Choosing The Best Rechargeable Battery

My Nikon D300 digital camera with an MB10 accessory grip and three Nikon Speedlight flashes use twenty AA batteries just to get started. After I throw a few radio triggers in the camera bag it adds six AAA batteries and at least one CR2 battery for the transmitter. That is a whole lot of batteries before considering the fact that you are likely to need that many more as backup units. I counted all the batteries I took on one recent photo shoot and came up with a total of 68.


It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to arrive at the conclusion that you will soon be bankrupted by using disposable batteries in such large quantities. In addition to camera equipment, you probably have many other devices around the house adding to your total battery consumption. Some people tell me they can’t be bothered with charging batteries before using them and they will not buy rechargeable batteries for that reason but for people like me who use batteries constantly and in power gulping devices like electronic flashes, the rechargeable option makes much more sense.


The good news is that you can now buy rechargeable batteries that come pre-charged from the manufacturer and can be used straight from the package. These batteries are often referred to as hybrids because of the way they combine the benefits of pre-charged disposable batteries and those of multiple use rechargeable batteries.


A big problem with traditional rechargeable batteries is their characteristic high self-discharge rate, sometimes referred to as “shelf discharge,” meaning that rechargeable batteries loose power even when they are not being used. The newer rechargeable hybrid or low self-discharge (LSD) batteries can retain up to eighty percent or more of their charge for six to eight months depending on the brand and the power rating of the battery.


Even though rechargeable batteries generally start out at a slightly lower voltage than non-rechargeable batteries, they make up the difference because they tend to use the power at a more consistent rate as the battery is discharged. The way a battery consumes power has a lot to do with how you use it, another reason why it is often difficult to do meaningful comparisons between battery types or brands. Testing may give you an idea of how the batteries perform within the parameters of the test and not how they will perform in actual use.


For example; one battery may do well in a device that draws power continuously as in a flashlight that is left on until completely draining the batteries, while other batteries are better at delivering large bursts of energy at random intervals in devices like cameras and electronic flash units. The problem is that you may use batteries in a way that is completely different from the way they were tested, making the test results slightly or totally misleading.


After doing a some investigation I came to the realization that I would need to test a lot of batteries in order to gather enough information to be meaningful. Testing four brand A batteries against four brand B batteries does not provide conclusive information because of the small sample size and because one bad battery can completely skew the test results. There is no simple battery test that will tell you if one brand is a significantly better performer for every intended use, especially when testing in very small quantities.


There are many online sources for battery tests including the battery manufacturer’s websites, which can teach you a lot about batteries (and marketing). You can also check out user reviews on retail sites like www.amazon.com It’s not a perfect decision making tool but it may provide some insight using other peoples experience.


There is a very good battery comparison at http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=79302 where you can compare the discharge rates of many different batteries.


There is also a pretty good discussion of low self discharge batteries at http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1023&thread=26078814


An interesting result of all this testing is that the performance of rechargeable batteries seems pretty consistent between many of the top brands. What this means in practical terms is that you can choose the lowest cost battery that is readily available where you live and by purchasing locally you can pick up spares as needed. I was able to offset some of the cost of my initial rechargeable battery purchase by surfing local sales and using discount coupons. It may be more difficult to find a specific brand of low self discharge batteries locally.


So you’ve made it this far and may be asking what type of batteries a person who has spent way too much time researching batteries uses. I was pretty stoked about the Powerex Imedion 2100 (LSD) batteries when they came out but those have now been eclipsed by the recently released Powerex Imedion 2400 batteries. That’s a 14% increase in power! The best part is that they come pre-charged and ready to go right out of the package.


Don’t get me wrong, you can’t go wrong with Sanyo Eneloops or many of the other major players either. Right now I have the Powerex Imedions in my NIkon SB900, SB800 and SB600 flash units and the Sanyo Eneloop batteries in all my wireless flash triggers. I’m also currently testing some of the Rayovac Hybrid batteries in my Nikon MB10 battery grip. I’m using low self discharge batteries as my primary power source and regular rechargeable batteries as backups or for bigger jobs where I need to use more flash units. The biggest difference is that I have to remember to charge the regular rechargeable batteries a day or two before I use them.


I have run across a lot of other good resources and information about batteries that are worth sharing so here are a few in no particular order.


http://www.mahaenergy.com Buy direct or use the store locator on the website. The local retailer in St. Louis did not have Imedion batteries in stock when I checked (August 2010).


Maha Energy Corporation 1128 Coiner Court, City of Industry, CA 91748


Toll Free: 1-800-376-9992 Office: 626-363-9017 Fax: 626-363-9010


http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/ReduceWaste/power/rechbattinfo.htm This is a very good eco-friendly site put out by the state of California with loads of great information on batteries. Watch out, they may convince you that you don’t even need batteries.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_self-discharge_NiMH_battery A short article on the basics of how a low self-discharge battery works.


http://climber.org/gear/batteries.html Battery wisdom from on high! Several mountaineers tell you everything they have learned the hard way about using batteries in cold and demanding environments.


http://www.rechargeable-battery-review.com/ All about rechargeable batteries and battery reviews. Do You Use or Are You Planning To Buy Rechargeable Batteries?


http://michaelbluejay.com/batteries/ A good battery guide and comparison. If you have no idea what to choose this guy will tell you. It’s a good plain talking guide about the good, the bad and the ugly battery.


One of the most consistently recommended sources for purchasing batteries and chargers online is Thomas Distributing.http://www.thomasdistributing.com/


For some of the world’s most powerful low self-discharge batteries you will ever see… as in, “Do you feel lucky punk?” go towww.horizonbattery.com where you can buy the Ansmann Max E 2500 mah AA batteries directly from the manufacturer.


I like also to use http://www.amazon.com for the service, convenience and customer reviews.

What's New?

Recently I've started posting this blog over at http://www.insidetheviewfinder.com
I had been trying to mirror the posts over here but that didn't seem like the best use of time so please check it out over at the other URL.

Late Night Olympics

I’m contemplating the spin

Of things from without and within
The world keeps moving at it’s normal speed
Though nearing the center it appears to increase
Everything seems like the same old spin
As though it’s been rehearsed
And repeated again
And now what should I do
Whatever you want he says on queue
I stay up late and try to decide
If the emotion is fake or from inside
We play games and stay up late
To contemplate the spin
Until the morning when it begins again
The world keeps moving at the same old speed
And will continue with or without me
Sometimes it feels like you just can’t win
So I just sit here and contemplate the spin

Through My Iphone Eyes

For the past couple of weeks I have been feeling like road kill. If I had known that my cold would last so long I probably would have given up early on. I have managed to do very little except to eat, sleep and use a lot of tissues to blow my nose. It has not been pretty around here for a while. Personal projects have all gone by the wayside due to a lack of energy or enthusiasm.

The biggest event of the week was when Jimmy the maintenance man came and fixed a leaky water line in the bathroom. It felt good to be able to at least watch someone accomplish something useful.

I have been playing with my iphone to pass the time and I thought that maybe I would put together a list of my favorite photography applications for the iphone. These are in no particular order since that would require way too much thought and I’m not up to that right now.

1- Polarize – This thing is way too cool and it’s free so there is no reason not to add it to your iPhone. I like being able to add captions at the bottom of the frame.

