I’m sorry I don’t have a solution for you. I find I need fresh batteries in my Mini for the STE2 to work but apart from that I have no problems. It sounds like a fault. Try the STE2 on top of your Flex to see if the focus aid light and the ir system is working. Get in touch with Johnsons Photopia (JPD) as they have a dedicated team to help you

I hope this helps,

Damien.

I have all these components (with my 400d), and I just can’t get the ST-E2 atop the Mini to do anything… neither autofocus assist, nor ratio control. A 580exII atop the Mini will autofocus assist (but only when my camera’s CFn are all reset to defaults). But the ST-E2 doesn’t do a thing. Very frustrating. Any advice you can offer? Thanks!

PS. My firmware, switch on progression, etc are all as they should be. My Mini & Flexes are set to factory default settings.

I suggest you get this PW system and this Speedlight Mastery DVD. Having the kit alone is not going to give you the information you need to make your pictures stand out. You will get the bug I’m sure and will want to add a second Speedlight to your system at some time. For this reason I suggest you make good use of the 1 Mini & 2 Flex PW system discount.

If you are on a tight budget you can get this controller and get this flash bracket for your Speedlight. The Lovegrove flash bracket is excellent with the IR system because it allows rigging at any flash angle and pointing the Speedlight body towards the camera for line of sight triggering.

I hope this helps.

Damien.

Thanks for all the information. I’m going on an assignment within a week and wanted your advice on pocket wizards. i shoot with a Canon 5d Mark II and have the Canon 580 EX II flash gun. For this project I’d like to use the flash gun on a stand and wondered which system you recommend. I will be shooting portraits and want them to stand out!

Many thanks,
Sonal

I find I have the same issue in the reception for the dances.
1 on camera 580 exII, one off camera 580 exII and an off camera 550ex all linked with a miniTT1 and Flextt5′s.
I need to reduce the flash power by at least 1 or 2 stops in camera as it is just too bright which means that the on camera flash has no real power at all.
I am so confused about it now – it is driving me mad.
Am I doing something wrong?

I sometimes think that there is a setting I may have missed as the power seems fine on camera, when I move them off camera they seem much brighter.

Any advice would be appreciated.

I like the skyports because they allow me to adjust the power of the ranger from the camera position, and in the studio I can adjust the power of my Elinchrom RX monoblock that is often on the end of a boom.

But I will always carry a pair of plus2 PWs for circumstances when the skyport won’t cut it. Or if they break (they seem quite fragile to me).

Worth also mentioning that the only trigger I ever had completely fail was a Plus2. Needed a new circuit board that cost about 80 quid from memory.

Martin

I’m sure I’ll be in Cork in 2010. I love the city and Liam’s hospitality and friendship.

The Nikon dedicated PW TTL units won’t be out until 2010 but the Pocket Wizard Plus2′s are considered by many to be the most reliable radio unit on the market. I’ve heard great things of the Skyport system so I’m surprised you are having range issues.

A good friend of mine Martin Plant, (technical director of ProPhotoNut) has both the Skyport and PW Plus2 systems so he will be the best authority on the range and reliability issue.

I’ll do you a 1:1 half day shoot tutorial using your kit and then if you want why don’t we do a half day creative shot with Eimear afterwards – just for fun.

Cheers, Damien.

I can see it now …. a naked girl on a fine stallion licking an ice-cream … anyway …. returning to the real world!

Fab – I’ll order those from you today!

Cheers, Ian

You’ve made a great start to your photographic career. I particularly like the shots of Jenna in the field esp the head shot she is using on her web page.

You can get your flex and mini from me here and you will get a discount voucher to use against a workshop.

Why not do fashion, food and horses. Better still combine all three.

Damien.

You’re a star – many thanks!

And I’ll be booking to come on one of your courses soon – I looked at the 8min promo – very impressive!

Where did you get your TT5 & TT1 kit from?

Here are my first forrays in the wonderful world of fashion photography: http://seriousmustard.viewbook.com/fashion#/1/ – now you can see why I …

1) need to come on one of your courses and
2) need some better lighting kit!

Or should I stick to food & horses?

Kind regards, Ian

Thanks for your compliments. Indeed I do have some suggestions. I bought myself another Canon 580EX11 on Monday from Simply Electronics on the Amazon marketplace for £285.40 inc special Delivery. It arrived this morning and I’ve just tested the range of TTL triggering with my Flex and Mini combo and it worked well in excess of 30 meters and through my kitchen wall at the same time.

I recommend you get yourself the 580EX11 a Flex TT5 and a Mini TT1. You will be able to shoot at any shutter speed up to 1/4000th. I was working at 1/4000th at f/4 on ISO100 yesterday in full sun and the flash lit subject lept from the frame. I got goosebumps when I saw the shot on the back of the camera.

If you have an ST-E2 you can use it in conjunction with the Mini to trigger a second flash optically. Expect to want to get a second Flex eventually.

Kind regards,

Damien.

Love your work!

I have a Canon 5D and a 580EX.

I do quite a bit of location work (fashion/horses) so was leaning towards getting another 580 and the Pocketwizard Mini TT1 & Flex TT5.

Do you have any advice/suggestions?

Kind regards, Ian