eTTL & Manual Strobes w/complete control at the same time...The Rules Have Changed!

[MyKey]

Last night TriCoast got to play with not only the RadioPopper PX Units (transmitters and receivers) but also the final prototypes of the RadioPopper Jr. Units. Knowing we had a huge weather cold front coming through and the weather was going to be bad, then all of us were either out of town or shooting weddings we choose to shoot in the middle of the night in the backyard of our studio.

The Equipment Used:
1 Canon 5DmkII camera body
1 Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L lens
1 Canon 580exII flash
1 Canon 580exI flash
1 Canon 430exII flash
1 Alien Bee 400 strobe
1 Alien Bee 1600 strobe
1 RadioPopper PX transmitter Unit
2 RadioPopper PX receivers
2 RadioPopper Jr receivers
1 old yet pretty truck (Mater)
1 young yet pretty model (Danya)
3 stupid photographers (Cody, Jordan and Mike)

The Set Up:
TriCoast's studio backyard - middle of the night - so dark you need a flashlight not to step in the dog poo in the grass

How we set up the equipment:
Alien Bee 400 on photo left - bare bulb (7" silver field reflector used only) mounted with a RadioPopper Jr receiver unit

Alien Bee 1600 inside the shed (no lights we turned on in the shed, the light you see is from the strobe firing) This light was also bare bulb with only the 7" silver field reflector used) angled to bounce off the back left wall inside the shed which threw the light around the inside of the building.

Canon 430exII with RadioPopper PX receiver mounted on it, placed next to shed to bounce off the outside of the shed around the back side to give a little separation of the shed from the fence and yard

Canon 580exI with RadioPopper PX receiver mounted on it, placed inside the truck's cap with a green stoffen/omni bounce on it to gel it and to add some interesting color.

Canon 580exII with RadioPopper PX receiver mounted on it, placed off to photo right on light stand used as main light

Canon 5DmkII with 16-35L glass with 580exII flash mounted on camera with RadioPopper transmitter unit mounted on top of the flash to control EVERY LIGHT IN THE IMAGE.

Image Settings:
Camera: Canon EOS 5D MarkII
9:38pm (though the Camera Data says 8:38am - guess I need to fix that huh)
Shutter Speed: 1/6 of a second
Exposure Program: Manual
f/stop" 4.0
ISO: 800
Focal Length: 16mm


We were able to control every light output from the Master Flash or the RadioPopper PX transmitter. The Master flash controlled the Canon flash units and the RadioPopper PX transmitter controled the RadioPopper Jr receiver units power.

It was VERY COOL to stand in one place and be able to take a test shot, look at the lights, every light and adjust the power as needed without moving!


So with all this said here is the image we captured, again nothing special we were not going after award winning but more of a Holy Cow this stuff works and works well. The neat thing about the RadioPopper PX Units is right on the menu is a G1, G2, G3 which has 1-32 power settings in each group. Simply adjust the number and you have more and less power. While we used two AlienBee's we could have used three if we wanted too!


And finally I want to ad Jordan Chan and Cody Clinton were the Masters behind this photo in all aspects I just was the smuck that got lucky enough to watch them work!




We recorded the entire event for part of our lighting DVD coming out on TTL wireless flash - as well as Tips and Tricks on wireless TTL flash! So we will post some parts of it soon!

VERY COOL STUFF - COMPLETE FREEDOM!!!!

[PhotoByLeal]

Pretty cool lighting.... I like it Mike!
How's everybody doing in Lake Jack?
We need to have lunch sometime, when I am down there and your in town....




later,
angel m. leal jr.

[HutchPhoto]

Way Cool Mike !

Do you have any idea as to when Kevin will release the JRs ?? I need them for my AB's ASAP

Best Regards
.

[MyKey]

Originally Posted by HutchPhoto

Way Cool Mike !

Do you have any idea as to when Kevin will release the JRs ?? I need them for my AB's ASAP

Best Regards
.

4-6 weeks I heard but thats not the best part!

I HEAR THEY WILL BE UNDER $100 FOR A SET!!!

Yeah a VERY secure triggering device PLUS the added bonus of doing something that NO ONE ELSE CAN DO - control AlienBee, White Lightings, Zeus lights in the process!!!!!!!!

:)

[HutchPhoto]

Originally Posted by MyKey

4-6 weeks I heard but thats not the best part!

I HEAR THEY WILL BE UNDER $100 FOR A SET!!!

Yeah a VERY secure triggering device PLUS the added bonus of doing something that NO ONE ELSE CAN DO - control AlienBee, White Lightings, Zeus lights in the process!!!!!!!!

:)

Thanks for the super quick reply...

Thats great news on the Shipping timeline and PRICE.... Can we pre-order the JRs?

I have the PX system already 1 TX & 3 RX's



Regards

.

[MyKey]

Originally Posted by HutchPhoto

Thanks for the super quick reply...

Thats great news on the Shipping timeline and PRICE.... Can we pre-order the JRs?

I have the PX system already 1 TX & 3 RX's



Regards

.

I do not know about pre-orders but I will make a call or email and find out for you!

Since you have the PX system you will be able to do what we just did and more, so get ready to have some FUN!!!

[robert t]

And now Pocket Wizard is trying to play catch up with their version of radio TTL for Canon.

[David_Janaskie]

That is VERY freakin' cool!

Me likee cool...and useful gadgets!

[Roy]

Mike, are you metering the flash with the Radio Poppers? I'm on the verge but still can't decide between the Popper or the Wizard. I can see a need to be able to meter for flash though.

[MyKey]

Originally Posted by Roy

Mike, are you metering the flash with the Radio Poppers? I'm on the verge but still can't decide between the Popper or the Wizard. I can see a need to be able to meter for flash though.

I meter the eTTL flashes using TTL so in other words they meter themselves.

The manual flashes (alien bee strobes) are in manual mode so normally you would be concerned about the power of these strobes but now with the RadioPopper PX and JR system I can control the output from the PX transmitter with the JR plugged into the strobe units.

Pretty cool huh!

[HutchPhoto]

Originally Posted by MyKey

I do not know about pre-orders but I will make a call or email and find out for you!

Since you have the PX system you will be able to do what we just did and more, so get ready to have some FUN!!!

Mike that would be outstanding... Thank You!

Because of the Soon to be released RP JR's I got the AB's...!
I'm not even looking back as I see it as an investment in FREEDOM to move about the set with control of hotshoe and AB monolights @ the same time! HellsYeah

.

[gmarblestone]

Very cool stuff!

G

[robert t]

I am saving my pennies for the Radio Popper PX

[wondershots]

Well, just bought a used P1 set. I'm always one step behind. LOL. Bet I'll have fun with them though.

[brad]

I am very interested in the JrX's as well... depending on cost, I may end up buying multiple receivers and at least one transmitter... I just need them to come out... NOW. LOL