2 – PhotoShop Mobile – Can’t live without it. It does a whole lot of stuff and it is also free.

3 – Gorillacam – This adds multi shot bursts, a grid overlay, a timer, digital zoom and a couple of other very useful features. Yes, it’s free!

4 – Format126 – Various filters to give you a vintage look including square format, polaColor, MonoPlus and LOFI to name a few.

5 – LEGO Photo – This one is just fun to play with and has a neat interface. It’s free so there is no reason not to indulge your inner child.

6 – Flickr – This is a cool tool for uploading your iPhone photos to flickr, browsing your contacts photos and checking for recent activity on your photo stream. It’s a free and easy way to get those photos posted.

7 – Camera Plus – It has a digital zoom and a faux flash to lighten up those dark images. It’s pretty straightforward and it’s also free.

8 – My PhotoBooth – Create photo strips just like an old time photo booth except you don’t need any quarters because it is free.

9 – Nikon Learn & Explore – This has something for photographers of all skill levels and the best part is that they are giving it away for free. Actually the best part is the content and it gets updated on a regular basis. Fundamentals, Image Editing and Shooting Techniques are all covered.

10 – Tilt-Shift Generator – I thought I would throw in one inexpensive application that is extremely useful for manipulating images right on the iPhone. It’s not free but it is definitely a great value for the small asking price.

Right now I have over forty photo applications on my iPhone and all but a few are free. The iPhone is a wonderful tool for jumpstarting your creative instincts and there are plenty of applications to assist you in creating your own artistic vision. You can easily combine the effects from various applications and preserve your original image if you want to start over and go in a different direction.

Snapshot Heaven

The other night when we were going through old photos I came across this one and set it in my own little pile. I wasn’t too sure what the man had in his hand until I scanned the print and saw what looks to be a nice looking box camera. Of course there were scratches, spots and fingerprints galore but I fixed the worst of them and left the rest. Those scratches show the passing of time and that this is an actual artifact and not some made up scene. There is no doubt that a decent snapshot can tell you worlds about a subject and at the same time it leaves plenty of room for the imagination. I don’t know these people and I’m not sure I ever met them in passing at a family party or wedding but they look like they would be worth spending some time with.

I love the way the hat mimics the lines of the car (or is it the other way around). There is a lot of style in this one frame. Somewhere in the city of St. Louis, MO but the exact location is unknown. Another image from the series shows the bride and groom (my in-laws) still in there wedding clothes sitting at a table in a local tavern. Maybe that was the reception. Things were a lot different back then. There is a wedding album but nothing can compete with snapshots taken by close friends. This is as close to real life as you are likely to get in a photograph.

I cropped this second shot because it was taken from a distance. Just imagine a large expanse of lake and sky behind them and a cobbled walkway in front. This photo is full of happyness and life. I wish I could have been there. It may not be a technical masterpiece but there is no doubt that this is a great photograph. I’ll have to find the time to scan a few more of the ones I picked out of the box. Other family members are working on the bulk of the project and I’m sure it will be a while before they are all done and divided up. The great thing about digital is that you can essentially have a photo lab sitting on your desktop. The scanners and cameras keep getting better and less expensive which is great. You could just about as easily use a point and shoot camera in macro mode to copy these old photos as long as you used a tripod and the self timer to avoid camera shake.

People took a lot less photos back in the days when film ruled photography but those few photos seem more iconic in many ways. There are fewer of them and I think they hold our attention longer for that reason.

I’ll be taking some snapshots of my own if the weather changes and it warms up a bit. This month’s assignment is to take portraits with the Brownie Hawkeye Flash (unconventional portraits). I don’t have any solid ideas for that project yet but I’ll be starting those soon. The Brownie is not what I would call an ideal portrait making machine so it should be interesting to see how those turn out. Last month I took photos with the Brownie I converted to a pinhole camera. The shutter on that camera jammed and I ended up with a bunch of partially exposed frames. They probably had a good laugh at the photo lab but I was actually pleased with the result. I’m happy to get any sort of usable exposures out of a fifty year old box camera.

I’m still snapping away with the iPhone and having fun inserting those images into text messages and other online media. The iphone camera is pretty low resolution so it does a good job of emulating fixed focus cameras with single element lenses. I have not been carrying my point & shoot camera since getting the iphone though the phone is really not a substitute and is a lot slower in operation. Even though there are limitations it is a blast trying different filter effects and being able to upload the images moments later for everyone to see.

World Famous

There is always a heated debate about who has the best pizza in town. Since we had other plans for the night all I got was a photo outside of Giordano’s. They do have good pizza though some of us lean towards Gino’s for our deep dish delight.

I took a series of hand held photos, trying not to shiver from the extreme cold outside. The idea was to get some sort of reflection in the foreground and since the pavement was dry, I tried catching reflections on the passing cars. Of course a tripod would have helped a lot but since I got my new lens I seem to keep trying to use it somewhere beyond the ragged edge of a decent exposure. I seem to keep taking shots at around 1/10 of a second at 24mm on my D300 at high ISO and of course I keep getting less than stunning results.

I am really longing for sunshine and warmth right now and it’s not happening. I thing I need some beach time but since I don’t have any time to go to the beach I guess I will have to dream of warm pizza ovens instead.

I just finished reading Joe McNally’s book “The Hot Shoe Diaries.” It is full of McNallyizms (see I can make up words too) and other interesting bits of knowledge. I think it would really be interesting to see a book written by one or more of Joe’s long-suffering assistants to compare (and contrast) his recollection of events. Joe points out up front that this is not a how-to manual and it is actually written more like a diary or even a blog with lots of short and to the point examples of what it’s like to be Joe and lighting stuff with small flash units. Sometimes there are a whole lot of small flash units so it’s not exactly about minimalist lighting, though there are some examples of one and two-light setups in there as well. Joe shoots with Nikon equipment so that is what he talks about and the equipment has a lot to do with his work flow. Joe talks a lot about iTTL and Nikon CLS in the book and how to make everything work together in different situations. There is also some good general information about different qualities of light and the use of light modifiers so it’s not just for Nikon shooters.

Light Snow Falling

While other parts of the country have been hammered, we were getting mostly flurries or plain old rain. It looks like the snow is now falling in earnest and since it is Sunday there is not likely to be much effort to clear the roads until much later tonight.

I am warm and happy, looking out the window at the chilly display and wondering if I want to go out for a walk before I go to work. It looks like I have to take Louis the Furtography dog out since his owner did not. The guy on the radio says it’s twenty seven degrees outside. Brrrr…

Louis decided he wanted to go for a long walk in the snow and ice and after a while he had big chunks of ice stuck in his paws and was doing his lame dance. He was about half frozen which is his own fault so I had to stop the photography and carry him all the way home trying hard not to fall down on the snow covered ice. Between the dog and the massive camera bag, I was breathing pretty hard by the time I got home. Now that I’m warm again I think I might run over to the market to get something for lunch and dinner.

While we were out Louis and I stopped at the dog park where he started barking at a painting of a dog on the side of a utility company junction box. That was pretty funny and Louis was a little embarrassed when he figured out it was not a real dog. A lot of these big green utility boxes have been painted over with interesting designs. One of my flickr friends who goes by “formica,” took Brownie Hawkeye photos of the ones where he lives in Asia. I have thought of photographing the ones around here before but have never gotten around to it. Today I took a couple of snaps of the ones at the dog park . I’m not fond of photographing other people’s art but since these are somewhat transitory I guess it’s not bad to have a photographic record of them. Most of the works are unsigned so there is no way to contact the artists.

