Slave setups for strobes

[dragon300zx]

I know how the radio slaves work. How do the optical slaves work though. The little ones like this one here. (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=62792&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation)

Do you simply fire a flash like a 550ex and the flash or strobes its connected to go off when they see the light from your flash?

[XO-Studios]

I know how the radio slaves work. How do the optical slaves work though. The little ones like this one here. (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=62792&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation)

Do you simply fire a flash like a 550ex and the flash or strobes its connected to go off when they see the light from your flash?
Yup that is how they work.

Some are better than others, especially where it concerns treshold (light difference) and visibility of the master light, some need line of sight, others will fire when they see a sudden difference in light level. I use these quite often to make older Metz CT-45's work as a hair or background light.

FWIW, YMMV,

XO,

[Nikolai]

I know how the radio slaves work. How do the optical slaves work though. The little ones like this one here. (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=62792&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation)

Do you simply fire a flash like a 550ex and the flash or strobes its connected to go off when they see the light from your flash?
Advantage - you can you your 555 (etc) as slave, position it where you want and then move around with the built-in or a snap-on flash and have TWO light sources.

Disadvantage - everybody with a teeny-weeny-tiny built-in flash would trigger yours, thus having all the benefits of your lighting setup (which costs hundrds and thousands) and not paying you back a single penny.. And you'll run out of juice in to time at all..


I'm using this setup when I need a dual light setup (front - F32x with diffuser, side 555 with umbrella/brollybox) AND I'm the only one shooting (at home, studio, dedicated location, etc)

[dragon300zx]

Hmm so either my wein optical slave is crappy. Or the lights I just got don't work. Not a good start to the weekend.

[TristanP]

Hmm so either my wein optical slave is crappy. Or the lights I just got don't work. Not a good start to the weekend.How are you triggering it? Does it take into account any preflash from your camera?

[dragon300zx]

I've got a sigma 500 dg supger I was using to trigger it with. I had the lights setup and was hitting the test button on the sigma to get it to fire, trying to get the strobes to fire, but they never did.

[patch29]

Can you take a photo of the lights you are trying to fire with the slave? Do they trip with a test button on the head?

If you have a household style plug did you try flipping it around? Sometimes that will make it work. That is one think I like about strobes that use a large mono plug, it is always plugged in correctly.

[dragon300zx]

Went back to the store today with the lights. They sold me a peanut slave by wein saying it would work. They simply are not sensitive enough for an older heavy duty built lighting system like the ascor. Got a stronger slave, works fine.