TTL Flash Triggers

Braveheart

Hey Guys,

Been looking at PW flex and mini trigger system for Nikon, but it is expensive!

Stumbled across the Yongnuo YN622-N system which appears to do the same but for 1/4 of the price.

Has anyone used these? Do they work and are they reliable?

Want to use off camera flash at weddings with umbrella or softboxes.

Cheers

Iain

mach0

I have them. I like them for what they are. Not as many bells and whistles as the PW and if you want a lot of flexibility, you should get the TX.  I have the Mini and Flex set up as well and I use it more that the YN but that's because it was cheaper for me to buy into pocket wizard than to ditch my sb800's since they were really buggy with the YN622n. I do like the 622n-TX. You can control the zoom, flash compensation, run different groups with different set ups as in one on manual, another in super sync, and the last on ttl. Plus you can adjust the timing of the super sync right from the tx but the PW has more options and can be fine tuned more. So all in all, its up to you. If you have newer nikon flashes, cant go wrong with the yn622n's for the the price. 

jcgoodson

I own the YN622-C (Canon version) triggers and they work about 90 percent of the time.  I've never owned PWs, so I can't comment on Yongnuo's reliability relative to the more expensive triggers.  And I don't photograph weddings, but if I did, I'd want something more reliable.  That said, you can't beat the price.  Good luck!

Justin

Braveheart

Thanks for the replies guys. I am bidding on PW stuff on Ebay tonight but, sheesh, some people just don't know when to quit. It is USED gear after all. If I don't get any then the YN622 system with the TX (AC3 similar) can be got for £90 on Amazon - HUGE saving!

I will take my chances with them since I can always revert to CLS if they fail. Reviews on them seem decent enough.

Might even buy on of the big YN flashes as a spare.

Cheers

Iain

Braveheart

Some dimwit just bought 2 USED  PW Flex for £120 each on ebay. They are £145 brand new. I kept bidding to push the price up! :-))

Iain

Nikonguy

I usually bid in the final couple seconds of an auction, and just put the max of what I'm willing to pay in. That said, it's good you didn't "win" that one. I've heard great things about the YN622 system, and am thinking of getting some myself.

Braveheart

Yeh, some people get bidding fever, it is quite funny!

Now deciding whether to splash for the PWs or go for the Yongnuos. Hmmm. I could get 3 YN kits for 1 flex +TT1 +AC3.

Iain

Nikonguy

I was thinking about getting the kit that includes one YN-622N-TX (with the LCD screen) and one regular YN-622N. I can play with that and if I like it, I can add more of the YN-622N later.

http://www.amazon.com/YN-622N-KIT-YN622N-KIT-including-Controller-Transceiver/dp/B00NKXPGDA/

Skipperlange

I use PW Plus ll and Plus llls. Not flex. Very reliable.

dbruno

I see all this back-and forth about wireless triggers, and I see them used a lot in instructional videos. Is it personal preference over having a flash unit in the hot shoe that is a fully-functional master? I have a 580EX II (Canon) that I use to control everything. In my view, having that available as a fill I think is pretty good. What am I missing? Am I going about off-camera lighting incorrectly? Is it the cost? I picked up a 580 in fantastic condition for $230 on EBay, which from what I could tell was a great price.

Nikonguy

It's not personal preference, it can be a requirement. I don't know how the wireless functions in the Canon system, but the OP is referring to Nikon. With Nikon, the wireless control built into the better Nikon bodies (via the popup flash) or using a Nikon speedlite that can act as a wireless commander involves a pulse of light and not RF. So, by definition, it is line of sight control. The remotes need to be able to physically see the commander flash and can't be too far away. I find it doesn't work reliably beyond about 30 feet away, sometimes outdoors it doesn't work well, and it doesn't work at all if the remote flash is buried inside a softbox or around a corner. Sometimes the flash pulse of the commander can impact the shot to a degree as well - even appearing in the photo if you are shooting something reflective.

So while the out-of-box wireless can work, it depends on your needs.

The wireless triggers remove all the problems that I mention - distance can be huge, it's not line of sight, etc. And now there are triggers like the YN622 that can act with full TTL if you want, rather than just triggering a manual flash or strobe. So, in the USA, for less than $80 you can get a set of two YN622 triggers (one goes on your camera, the other on any flash or strobe) and you can be up and running.

dbruno

Got it, thanks, line-of-sight vs. RF. Canon is line-of-sight.