I want to get photos at the park downtown but I guess that will have to wait for my day off. I’m still thinking of trekking up to Chicago for a day next week. I hope the airports are not on total lock-down because of the lame attack on the Delta flight the other day. That was a close call and I’m thankful that there was a positive outcome. This is not a political or social commentary blog so I’ll leave it at that.

I’m going to walk over to the store now…

When I returned from the store I dumped the morning photos to the laptop and got ready for work. I’m taking my camera just in case I decide to go outside at dinner time and grab some quick shots.

I have only been to a few holiday parties so far but I am in the minority. While I was sick with a cold everyone else was going to a steady stream of parties and having a grand time. It is now plain to see that all the parties are having an affect and people are starting to get worn out. Meanwhile… I am beginning to feel a little better but still on the tired side and wishing I could just hibernate for the next month or so.
I’t time to start thinking about getting some exercise so that when Spring arrives I will be able to fit into my traveling clothes and go somewhere exciting. I’m still trying to get out of town to Chicago or New York but the weather stinks right now and the flights are probably super crowded as well.

You can’t tell from this photo but I have gotten my hands on a new lens and I will be testing it out over the next couple of weeks if the sun ever comes out. The best reason for getting a new piece of kit is not just so you can say you have more stuff than the next guy but to give you an excuse to try new things or new ways of doing things. Most people will advise you to spend your money on really good camera lenses instead of the camera body because the lenses last much longer (at least in theory). I went the other way around when I got my last camera because I wanted a bigger viewfinder, faster focusing and more frames per second. The LCD display on the back of the camera was also a big improvement over the postage-stamp sized display of my old camera. My idea was to get a camera that was more user friendly for the type of photography I liked to do and I’m pretty happy with that decision. Fast forward a couple of years and in my typical wishy-washy style, I finally convinced myself to bite the bullet and buy a new lens which is actually worthy of the camera. I just hope I’m worthy of using it to take decent photographs. There is nothing worse than having a good piece of gear at your disposal and then finding out that you are a complete hack. Fortunately even hacks can learn and grow in time if they try hard enough.

I’m not suggesting that it takes a lot of money to make good photographs because in my experience some of the best photographs are produced with simple and inexpensive cameras that can be bought for under ten dollars. I just finished a roll of film in my Brownie Hawkeye Flash, that I converted into a pinhole camera. I somehow managed to get the shutter mechanism stuck and only one side of each frame was exposed. In fairness, the camera is over fifty years old so I could always blame my problems on that. The truth is that I had a lot of fun and it didn’t cost me nearly as much as taking photos with my ridiculously expensive digital camera.

I have also been having a lot of fun the last few days taking low resolution blurry photos on my ridiculously expensive iphone camera. My favorite application at the moment is called “Polarize,” which is a free app to make your photos look like old Polaroid SX70 photos. I have only had the iPhone for a couple of days but it is hard to imagine being without one if you are any sort of social person at all. It’s instant gratification times ten. Instant photos, instant messages, instant movies everywhere all the time. I don’t know if that is bad or good because the newness has not worn off yet and I’m still in the honeymoon phase. My only hope is that it lets me get more done instead of just wasting the little time I have.

There for Anyone To Change

I was going through some photos this morning and thinking about all those things that a person thinks about at this time of the year. There are still a few parties left to go to before the end of the month and a couple of presents to open but then the year and the decade will finally be over.

I always have the random lyrics to a few old songs rattling around in my head, half-forgotten. The ones that came to mind today were from Jackson Browne,

“And while the future’s there for anyone to change, still you know it’s seemsIt would be easier sometimes to change the past…“

Some people are frightened by what is behind them, fearing that the past might catch up with them while others fear what lies ahead waiting in the dark. I’m not sure which is worse but both are pretty scary. I’m no good at telling fortunes or making fortunes. I don’t even have a reasonable explanation for things that happened last week and maybe that is due in part to having a cold this week and not really feeling like I am living in the present moment. I don’t have any serious problems of my own to worry about so I’ve been worrying about the things I hear on the radio instead. I wonder if we will ever get things right on this planet before we completely ruin the whole thing. Parts of the world seem stuck in the dark ages.

The few people who seem to care enough to do something about the problems of the world seem to get pushed back on every front. Peacekeepers and relief workers are slaughtered along with the rest of the ravaged population. There is a lot of evil in this world and once in a while there are moments of incredible beauty that seem surreal. How can the two things exist at once? If I keep thinking about it long enough I’m sure I will drive myself insane.

Is there anyone out there who still feels like we can change the world? The future is there waiting for change but who will change it? I’m still trying to figure out how it all works. Tomorrow or the next day when my body has battled back against the cold virus, I will be more positive and optomistic. I will try to do better and be kind to people. I will try to keep on smiling.

-->

You're As Cold As Ice

It’s flat out cold here and even a couple of snow flurries have come and gone but nothing to really alter the landscape in any exciting way.
I’m feeling tired or lazy at the moment and I am not looking forward to going to work today but maybe it will distract me and give me something useful to do. It seems like I have not had the cameras out much in the last week. I’m still trying to finish my BHF film but it looks like that is going into next week.
I really wanted to get to New York or Chicago to take photos of the Christmas displays but I don’t know when I can find the time to go. It seems like ages since I have been on a trip but unfortunately trips just seem to be getting more and more expensive all the time and more work to pull off. I may have to pull out all my photos and take a virtual trip. I’m sure I could spend a week going through boxes of old prints and thinking about all the places I have been.
I guess the cold weather is a good excuse to get things organized. It’s been a while since I put together any photo albums. We pulled out a box of 11×17 prints yesterday and it was pretty cool going through those. I wish I could afford frames for all of them but of course right now I have it in my mind to buy a new lens instead. I just can’t decide what I want or if I even need one. Everyone has a different opinion about what is best, which makes sense because everyone has different needs. I would be nice if you could afford to buy one of everything and then make up your mind later.
This photo had a little bit of green cast from the mercury light at camera left so I decided to go with it for a sort of cross-processed look. I gave it a little blast of compensated flash in the forground just to put a little detail in the shadow areas. I was playing around earlier with rear-sync flash and taking photos of the Zamboni machine while the ice was being resurfaced. I was hoping the skaters would be more colorful but everyone seemed to be wearing black or gray.

Cold Case FIles

I went to take photos of the lights down at the City Garden Last night. It was cold (and dark). The assistants all went to the Terrace Cafe and had warm deserts while I suffered the cold alone and undisturbed. There were supposed to be people singing Christmas Carols later but we beat it over to ~scape for appetizers and pasta bolognese.

The year and the decade are coming quickly to an end. We are looking for a level horizon and just seem to keep getting tossed around by events coming our way. As the song says, “Maybe next year will be better than the last.”

I wanted to take photos with the canoe today but the girls have the canoe transporting vehicle up in Chicago, today picking up furniture. I may have to go take photos of the kayak instead, though it seems like I already have plenty of those. At least the sun is out today so I should also try to finish up the film in my Brownie Hawkeye Flash camera.

