Off camera flash question

Dont know much about that but a fellow member link is selling a cactus
Just bought from Danny so I now he is trustworthy

For studio work, the key to lighting and settings is consistency. This doesn't really change much when using speedlights or strobes. The Cactus linked above is a dumb slave so it'll fire the flash but it won't do owt to the settings. This is a problem if your using them in a studio environment as if the flash is in a softbox etc then you have to disturb the whole lot to change maybe the power setting or the heads zoom setting.

What I use is the Yongnuo system. It's all manual, no PTTL but remember, with my camera in manual exposure and my flash heads set to manual, I can take hundreds of shots and all the images will be the same - consistency.

Take a look at the links and you'll see that there is a controller that sits on the camera. This can change every setting on the flash, from the camera. So power output, zoom setting etc can all be set on the camera. This means that the flashguns don't need to be disturbed.
Best of all, if you have more than one Yongnuo flash, the controller can be set to adjust the power on both units at the same time so they are identical OR you can set them to be independent of one another so flash group 1 could be key light at 1/2 power but flash group 2 could be fill light at 1/32 power! All set from on top of the camera!

One flash & controller

2 flashes & controller

the mind boggles

I have been looking at off camera flash setups myself. I have a Pentax AF 360 and AF540 FGZ II and I have recently purchased some cheap but functional Neewer triggers for £15.99 and a Neewer 561 manual flash.

Working purely in manual mode you used the triggers to fire the Pentax flashes and the Neewer in slave mode which fires when the Pentax flashes fire.

Neewer Triggers £15.99
Neewer 561 Flash £27.99 (Amazon lighting deal), normal price £35.99

Thanks Gareth, I gather that the latest Cactus version will allow TTL as well as HSS so the extra cost might be worthwhile. I can see how your setup would work well in a studio but I am after on-site use, building interiors, fill-in flash in the field, that sort of thing.

No, the Cactus V6II is not a 'TTL' capable trigger .... it is a manual mode only trigger system. The key extra feature of the V6II is its ability to 'emulate' the presence of an HSS-capable system flash on the hotshoe, thereby allowing Pentax cameras to send the trigger signal when working beyond the Max Sync 'speed'. The flash on the receiving end (with its own Cactus trigger set to RX mode) needs to be HSS capable for this to work.

If you are using a Pentax or other brand 'TTL' type flash you will get remote power and flash head zoom control. You won't get off-camera 2nd curtain sync or any other subset functions of P-TTL (apart from the HSS with the V6II models).

If you want to use automatic flash off-camera, and retain full functioning, then the cable will be the easiest option, although with the obvious distance / tripping over limitations (!). Unless you need to work at longer distances, or in bright sunshine where line of sight between the flashes would be a problem, then you might be happy with a 2-flash optical wireless solution ..... ie just buy an additional Pentax AF-360FGZII or 540FGZII.

Thanks both, if the Cactus is manual only then the Neweer looks a much cheaper option for the same function, and if I do buy another flash it will be a Pentax one to maximise my options. I'll get a cable anyway as it's a fairly cheap option and one with a curly wire will reduce the risk of tripping on it. Such a pity the Pentax AF201 flash isn't an optical trigger as that would solve the problem.

now the onboard flash has been removed. The Pentax AF540FGZ or AF360FGFZ really have become expensive options. As off camera flash accessories. With no way, I am aware of. Of wirelessly triggering the P-TTL system.
I agree with Gareth. The Yongnuo manual system is a very cost effective and workmanlike system. I use the YN-560 flash units which have built in receivers. Coupled with the TX-560 trigger. Which allows you to remotely change the power settings of the flash units. Setting up a manual flash system, once you get used to it really only takes seconds. And its rare that TTL gives perfect results, straight out the box...

I do also own the AF540FGZ.....

I've probably got the wrong end of the stick, but for flash that is relatively close to the camera you could use the Pentax 5P series of leads and Hot-shoe or Off-Camera adaptors with the current Pentax Flash range...
http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/flashes/index.html
I don't think any functionality is lost?

Don't bother looking at the New prices (they are ridiculous), but you can pick them up Used quite often (I'm sure I have some surplus leads and adaptors somewhere )

As you say the new list prices are ridiculous which is why I was looking at 3rd party connectors under £20. But you prompted me to look again and ordered the last coil cable & connector in stock at Amazon for £67.58 which is still expensive for what they are but at least they should work, and I just thought sod it stop messing about and get something so thanks for the prompt.

There's a logic to that, Rob . Sometimes cheapest is not always best. With the cable solution you can treat the camera / flash combination in the same manner as if the flash was mounted on the hotshoe, which simplifies the concepts. Wireless flash working, whether automatic P-TTL optical type, or a third party remote controlled manual type, opens up a number of function limitations and working mode restrictions which all need to be considered and adapted to before it all becomes easy going.

Is there a prerequisite for consistency?

A few years ago I was present when a pro photographer was taking a long set of photos of some specimens in a museum store. I asked him why he was using diffused tungsten rather than indirect flash lighting. His reply was that flash output could vary 30% from shot to shot.

I have also noticed small differences in exposure brightness when taking a series of photos of a specimen lit by my old Vivitar 283 (off camera, triggered by a passive adapter). link I later assumed that I had not been waiting long enough between shots for the Vivitar capacitor to reach full charge. Does that make sense?

Martin

Makes sense to me. TBH I've never come across that before. I set my camera to manual and my speedlight flash / studio strobes also to manual and have consistent images with no difference to the flash power. Maybe today's flashes are better now at consistent power outputs or maybe I've just never noticed

I've also heard of apparent colour variations, presumably small, in studio strobes. I've never noticed anything colour variant with my hotshoe flashes, but there are plenty of other colour variables that can come into things, caused by small exposure differences, changes to the ambient/flash balance, and white balance adjustments as well. For this reason I always shoot flash with a fixed white balance, adjusted depending on the mix of lighting.

FWIW I agree that Manual everything will ultimately give the best consistency for repeated results, so long as the flashes can power up enough again between shots. However, in reality for me, I often have no need for manual flash because P-TTL gives the results needed fairly effortlessly. I generally find that repeated shots with P-TTL produce the exact same exposures time and again, so long as things were nicely set up to start with.