Trying to configure my flash setup.

[MeetMeHalfway]

I'll be shooting skateboard photography with an XT. I have the 430ex right now on a hot shoe slave off camera, but I'd really like to get my on camera flash disabled. I'm pretty sure the route i'll be going is get some slaves off of ebay, (http://cgi.ebay.com/Digital-Radio-Wi...QcmdZViewItem),
and a vivitar or sunpak flash for my rim light,

Configuring it would be fairly simple, no? That transmitter fits right onto the hot shoe on the camera, and i would just need a hot shoe-pc sync cord adapter for 430, and i could put the shoe shoe slave on the fill flash so it will fire when the 430 does via ebay slave. Is this all I'll need? I just want to make sure I'm not forgetting anything.

EDIT: And this will allow me to shoot with my flashes at over a 1/200 shutter correct?

[jorgemonkey]

FYI, the Ebay link isn't working. But I'll take a stab at your question anyway

It sounds like you'd like to fire your EX430 off camera using the Ebay radio slave? If your flash has a PC sync connection then you shouldn't need a PC sync to hotshoe connector, since the slave would just plug into your flash. Now, if your flash doesn't have a PC sync connection then you'll need it.

To trigger a second flash for rim/backlight, then you'll want a flash with a built in optical slave. That way the second flash will fire when the first flash does. If the second flash doesn't have a built in optical slave, you'll need somethin like

I believe that you'll still only be able to fire at your camera's max sync speed.

I've been reading up on all this since I'm getting radio slaves in the next week or so.

[another view]

I couldn't get the link to work so I'm not really sure what you're looking at. The 430 would be mounted near the camera and triggered with a sync cord? I'll bet I don't have that right, but I'm not sure exactly how you're doing it. I've worked as an assistant with a guy who used Pocket Wizards, and it was just a matter of sticking a transmitter on the camera and connecting receivers to the strobes (studio strobes for what we were doing). Getting it to work, as in having all the receivers see the transmitter, is pretty easy. Never had a problem with any of that. But - if you're trying to light a moving subject this way it'll take a lot of experimentation to get all the settings right.

[MeetMeHalfway]

try the link at the end of this post..

My setup would be the ebay slave transmitter on my cameras hot shoe. The Receiver would be placed on the 430 through the pc sync. I'd just need a hotshoe-pc adapter for this flash. Then the fill in light would have a hot shoe slave (which i'm using now) that will fire when the 430 does.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Digital-Radio-Wi...QQcmdZViewItem

[another view]

Initial thoughts: That's really inexpensive for a radio slave set. I know the Pocket Wizard stuff is expensive, but... Also, the seller is registered in China but the item location is "Dayton, United States". I dunno...

It looks similar to Pocket Wizard in concept, at least. I tried to look at their ebay store but it's in Chinese which I can't read - do they offer extra receivers? You could have the radio slave triggered 430 set off an optical slave triggered second flash - I think that's what you're trying to do, and it should work. I have my doubts about this radio slave setup (the "if it's too good to be true it probably is" principal) and optical slaves can be finicky especially if there is any distance involved.

For the money, there aren't many options - other than having the in-camera flash fire the 430 and another flash on optical slaves. Downside is that light from this flash will affect your shot. Lower the output of the in-camera flash as much as possible, as long as the optical slaves will reliably trigger.

[livin4lax09]

AV,

they actually work moderately well...albeit not nearly as well as PWs, but good enough for me to shoot in a HS gym with them.

MMH,
Should work, and you'll need to get a PC to hotshoe adapter. check out the seller magic_trigger on ebay. I got my slaves from them and they're good. I would do business with them again.

Two things to know about the slaves.

the battery that comes in the transmitter is crap. buy a new one from radioshack.

They suck batteries. always pull the AAAs out of the receivers and the battery out of the transmitter when you're done using them.

[jcapphoto]

I bought these slaves from Magic_trigger as well on eBay. I got the 4 channel slave kit, an extra reciever, and 2 of the hotshoe adapters for 50 bucks shipped. That to me is an awesome deal, and I can fire any hotshoe flash and many other flashes that I might want to use. They should be here tomorrow, and I will do a further in depth review then.

[cyberlord]

I've also heard good things about Gadget Infinity on ebay. I think they may even sell the same radio triggers.

I'll be buying be a set in the next month or so.

Tim

[cyberlord]

On the shutter sync speed, I think they reliable top out at 1/250, but I've heard of people saying they have shot at 1/1000.

Batteries in the receivers need to be kept fresh for top sync speeds.

Tim