Right now I’m just taking it easy and enjoying the peace and quiet here at home. Well almost. Louis the Furtography dog is back and is his usual annoying self. He looks like a hobo and needs a bath. It’s Saint Nicholas day so don’t forget to put your shoes outside the door. If you’ve been good you might wake up to a treat.

I’m still waiting on the replacement for my Yongnuo RF-602 flash trigger transmitter. These things really do work well and are a bargain compared to some of the other options out there. Just remember my advise to order an extra set so that you have a backup in case one or the other stops working. It’s always a good idea to have extra batteries on hand for the same reason. Everyone in town will be out of stock on the day that you need them.

Time to get moving…

This photograph was taken by my father-in-law Jack Bloss around the time I was born. I found it in a box and did some editing on the faded print years after he passed away. It's one of my favorite images. His wife Kay is the young lady in the photograph. She went to be with him again early yesterday morning.

Farewell Kodachrome

I saw this video today over on MSN and I thought I would copy the link over here for future reference.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Pixel TR-331 Wireless TTL Flash Trigger Review

By now it’s no big surprise that whenever the Strobist community at www.flickr.com discovers (or even gets a whiff of) any emerging products that have something to do with the subject of off-camera lighting, they jump all over it like nothing else I or anyone else has ever seen. The phenomenon of the strobist pile-on is really something to behold. The latest product to grab everyone’s short attention span is the Pixel TR-331 for Nikon iTTL flash units and TR-332 for Canon eTTL flash units. Trying to discuss Nikon and Canon flashes at the same time tends to make my head spin so I am going to restrict my comments to the Nikon flash version. I am a Nikon guy and the Nikon triggers are what I will be working with. The Canon version of this trigger is rumored to be coming in December 2009 or January 2010. You’ve got to love rumors…

I will begin by saying that I have no affiliation with Pixel Corporation who manufactures these units and that I have no plans of becoming a North American distributor, spokesman or product model for their company. In fact, the first time I heard of Pixel was the discussion about their new TR-331 wireless flash triggers in the Strobist group on flickr.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/strobist/discuss/72157622664286875/

In the early part of that thread the rumor was that these triggers where being sold only to distributors in lots of 100 and that the retail cost of a transmitter and receiver set might be somewhere around $200. I contacted Pixel to inquire about getting a set (or sets) to test; I was told in very clear terms (that lost absolutely nothing in translation) that Pixel does not send, lend or loan hardware for testing and that anyone interested in testing them would have to buy a set at whatever they determined the retail price was going to be. As I mentioned over on the strobist discussion, I wasn’t particularly thrilled with the idea of being a wireless trigger test monkey or in putting up hard cash for unseen and untested hardware and that’s based on my previous experiences with “value priced” remote triggers. Here is a link to the Pixel product page:

http://www.pixelhk.com/en/proview.asp?P_ID=1549

In the rapidly moving world of off-camera lighting a person tends to get bored quickly, which often leads to rash decisions that usually involve throwing caution to the wind and doing the exact same thing that you had just sworn only moments before that you would never do. Just be aware that whatever follows is strictly my personal opinion and not intended to sway you one-way or the other. You have to decide for yourself if these particular wireless triggers will serve your particular needs or not.

I now have one set of the TR-331 triggers in my hands. I have been asked by Pixel not to discuss direct pricing or what I paid for these triggers, which seems reasonable since Pixel currently appears to be in the process of working out the pricing and distribution details with distributors in various countries. I don’t know if they are planning to sell directly to consumers or not, so I’m not going to speculate about it and will just move on to the review or what I like to call…

The Tao of Wireless Flash Triggers

Enter emptiness; it is the space where there is nothing that the usefulness depends.

Unfortunately I can’t begin talking about “The Way” without first talking a little about the how Nikon flash works in general (or at least my understanding of how it works). So be patient.

The Pixel TR-301 (Nikon mount) is a remote flash trigger that essentially uses radio signals in place of a hard-wired hot shoe sync cord such as a Nikon SC-28 TTL.

http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/Product/Flash-Cord/4765/SC-28-TTL-Remote-Cord.html

In case you didn’t know, TTL means “Through The Lens.” The lower case “i” in iTTL stands for intelligent. When any iTTL compatible Nikon flash like an SB400, SB600, SB800 or SB900 is used in the on-camera hot shoe, the output of the flash is measured by the camera metering system and the exposure is adjusted on the fly. At least that’s the simplified version of the story we use to explain it to small children. It’s not so much that using flash (even automated flash) is too far above our understanding, it’s just that there are so many things to talk about and people tend to get lost halfway through the discussion, which usually breaks down into a back and forth debate that leaves people wondering why they should even care. Oh, we care… and we care until it hurts.

First let’s look at what happens when we fire a Nikon flash directly from the hot shoe of a Nikon camera that supports TTL.

• The on camera flash fires a pre-exposure sequence
• The camera metering system measures the reflected light in the center of the frame based on the pre-flash sequence and calculates the power for the flash
• The power level for the flash is adjusted based on any flash compensation that is set on the camera and on the flash, This adjustment also includes any exposure value (EV) compensation set on the camera
• The shutter opens and the flash fires

As you can see there are at least three things you can adjust to affect the exposure. And when I say affect, what I really mean is screw up. Now that we have a basic idea about how TTL flash exposure works with a flash sitting on the camera hot shoe, it seems simple enough to extend the electrical connections between the camera and flash unit by using some sort of compatibly wired cable. I am using a Nikon D300; if you go online you can look at the D300 manual and read about optional flash units (Speedlights) beginning on page 357.

http://www.nikonusa.com/pdf/manuals/noprint/D300_en_noprint.pdf

On page 362 you will find this interesting bit of information:

“When an SC-series 17, 28, or 29 sync cable is used for off-camera flash photography, correct exposure may not be achieved in i-TTL mode. We recommend that you choose spot metering to select standard i-TTL flash control. Take a test shot and view the results in the monitor.”

Hmmm… It’s suddenly clear to me how I came up with that “Test Monkey” concept. Even though I am using intelligent TTL flash photography it appears I am still going to be “chimping” my exposures as I go. For those of you who may not be familiar with that term, it is defined here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimping

In my mind a wireless remote system that is designed to replace a dedicated TTL hot shoe cord is not going to perform any better or in theory behave any differently than the cord with the exception that it essentially gives us a longer, cordless cord. What I want you to remember is Nikon’s advice about trying spot metering because it makes a difference depending on where and what you are photographing.

Off-camera flash photography or “Strobism” is commonly done using a camera in manual exposure mode in order to allow control over the balance between existing or “ambient” light and the artificial light produced by compact battery-operated strobes. Because of the relatively short duration of the light from a strobe unit the ratio of the two lighting types can be controlled by adjusting the camera’s shutter speed and aperture. Another thing that controls flash exposure in manual mode is the power level of the flash being used (and the flash to subject distance). Simple dumb wireless triggers are fine for firing flashes but don’t have any way of adjusting the power level settings remotely. You have to walk over (or climb up to) the flash unit and set the power level manually. On Nikon DSLR cameras with built-in (pop up) flash units you can set the power level of remote off-camera flash units using the built-in flash to send command signals to the off camera units (slaves) using the Nikon CLS (Creative Lighting System). That system uses pulses of light or pre-flash sequences of light to send information to the remote slaves. The CLS system works very well with two minor exceptions; the range is somewhat limited and the remote flash units need to have a direct line of sight to the on-camera commander flash, in order to receive the exposure instruction signals. You might be able to cheat slightly on the direct line of sight limitation indoors where there are walls or ceilings for the pre-flash signals to bounce off of.

