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Mon Oct 31, 2016 12:28 am

Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2016 1:10 pm
Posts: 6

For years I have used Nikon speedlights as my main flash light sources. I have a RadioPopper trigger system, and have had excellent results with multiple Nikon SB800 flashes and the RadioPoppers.

I decided to upgrade to a pair of Einstein strobes with the Cyber Commander trigger system. I've had them for a little over a week, and I was very pleased with them, until a few days ago when the Cyber Commander failed. While waiting for a replacement Cyber Commander, I decided to try using the Einsteins in Slave mode with one of the Nikon SB800s triggering off of the RadioPoppers. So I set the Slave Eye to "On" on the Einstein, and trigger the SB800 from the camera. Here's the weird part: I can see both the SB800 and the Einstein flash, but I am getting no light from the Einstein unit in the image, just the light from the SB800. So it seems there is some kind of a sync problem where the Einstein unit is triggering either early or late.

I tried firing the Einstein via the sync cord, with the SB800 out of the picture, and that works fine. So I know the Einstein unit is functioning okay. Any insight as to why the SB800 flash is not in sync with the Einstein?




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Mon Oct 31, 2016 8:55 am

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Joined: Tue Dec 08, 2009 10:43 am
Posts: 5266

It is likely from the preflash of one or more Nikon flashes. There is a wide variety of RadioPopper remotes, so I cannot be specific, but if they are TTL compatibel remotes, then there is a preflash that helps meter how much light from the flash is required, which happens before the exposure flash, and that will trigger Einstein early.

Even if the flashes are set manually, some remotes rely on IR or white light "Morse code" signals, even some Radio Poppers, which can take the light signals, translate them to radio, then back. This "Morse code" of optical communication also happens before the exposure, and would still trip the slave eye.

This is not a problem unique to Einstein, as any basic optical slave would act the same way.




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Mon Oct 31, 2016 9:12 am

Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2016 1:10 pm
Posts: 6

That makes sense, thank you. I'm sure that is exactly what is happening.




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