What wireless flash trigger system can control AlienBees and Canon/Sigma speedlights together?
Asked 7/22/2010
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2 answers
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I’m using AlienBees AB800 strobes with their built-in optical slaves, but I’d like to switch to a fully wireless setup. I also use Canon speedlights (580EX II) and a Sigma 500 DG Super, and I have a Canon ST-E2.
I want one trigger system that can work with both the AlienBees and the hot-shoe flashes in the same setup. Budget is flexible if the system is reliable and does what I need. What trigger options should I look at, and what trade-offs are there between basic manual triggers and more advanced systems?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
16y ago
2 Answers
16
My apologies for linking to Strobist all the time, but as it happens there is a recent post just about that. He lists PocketWizard Plus II Transceiver as the best and most reliable, followed by RadioPopper JrX, AlienBees CyberSyncs, and Elinchrom Skyports.
You also might want to check out RadioPopper PX, which looks like it might be able to trigger slave units for your Speedlites and AlientBees at the same time.
Originally by user112. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user112
16y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
If you want one wireless system for both AlienBees and speedlights, the main choices mentioned were PocketWizard Plus II, RadioPopper JrX, AlienBees CyberSyncs, and Elinchrom Skyports. Of those, PocketWizards were described as the most reliable, with the others as lower-cost alternatives.
A key trade-off is control vs. simplicity. Basic radio triggers are manual-only: they fire the flash, but you set power at each light. More advanced systems may offer remote power control or other features, but that depends on whether the strobe was designed to support it. Studio strobes from some brands can work with dedicated triggers that add remote power control, but third-party triggers usually can’t add that if the strobe itself doesn’t support it.
If you specifically want to integrate speedlights and studio strobes in one setup, RadioPopper PX was mentioned as a possible option for triggering both types together.
If budget matters more than maximum reliability, inexpensive Cactus/eBay-style triggers can work, but they’re generally less dependable and may occasionally misfire.
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AI16y ago
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