You are probably thinking or maybe hoping that the TR-331 units will extend that CLS function by transmitting these signals to the remote flash units in the same way as the built-in flash on the camera does but of course you cannot use the pop-up flash when the TR-331 transmitter is in the hot shoe of the camera because the pop-up has to be up to work. No pop-up flash means there are no in-camera controls to adjust the power level of the remote flash units in CLS mode. You might also think, or hope that you can still use the pop-up flash by simply plugging the TR-331 into the camera’s pc sync port. You can forget that plan because the sync port is disabled whenever the on-camera flash is raised.

When you have an SB800 or SB900 flash unit in the hot shoe of the camera they can behave as commanders for remote slaves just like the built-in flash with the added ability to control a third group of remote flash units. Since the TR-331 does not have a hot shoe on top of the transmitter, you cannot directly attach a flash to it to act as a commander for other off-camera flash units. So you have this long wireless wire but if you wanted to adjust the power level on the master or slave units you will need to walk over to the master flash on the TR-331 receiver and adjust it from there. While an SB800 flash operating in Nikon CLS allows you to set your remote units to several groups and adjust those groups to different power levels independent of each other, the TR-331 only appears to support one group consisting of one flash on a receiver set to MASTER and one or more flashes on receivers set to SLAVE. You can set the exposure compensation of the remote MASTER from the flash menu on the camera since I currently have only one RX unit so I was not able to test what affect adjusting the flash compensation (on the camera menu) has on the RX units set to SLAVE. There are no power level settings or adjustments on the TX or RX units and the flash adjustments on the camera menu are limited to those that would normally be available if the flash were on the hot shoe of the camera. Basically that means red-eye reduction, slow sync, rear curtain sync (I’m not 100% sure about this one) and flash compensation settings. There are no CLS group settings available on the camera when the built-in flash is not deployed.

Nikon CLS is not just about TTL metering but also about the ability to adjust the output or power ratios of separate groups of flash units. Because the TR-331 only has one available group you cannot use it to adjust ratios between groups remotely. Because the normal pre-flash does not appear to be used for TTL calculations with the TR-331 trigger, the flash appears to be dumping full power or close to it each time it is fired by the wireless trigger.

In general practice I have a lighting ratio in mind when I set up my off camera lights but my first best guess is often wrong and I have to lower the light stands, adjust the power and then reposition the lights. If you are shooting a live subject who is doing you a favor by posing for a photograph they usually get impatient very quickly and all this required fiddling with power levels is no help. I can understand why a lot of photographers are looking for a way to remotely control their lighting from the camera because more convenience generally translates into more productivity. I think they may be slightly disappointed by what I have to say next…

When I access the [remote, master, master (rpt), remote, su-4] menu on the Nikon SB800 flash I notice that as soon as I put the flash in the hot shoe of the TR-331 (turned on or off) that the master and master (rpt) menus went away and also that the A/AA menu option went away. To me this shows that the CLS functions are not supported when used with the TR-331.

I also tested to see if I could determine if the transmitter fires a pre-flash for exposure calculation in TTL mode. To do this I set the flash to rear sync mode on the camera menu and chose a shutter speed of around 1-1/2 seconds. The idea is that if there is an exposure metering flash (pre-flash), it will fire at the beginning of the exposure and then the flash will fire a second time (rear sync) at the end of the exposure. Flash, open shutter, flash, and then close shutter. Sounds good but it does not seem to work. I only get one flash. The TR-331 manual states the following:

[i-TTL] capabilities support various parameters through the camera flash setting, including exposure compensation, FV lock, anti red-eye reduction flash mode / anti-red-eye reduction slow sync, rear-curtain flash sync, site the ISO sensitivity, power zoom functions and so on.

The red-eye reduction flashes do seem to work though a lot of people are not wild about using that feature because it seems to make people blink before the actual exposure. The power zoom feature also works but it seems this would only be useful for those times when the remote flash unit was the same distance from the subject as the camera. I don’t think this would normally be the case except perhaps in a studio situation. For situations where the camera is much farther from the subject than the flash you will probably want to set zooming flash heads to manual and then adjust them according to your creative desires. I tested this and when auto zoom is on it makes the flash nuke the subject because it naturally assumes you need more power the more the flash head is zoomed to match the focal length of the lens being used. This distance information seems to work well on the TR-331. How useful it is will depend on what type of photographs you are trying to create.

The transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) units have slow flashing red LED lights to show when they are powered on. This is very handy because the RX display is hard to read when a flash is mounted on it and there is no test button on the RX. Any time the two units are communicating the LED lights change from blinking red to rapidly pulsing blue. This blue flashing can go on for a relative long period of time. For instance, when I power up the camera it takes approximately six to eight seconds before the blue pulses stop. If that is the actual amount of time needed to alert the remote flash to exposure or mode changes then I would be concerned when shooting fast moving subjects. You might find yourself waiting on the flash a lot or taking time to take numerous test shots to see if the adjustments really updated on the remote flash. Both the SB600 and SB800 flash units seem to wake-up right away when you lightly press the shutter button on the camera.

The TX and RX units have battery level indicators on them, which is a nice feature. It may also alert you the fact that the battery is not seated fully in the TX or RX, even though other functions seem to be working. In fact the digital displays are very nice in general and a big improvement over tiny DIP-switches that are often difficult to change with just your fingers. Hold the power button down for two seconds and the TR-331 units spring into action with a little animation Pixel logo. The previous channel settings are retained from when the unit is turned off, which means you are not forced to constantly set it back to what you want. There is also a backlight on the display that is activated when you briefly press the function button. That’s neat. The function settings work just like a digital watch. Hold the button (or buttons) down for a couple of seconds to access the modes and channel settings. It’s simple and it works well.

When using the TR-331 for multiple flash setups, the first flash is designated the master and all other flashes are slaves. This means that you set the first RX to MASTER and then set all the other receivers to SLAVE. Because I only have one RX unit at this time, I have not been able to determine exactly how this affects the function of the units and speculating about how they might work seems pointless. The RX in SLAVE mode did seem to wake-up when the camera with the transmitter was turned on but it would not fire. After way too many test shots in different metering modes, I can say that the Auto FP (high speed sync) seems to work (I only tested it up to 1/2000^th of a second so far).

The MANUAL mode is primarily for studio flash units or other flashes that are not Nikon TTL compatible. The TR-331 set ships with a couple of decent looking cables for using them with studio flashes. I got fairly reliable results when I used the triggers in manual mode but I have had numerous issues with the TTL mode because the flash appears to fire before the shutter is fully open (I can see the flash fire in the viewfinder).

I have replaced the batteries in the TX and RX with new ones and I am still having issues with flash sync. At this moment I can detect 20 individual wireless networks in my building. During the day when I am near a window I have detected as many as 40 at one time. I’m going to try testing the TTL mode again tomorrow from a different location. Switching channels did not seem to increase the reliability. It is possible that I have the units too close together and this is causing some sort of feedback or interference as well.

