yongnuo rf602 triggers are the ones that we use and have proved to be extremely reliable on studio lights as well as offering remote speedlight or remote shutter triggers.

site sponsor Protog has them listed for sale at ----- http://protog.com.au/wireless-flash-triggers-c-58.html

[kacey]

Thanks guys, I will take a look at some new receivers/trigger :)

[Geoff]

FWIW I trigger two different no-name studio flashes and two Bowens studio flashes all quite happily using Elinchrom Skyports (universals). Plug the receivers into the sync ports and the transmitter into the hotshoe and walah.

Same could be done with any of the major brands of wireless trigger/recievers.

You do need consistancy between trigger and receivers as others have said.

Other brands to consider looking into (depending on budget)

Pocketwizard - generally considered gold standard ($$$)
Elinchrom Skyports - especially if going down the Elinchrom flash route
Paul C Buff Cybersyncs if using Alien Bees


Geoff

[FallingHorse]

if they also have optical triggers you can run as many as you like

Only in maual flash mode as the pre-flash in E-TTL (or iTTL in Nikonese) will set the optical triggers off.

[pkaye2004]

I am looking at buying flash remote(s) such as the CTR-301P or the RF602 and have some questions from anyone who has experience using them.
Q1 Do the different frequencies 430Mhz on CTR-301P and 2.4 Ghz on the RF602 make any difference/benefit if you are working indoors?
Q2. Do the extra contacts on the RF602 transfer any signals from the camera hot shoe to the flash. I understand all the cheaper flashes do not offer TTL/e-TTTL so aren't they all using just a ground and single pin to activate the flash?
Q3 I am using Pentax equipment and note the RF602 only come in Canon and Nikon pin outs. I have heard that you can use the Nikon unit on Pentax flashes since pins/pads are similarly spaced. Is this so and has anyone had any success with using on Pentax equipment? Are the pin outs and signals identical between the Nikon and Pentax K5/K7 hotshoes?
Q4. The CTR-301P has an optical sensor. As I want to use them in a multiple lighting arrangement, ie. water drops, do these introduce any delay that would result in ghosting from two flashes firing at slightly different times?

And I thought this was going to be a couple of short questions.

Paul