TonyT

I've got the canon version of the  n622's and the tx too which works a treat.  The TX has a battery level indicator whereas the normal 622's don't, that said the battery life is good and you'll know when they need replacing because the triggers won't alter the flash power or zoom the head.

dbruno

Tony - if you have Canon flashes in your setup, do you need a trigger on the flash if you are using a Canon trigger?

TonyT

For wireless control you will need a trigger on the flash, only the 600exrt has wireless capability and then you wouldn't control it with just the 622tx on camera you'd need the canon ST-E3 RT controller. I think yongnuo do a version of the ST-E3 controller too.

For the money the yongnuo's are great, as others have said they don't quite have the bells n whistles of the pocket wizards but they're nothing like the cost. You can control upto 3 groups of flashes with the TX controller. I bought 4 YN622's and 1 YN622TX for a little less than £150 if I remember correctly.

Braveheart

OK, so I went and ordered the Yongnuo TTL trigger set. The ones with the AC3 like controller (for Nikon). They should arrive tomorrow, so I will have a play with them.

Looking forward to getting flash off camera more. Also got a 24" softbox and lightstand coming too + a brolly which can also convert to a shoot through.

I have some weddings coming up where some extra lighting will make things much easier (It will be dark!). Might get one of those Yongnuo flashes for a bit more power than my SB-700. I usually bounce it but sometimes not enough power. Also in bright sun it struggles if I need to fill flash from a distance and need HSS.

Cheers

Iain

Braveheart

They have arrived.

They look well put together and not cheap and nasty like some Chinese stuff. The AF light on the TX did not work with my D200, fine on D300. Upgraded the firmware and it works fine now. Took some shots with both cameras, have to say I am well impressed. An equivalent PocketWizard system would have cost £450. These cost £93 and the instruction manuals are readable :-D

Time will tell as to reliability but I like what I see so far.

Cheers

Iain

TonyT

Nice one... I'm sure you will enjoy using ocf with these triggers, they're good value for money.

When I first got mine 2 of the triggers needed a factory reset as they weren't zooming the flash head and once that was done they worked perfectly.

If you find the triggers defaulting  the flash to minimum power (1/128 or whatever it is for your flash) then its time to replace the batteries.

juancarmen

• Auto ISO When Using Off Camera Flash Triggers :

Does this sort of thing exist amongst
flash triggers?? I haven't been able to find a conclusive answers on forums or
the internet…

I have noticed that when I have the flash connected on camera
it will automatically adjust the ISO but not when I use the Nikon CLS system or
Flash Triggers, as it wont adjust with Auto ISO.

Please can you explain if this is
normal or is there flash triggers out there that carry the Auto ISO to the off
camera flash ?

Triggers Used : Yongnuo YN622N TX and RX

                         : Voeloon RT 810

Camera Used  : Nikon D610

dbruno

I started an EBay search for the Yongnuo triggers a few weeks ago after reading and participating in this thread. I came across a listing for the controller and two transceivers for $75, brand new, free shipping. By far and away the lowest price I've seen, and almost worthy of a "scam-proofing". I jumped on it, and they arrived the other day. Now that I've played around with them a bit, I can see the great advantage of having these and not depend on line-of-sight. I don't know, really, how much I will use them because with event work I am not setting up off-camera lights, but for that price new, and they work? Please. I grabbed them.

McGregNi

Juancarmen, you asked about 'auto-iso' when using triggers. Auto-iso would normally be part of a shooting approach using dedicated system flash, with the camera in an auto-exposure mode and the flash responding to automatic exposure control via the cameras proprietary system (E-TTL, P-TTL etc). At least my assumption would be that it would be used in dynamic lighting situations where you need automatic ambient exposure as well as auto-flash exposure .... ?

I don't think that auto-iso is an intuitive or very helpful camera mode for flash photography in any case ... It risks opening up too many variables and exposure problems for the flash system in my view. I feel flash photography is best shot with a fixed iso mode .... But I'd be glad to hear any opposing views on that!