When I have managed to get the flash and shutter to sync using TTL mode it works pretty well and I can adjust the flash output by using the exposure compensation available on the camera. I tried testing sync with my trusty old D70 and had the same issues. I just wanted to rule out that I had somehow fried the hot shoe on the camera by possibly frying another camera.

In short, I like these units a lot though they may fall short of wish list of features that many photographers are currently hoping for at a price they feel they can afford to pay. At the moment they don’t seem to be working as reliably as I would like them to but I’m willing to give them the benefit of doubt until I can at least determine the source of the problem. There are a lot of things I like about the TR-331. It’s going to ultimately come down to features versus cost factored with reliability and performance. Even after establishing any sort of benchmark for reliability it is going to be prudent to have back-ups when something breaks.

The main point to remember with any sort of light metering system is that you are not going to be able to randomly set up lights, blast away at full power and then have some sort of automation solve every lighting problem for you. Automation only works up to a certain point and TTL metering cannot fix huge errors in lighting exposure.

The Tao of Wireless Flash Continued…

In conflict, be fair and generous.

I have now taken many, many photographs with the Pixel TR-331 Wireless Flash Trigger set. At least I would have if the transmitter and receiver were doing what they are supposed to do. Rather than bore you with two days worth of trial and error results, I’ll just say that I have come to the conclusion that my transmitter (TX) and or receiver (RX) are either defective or were damaged in transit. My best guess is that there is a short in the TX between the circuit board and the hot shoe. Of course this all chafes, bites and stings but it is not the world’s worst problem and can be easily resolved. It is very frustrating when something works, then sort of works, then stops working, starts working briefly and then finally stops working again. I’m going to set those issues aside for the moment and tell you what I have learned about these triggers. What follows is my personal opinion, probably flawed and about the best I can do.

I like these triggers. They seem to mimic the iPod TouchÔ design theme with flat, glossy black (plastic) tops. The digital display and function buttons make setting the modes and channels on the TX and RX units a breeze compared with the tiny switches found on many of the other Chinese wireless triggers. The Pixel TR-331 triggers add the ability to transmit the camera flash menu settings to the off camera flash. Any changes made in the flash mode menu on the camera are sent to the off-camera flash and appear on the flash menu display as though it were sitting on the camera hot shoe. You can control functions like red-eye-reduction, slow sync, rear sync and any available combinations of those options that are included in the camera menu. The TX and RX also recognize when the camera is set to FP HSS mode. You can sync the flash up to the camera’s maximum shutter speed, which is useful for taking flash photos in bright sunlight at low apertures.

A lot of people were hoping that the advertised TTL function meant that the TR-331 would also allow access to the Nikon CLS flash features or at least permit some sort of hybrid arrangement that might combine radio frequency signals to a Nikon commander flash at increased ranges and then enable the commander to send CLS information to several groups of slaves. The Pixel TR-331 has Master and Slave settings on the RX units but this only applies to TTL functions. Pixel has confirmed that there is no communication between RX units and that the Pixel master and slave RX functions are both controlled by the TX unit on the camera hot shoe. The current asking price of the TR-331 combined with the lack of CLS compatibility may be a deal-breaker for many photographers looking for low cost, acceptably reliable flash triggers. For the cost of one Pixel TR-331 transmitter and receiver set; you may be able to purchase four or more sets of the Yongnuo RF-602 triggers or similar units from Cactus. When it comes to low cost flash triggers, emergency spares and backups seem to be the name of the game especially when replacements can take several weeks to arrive in the mail.

It seems as though there is no free lunch when it comes to wireless flash solutions. You have to learn to decipher the advertised features and then decide if these types of products will fill your needs. For instance, I don’t think that wireless flash triggers offer much of an advantage for wedding photographers who use mostly on-camera flash or flash mounted on a bracket to shoot TTL and bounce flash along with the ability to move quickly around a venue. I’m not sure that TTL is extremely useful in general for off-camera flash, where you need to set groups of flashes to different power ratios for customized lighting setups. The ability to remotely control power level adjustments seems much more useful to photographers working alone and don’t want to waste time walking back and forth between flash units to make minor power level adjustments.

I feel like going for a drive and taking some photographs today. I’m thinking of making a bumper sticker that says:

MY OTHER TRIGGERS

ARE POCKET WIZARDS

Pixel TR-331 Wireless TTL Flash Triggers

Pros:

• Replaces dedicated TTL cable with wireless radio transmitter and receiver
• Supports Nikon flash menu functions (slow, rear sync, red-eye-reduction, ect.)
• Auto zoom mode on flash head with compatible flashes
• Controls off camera Master flash output from camera flash compensation menu
• Digital channel & mode selection through two simple function buttons
• TTL and Manual transmitter modes
• Master and Slave modes on RX units
• Supports Nikon FP HSS high-speed sync mode
• Locking wheel on TX and RX hot shoe foot
• Backlight on TX and RX display
• Programmable ROM may allow extra functions in the future? See jack on TX unit
• Low battery / power indicator on TX and RX display
• Advertised long battery life in standby mode
• Uses 2.4 GHz frequency for increased range

Cons:

• No communication between Master RX and Slave RX
• Does not support Nikon CLS Commander mode or groups
• RX display is difficult to see with the flash connected to the hot shoe
• Nikon flash units obstruct function buttons when connected to RX
• Possible quality control issues
• Uses relatively expensive CR2 batteries
• In-use TX battery life likely to be substantially reduced from stated standby times
• Feature set versus cost
• Price per unit versus the competition

Summary:

The Pixel TR-331 is a bit of a tease. It promises some very cool things and appears to be able to accomplish them. That leads people to believe that it can do other things that it can’t currently deliver and does not claim to. I don’t think any deception is intended. We simply seem to be the victims of our own high expectations, endlessly searching for the best of everything at the lowest possible cost.

I think the addition of factory programmable memory is a big step forward from previous simple wireless triggers used as replacements for pc sync cables. It shows what can be done even if all of our needs and wants are not included in the current feature set

After getting two defective (or damaged) transmitters in a row from two different companies, I am fairly frustrated by the whole world of wireless flash triggers.

For many photographers who want to experiment with off-camera lighting the Nikon Creative Lighting System is still the best and most reliable choice but only if you can afford the cost of Nikon flashes. If you currently have a Nikon camera with an on-board flash that can serve as a remote flash commander, you can buy one very nice Nikon SB600 for just slightly more than the current price of a set of the Pixel TR-331 wireless remotes.

Nothing is foolproof but if I had to make a recommendation at this point, I would be leaning towards Nikon CLS, especially if you are working at relatively short distances or indoors. Nikon CLS works as intended and Nikon flashes are here now. There is no waiting period required while the manufacturer works out the kinks in the product or delivery.

I’m sure I’ll have more to say in the future when I get my replacement triggers.

Gravity Well

Have you ever seen one of those large round fiberglass funnels that you put a penny in and watch it circle round and round as it constantly picks up speed until it finally drops out of sight never to be seen again?

