Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

I currently own a CyberCommander I use in conjunction with my E640s and am now considering the purchase of the CST CyberSync so I can leave that unit on my camera and use the CyberCommander to control the lights. I understand that I am able to fire the units from the CST, but no where on the site can I determine how to fire the units in groups that are established on the CyberCommander.
Thanks
Mark

When a group is established and selected via the CC, the lights not in that group ignore any fire command until a CC tells them otherwise. So if a CST gives a fire command, only the lights in the selected group will respond. The CST itself would not be able to select the group.

So if I have lights 1 and 2 on frequency 1 and 2, but in a single group, what do I set the CST frequency to?

Tech gave you the correct info, but I will elaborate. The CST will fire the lights in whatever pattern is set up on the CC. You must use the same frequency on both, and on all light units, not two different frequencies.

You set up groups on the CC. If, for instance, the CC is set to Group 3 and you fire from either the CC or CST, only the lights in group 3 will fire, and the modeling lights on lights that are not in group 3 will be extinguished and their flash will be inhibited. So what you see is what you get, whether firing from CC or CST.

Now, if the CC is not on a group, but is on a specific channel (say Ch 2), firing from camera sync terminal of either CC or CST will fire all the lights - same as what you see. But if you press the Meter Button or Test button on the CC, only the light Ch2 will fire and/or be metered.

Finally, if you want to meter all the active lights, you would select ALL on the CC left joystick, then press Meter. This will give you an aggregate of all the lights in actual camera f-stop. From there, if you want to bracket the entire setup to achieve exactly the camera f-stop desired, just press the left joystick up or down . . . this will change all the lights simultaneous and the display will tell you how many 1/10s you have added or subtracted and will also tell you the new camera f-stop as you bracket.

It's usually advisable to return from ALL to an individual channel. If you do this, then return to ALL, the bracket amount will say 0, but the displayed aggregate f-stop will be the same as when you bracketed.

But remember one thing: After you have metered an aggregate ALL reading, if you then make any adjustment to any individual light, or to a group, this changes the aggregate camera f-stop. So if you make such a change, then return to all, CC is unable to calculate the amount of aggregate amount of light, so it will say <0f. All you have to do then is press METER again (in ALL) and you will get the new camera f-stop and, if desired, you can bracket again to achieve the exact desired camera f-stop.

Clear as mud . . . right!