That's a lot like the way I have been feeling lately. I keep going down, down, down and I keep going faster and faster. There is just too much going on at this time of the year with holiday visits from family and friends, big changes at work (why do they always wait until the end of the year?) and not enough time for anything. So no matter how fast you go, it's almost impossible to overcome gravity as it pulls you down towards that dark opening. The exception to insurmountable gravity this week was the Space Shuttle, which had a successful launch the other day to carry tons of spare parts up to our orbiting space station.

I've been updating the www.insidetheviewfinder.com blog a little more often than this one and the two blogs are a bit out of sync at the moment. So rather than trying to replicate what is going on over there I'll just try doing my best to explain it here in a few short sentences (I hope).

I have been continuing to test the new RF-602 wireless flash triggers and yes, I am still waiting for a replacement transmitter for the defective one that I received with my original order. I was hopeful that it would show up today but it did not. I am also trying to get my hands on some Pixel TR-331 wireless flash triggers that promise some very interesting new features. There seem to be a lot of rumors and misinformation about these triggers already, so I'm going to hold off on any speculation until I can test them for myself and write a review about what I find out.

We have had rain here yesterday and today and lots of it. I went out to take photos today and it was basically a bust for what I had in mind. I only took one photo with the Brownie Hawkeye Flash that I converted to a pinhole camera. It's a fairly easy project that requires no special tools and extends the capabilities of the Brownie a lot.

As you can see from the previous posts, I have just completed my initial review of the Pelican 1510 Carry On equipment case for www.adventurecanoe.com but I'm not completely finished yet. I've still got some other options and configurations to try out and I'm hoping for a day of decent weather so I can get out in the canoe and use the Pelican to help me get some photos out on the river.

So I have a bunch of new stuff happening and not a lot of spare time to get to everything done that I need to. I'll bet a lot of you are in the same situation. Wish me luck.

Yongnuo RF-602 Wireless Remote Review

I just received a couple of sets of Yongnuo RF-602 Wireless Remote Control units in the mail. I got them primarily to use for triggering my off-camera flashes and as an added bonus they can also be used to wirelessly trigger a camera including activating an autofocus lens prior to the shutter being released. Professional photographers (also known as photographers with an equipment budget) usually choose PocketWizard brand radio triggers for their paid gigs and no serious (or semi-serious) trigger review can get by without at least mentioning PocketWizards as the standard by which all other wireless remotes are measured. Most people will tell you that if you can afford the PocketWizards to just go ahead and buy them and have no more worries.

In case you are not aware of the cost, the current price of a PocketWizard Plus II Transceiver/Relay Radio Slave – Combined Transmitter or Receiver in One Unit is $169. The thing you need to remember is that you need at least two units to do anything, which is basically to trigger your flash units (or camera) with solid reliability over ridiculously long distances while never being bothered about tripping over a bunch of messy sync cables.

For those of us without expense accounts or annual hardware budgets, there are inexpensive though “somewhat” unreliable flash triggers that can be purchased under various brand names from online retailers and auction sites. Low cost, sketchy construction and the reliability of a love stricken teenager have given them affectionate nicknames such as “PovertyWizards” and “FleeBay Triggers.” The good news is that there are a lot more choices now than in the past for budget priced flash triggers. Since my old Cactus V2 units were getting long in the tooth and didn’t seem to be cutting the flash mustard for outdoor shoots; I decided to go in search of the illusive, legendary, low cost and reliable remote flash trigger. If I want it bad enough and have faith it must exist.

A good place to start looking for anything related to flash photography is over at the strobist group on www.flickr.com where you will find lots of useful information along with colorful opinions about what works and what does not. The Yongnuo 602 triggers seemed to be getting the most chatter lately so after careful consideration and the realization of my lack of available funds for anything more expensive, I decided to order a couple of sets of the Yongnuo remotes and test them for myself.

I guess if you somehow stumbled over here by accident you might be asking, “Why do I need wireless flash triggers anyway?” Simple – there are no wires; and no wires means you can put your lights almost anywhere you want to without being restricted to the length of a sync cord or even tripping over the wire and knocking over your expensive flash or precious camera. Without wires you have better working range and greater flexibility so you can back up or move around easily. You can also put the flash behind things or even outside a closed window, which is sort of like having the power to walk through walls. Trust me, wireless triggers are a good thing and you want them. With Nikon cameras and dedicated flashes we have something called the Creative Lighting System or CLS for short. It works great in places where the flashes can directly “see” another flash on the camera that is set to send command signals with exposure information from the camera metering system or in other setups where the camera command signals can bounce off of walls or ceilings to be seen when the flash units do not have a direct line of sight. CLS works great for a lot of applications but has some limitations like range and the need for a direct (or semi direct) line of sight in order to communicate with the on camera commander flash or dedicated commander unit. In case you have not already guessed, you need Nikon flashes to use the CLS system.

In this review I am going to be talking about using the RF-602 with Nikon cameras and flashes in manual mode. Specifically the Nikon D300 camera and Nikon SB600 flash units. The Yongnuo transmitters and receivers come in different versions, which basically relate to the pin configuration on the camera hot shoe and the matching foot on the remote transmitter and receivers. There is supposed to be a wake-up function for flash units that have a standby or power saving option and that requires the correct pin layout to be able to communicate with the flash. My initial test of that function using an SB600 flash failed. The work around for now is to disable the standby mode in the custom setting menu on the flash. I hate to say it but that particular “feature” on the SB600 flash is more trouble than it is worth. When used directly on the camera the flash wakes up whenever you half-press the shutter release and it should work the same way on the triggers as well, or at least that is what I was led to believe based on the RF-602 instruction manual. I doubt if there is actually much of a savings in battery power using the standby mode unless you were to inadvertently leave the camera on all day and night. Just remember to turn off the standby mode on the SB600 and everything should be fine. If I find a better solution I’ll post an update. I suspect the problem is with the receiver wiring to the hot shoe because the half press function works fine when used with the 3 pin shutter release cable and the indicator light on the receiver turns green when the shutter is pressed half way.

I did send an email to Yongnuo asking about the wake up feature and got a response back that basically asked me to try it on a different flash like an SB800. I don’t happen to have one of those handy at the moment and I’m not likely to be buying one in the future since they have been discontinued by Nikon. I may try to borrow one sometime soon just to satisfy my own curiosity. I’m pretty confident that it will not work on the hot shoe either but I have a feeling that if I had a three pin to pc sync port cable that it would. The three pin connector seems to be wired correctly but the hot shoe does not. That’s my theory but if I was truely adventurous, I would take one of the receivers apart and verify my suspicions.

I sent another email to Yongnuo this afternoon because when I was doing my range tests today the metal foot came off of the transmitter when I tried sliding it on to the camera hot shoe. I was a little confused at first and thought that the pins where sticking out of the base too far so I looked over at the hot shoe on the camera and saw that the metal foot from the transmitter was still in the hot shoe and that the three screws used to hold it to the transmitter casing had come out inside the transmitter. I was sort of in disbelief for a few seconds until I remembered that these are inexpensive Chinese remotes. Of course something is going to go wrong, that’s just part of the deal. I decided that this would at least be a good test for Yongnuo’s customer service department but I was a little unhappy to have my plans for the rest of the sunny afternoon interrupted by a defective piece of equipment.

Back to the range testing… Preliminary tests in front of my high rise building last night showed reliable triggering at 120 feet. When I got up this morning I did a scan from my front window and found 47 wireless network signals. I don’t know if these two things are related or not but it seemed worth noting that radio interference may affect range and reliability. Based on the results that other people have posted online, I decided to retest in a different location. I went over to Forest Park where there are a couple of big soccer fields surrounded by more open space. I brought along a thirty-foot tape measure and put a Sunpak 383 flash on a light stand so it was about four feet off the ground. Since I was by myself I had to walk back and forth to move the flash but it was a nice day so I didn’t really mind. I was able to fire consistently at 250 feet holding the transmitter in my hand.

Some people claim that the range is increased when you touch the transmitter because your body acts as an additional antenna. I’m not sure if that is true or not and since the metal mounting plate fell off the trigger I was not able to verify that the shutter was actually syncing beyond 200 feet even though the flash continued to fire when I measured it for the last time at 250 feet. In fact I could fire the flash with just the transmitter in my hand all the way from goal to goal. Unfortunately I didn’t measure that distance and when I went to check the standard dimensions for a soccer field online, I found out that soccer fields actually vary depending on where they are. It’s no wonder that soccer is not the national sport here.

The bottom line is that I am very happy with the increase in range of these remotes over my Cactus V2 triggers. I’m sure that everyone will have slightly different results depending on their local conditions anyway, not to mention a few people who are prone to making wildly exaggerated claims to impress their internet peers. I don’t have a lens long enough to really need that much range but on the other hand I would not want to be constantly working at the limit of useable range either. It’s good to have more range than you need or think you need.

I’ve already hinted at quality concerns. Some people may want to compare the RF-602 remotes to the Cactus triggers which up until recently were among the favorite choices for inexpensive remote flash triggers. One thing I didn’t like was the little swivel foot on the Cactus triggers and I was sure that one day I would break one by accidentally over-tightening it in an effort to support the weight of the flash (so far so good). On the RF-602 I’m not wild about the little battery (trap) door on the transmitter but at least it has a door so you don’t need a screwdriver just to change the battery. It’s hard to say if one or the other of these kits could stand up better to abuse. It’s like asking which would bruise easier, an apple or a pear? I’m sure the answer is both. I guess the idea is that these remotes are cheap enough to be easily replaced when the time comes. My recommendation is to use some of the savings from your low cost triggers to buy a backup set so that when one of the receivers or transmitter units eventually fails (possibly on the first day out) that you are not out of business.

The RF-602 remotes have several features I like. The direct mount to a hot shoe means I don’t have to buy any additional connectors or cables. In fact I was happy to discover that these units ship with a couple of useful cables as part of the kit. What kind and how many may vary depending on who your supplier is and what brand of camera you order them for. Be sure to verify what is included in your order when you buy anything online. I was a little suspicious about the quality of the cables before I saw them but for the money I think they are actually pretty nice. I’m hoping they hold up in use but since most people will be using the remotes primarily for hot shoe flashes the cables should not be a problem.

I also like the lower profile of the RF-602 receivers compared to the Cactus V2 for using on umbrella mounts so that the flash sits a little closer to the center of the light modifier. For some reason it just looks a little more professional and less prone to accidental movement.

It’s pretty cool that this set can also function as a wireless shutter release (or cable-less cable release if you prefer). Unfortunately the length of your exposure is going to be limited to 30 seconds because the transmitter does not lock the shutter when in bulb mode. You could hold the button down on the transmitter for thirty minutes to take star trail photos but I’m guessing you wouldn’t enjoy that very much and at the same time it would kill your batteries. For most things short of 30 minute bulb exposures I usually get by with just using the cameras self timer. I think the remote shutter release might be very useful for sporting events where you could place a remote camera near a goal line to take a wide shot at the same time you where taking a close-up with a long lens on another camera.

I also like the function lights on the 602 transmitters and how the flashing light on the receiver reminds me that it is still turned on. The switch on the receiver is flush and has a solid feel when you turn the unit on or off, plus it is clearly labeled so there is no guessing which direction is off or on unlike the tiny switch on the Cactus receivers.

The hot shoe on the receivers is brand specific and the lock on my SB600 flash works well with those. On the Cactus V2 there was a real danger of the flash sliding out of the hot shoe because there is no hole for the locking pin. My Sunpak flash has a little locking wheel that works fine on just about anything so there are no problems with the Cactus V2 if you have that sort of arrangement on your flash

Another interesting feature is that it looks like it is possible to use two transmitters on different channels as a radio relay or signal repeater to increase your effective trigger range, though this is probably going to reduce your maximum sync speed at the same time. Since my second transmitter fell apart today I won’t be able to test this trick feature but others have and say it works. I can’t say how or when that might be useful but it sounds pretty cool.

Another hot topic of discussion of discussion when it comes to wireless flash triggers is maximum sync speed or the maximum shutter speed that can be used when taking flash photos. Basically the shutter has to be open at the same time that the flash goes off. It’s actually a little more complicated than that because most camera shutters have what is known as front and rear curtain shutters. In simple terms this means that the shutter opening is really a moving slit that travels across the frame and in order to get a proper exposure the flash has to fire between the time that the first curtain opens and the second curtain closes. That timing in what really determines the maximum sync speed.

Many people seem to be confused about why the flash triggers do not seem to be able to sync above a certain shutter speed on different brands of cameras. The short answer is that sync speed is limited by the maximum sync speed of each camera. On the Nikon D300 the maximum sync speed is 1/250^th of a second. There are times when it does not seem to work at the stated maximum sync speed and the most common cause generally appears to be low or weak batteries in the transmitter or receivers of the wireless remote system. Electrical interference and physical obstructions may also prevent syncing the flash at the maximum available speed.

The main thing to remember is that you are not going to be able to sync correctly at a shutter speed that is higher than what the camera manufacturer states as the maximum. There may be some crazy exceptions to the rule if the specifications actually lean to the conservative side in favor of reliability. I decided to run another unscientific test for maximum sync speed and grabbed my trusty old retired Nikon D70 out of the closet. The D70 has a maximum sync speed of 1/500^th of a second because of its electronic shutter. I tested the D70 at 1/500th with the Yongnuo triggers and got perfectly synced photos with no problems working indoors at close range. That was not a very demanding test but it did show that the system was able to sync to the maximum available speed with that camera. Yongnuo claims the ability to sync up to 1/250^th second but the triggers do not seem to be a limiting factor if the camera has a higher sync speed available.

Something else that other reviews have pointed out is the need to be cautious about using older high voltage flashes with the RF-602 triggers. I guess you will have to read the specifications for your older flashes or have them tested to see if they exceed the allowed voltage for the Yongnuo remotes. I’ve already had the pleasure of blowing up all my old flashes so I can’t help you sort out any compatibility issues. The rule seems to be never to mount anything on the RF-602 receivers that you wouldn’t dare to mount directly on your camera.

My initial conclusion (barring any troubles getting my defective transmitter replaced) is that the RF-602 transmitter and receivers are a big improvement over my old Cactus V2 wireless flash triggers. For occasional use they may be all you ever need to control your off-camera flashes in manual mode. For prime time use they might still keep me awake at night worrying about what could go wrong on the next day’s photo shoot but to offset my concerns I could probably afford to purchase a spare set (or two) of the RF-602 wireless triggers and still be under the cost of a set of PocketWizards, Cybersyncs, or RadioPopper remotes.