Phottix Odin Transmitter

My Phottix Odin flash triggers just arrived, and oh, man, it’s like Christmas came early at my house.

Finally a gear-maker has delivered all the features I’ve been wanting in a flash trigger for years!

• TTL Metering? – Check
• High Speed Sync? – Check
• Second Curtain Sync? – Check
• Manual Power Settings? – Check
• Multiple Groups? – Check
• Backward Compatibility with cheaper triggers? - Check
• Super Low Price? – Well, um… six out of seven ain’t bad

Seriously, I can’t think of anything that is missing from these triggers. Technology has finally caught up to my fantasy wish list.

So, why is this trigger a big deal?

First of all, it’s one of only a few TTL triggers on the market.  The others, including the Pocketwizard Flex System, and the RadioPoppers, are ridiculously expensive, and in the case of PocketWizard, known to have some radio interference issues with Canon flashes.

So the Odin is newsworthy with its lower price point, rock-solid reliability, well-built construction, and user-friendly operation.   (I managed to set it up and test it without even consulting the manual.)

The price point looks even better when you consider the backward compatibility with older Phottix triggers, like the affordable Strato and Strato II Multi. (You can see my previous reviews of those triggers by clicking those links).

Of course, any flashes attached to the older Strato series receivers don’t transmit TTL information.  But frankly, for me, this is not a problem.  Because in a given lighting setup, I typically want only my main and fill lights in TTL mode, while my rim lights or background lights are locked down in manual mode anyway.

So the Odin gives me a perfect way to use the heap of Strato receivers that I already own—to power my manual back lights, while using my Odin receivers for the front lights in TTL mode.

Odin Test with Speedlites (click to enlarge)

I set up a little test rig just to illustrate this mix-and-match scenario for you.  The moment I un-boxed the new Odin, I attached my two Odin receivers to two TTL Canon flashes (for the main light), and then I put some older Strato and Strato II receivers on two additional Canon flashes in manual mode, to serve as back/rim lights.

In other words, I’m using four different types of Canon flashes, and three different types of Phottix triggers, all at once.  How’s that for mix-and-match?

See the nearby image of my first test firing of the four flashes, on my kitchen counter. Straight out of the box, first shot, and everything is firing.  I love it when stuff just works!

Odin Indoor Test with 4 Flashes

It was raining outside, so I couldn’t do the “overpowering the sun with high-speed sync” shot I had in mind, so, instead I dragged the lighting setup into my living room and bribed my daughter to stand in for a few test shots.

You can see my lighting setup nearby, and the photo that resulted from it. (Mind you, this was not an attempt to create art, it was just me confirming that the gear works and that all the flashes and triggers were firing and doing what they are supposed to.)

It went perfectly,  with no misfires, and accurate TTL metering on the subject in every shot.  It just works.

Odin Indoor Test Lighting Setup

The next day the weather cleared up, so I again bribed the offspring to stand for a few shots, this time out on the deck in bright sunlight.  This was the test I wanted.  Can I overcome the sun with a speedlight in High-Speed sync while using a wide aperture for backgrdound blur?

Odin Outdoor Test (1/1000 sec) HSS

You bet I can.  See the shot nearby.  She is rim lighted by the sun.  Note the blur on the buildings in the background from a f/4.5 aperture.  That required a shutter speed of 1/1000.  Try doing that with your manual flash triggers!

All right, you may be saying, but I could do that with the Canon or Nikon built-in wireless flash system.  But you couldn’t. Not in this configuration.   See my lighting setup shot.

Odin Outdoor Test Lighting Setup

From my shooting position, I was standing nearly beside my main light, too far forward for the flash to see a master’s signal.  And the fill light was hidden behind a concrete wall!

With Canon or Nikon wireless, no line of sight means no communication.  With the Odin, I don’t have to worry about line-of-sight between my master unit and my flashes.

Now I’m free to move around and put my lights wherever I like.  This is liberation.

I think you can see now why I’m excited about these triggers.

Early users are also reporting that the Odin works with many Canon-compatible third-party flashes, but you’ll have to do your own research there, as Phottix makes no promises (and who can blame them?)

Nikon shooter?  Be patient, your Odin is coming soon.

Now that I think about it, there is one thing Phottix left out of the Odin that would be handy. The infrared focus assist beam that you get with an on-camera Speedlite or a Canon ST-E2 transmitter can be a lifesaver in low-light situations.   (Of course, that beam still shines from your remote TTL flash, but it won’t do much good if it’s firing into an umbrella.)  For some shooters who do a lot of low-light work, that could be a problem.

But for me, even without that little feature, these are simply the best flash triggers I’ve ever seen.

Check Odin pricing at the Phottix Store

P.S. If this techie stuff seems over your head—or beyond your budget—you might want to start with my beginner off-camera-flash course which teaches you the basics of how to get started with off-camera-flash on a shoestring budget.

Phottix Strato II Multi

If you follow my product reviews at my photography training website, you probably know that the Phottix Strato has long been my favorite radio trigger for off-camera flash photography.

(If you want to learn why, you can watch my video review of the Strato.)

Well, the geniuses at Phottix have just improved on perfection by creating the new STRATO II MULTI flash trigger.

The Strato II Multi has everything found in the Strato, plus these additional features:

- 4 Groups (A,B,C,D) for more easily setting up different lighting zones
- Increased range (from 100 meters to 150 meters)
- Power switch on transmitter
- Locking ring on receivers
- Test buttons on all units
- Backward compatibility with earlier Strato receivers

New A,B,C,D groups

I’ve been testing the new Multi’s and I love them.  The quality of the construction is as solid as ever, and the new group selection buttons on the rear of the transmitter look and feel more like the controls on a high-end Danish stereo system than a Chinese radio trigger.  This is top quality gear.

And the backward-compatibility with older Stratos means that I now have approximately enough triggers to light a small third-world country.

Nice work, Phottix!

You can price or buy the new Strato II Multi at the Phottix site here.

And as always, if you shop from my links, you help support this site and make my free videos possible.

This was supposed to be a sunset shoot on a gorgeous rooftop of a high-rise downtown.  We had the perfect angle to place the setting sun behind the models for dazzling backlight effect.

Everybody ready? Lights, camera, action…

Clouds.

Oh well. I’m on a roof with several beautiful models, so we’re going to make the most of it.  Switch to plan B.

Since we had a gray day I tried to create dramatic lighting and dramatic effects in post-processing to make the best of the situation.  Underexpose the sky (oops, missed that in some shots when my camera got bumped into Av mode instead of Manual. How did that happen?).  Add some vignette in processing and punch up the blacks, etc.

I’m not sure I really succeeded, in getting exactly what I wanted, but do I like some of the shots.  And more importantly, I learned some things from my mistakes.  Sometimes that is more useful than getting exactly what you planned for.

This was all lit with Speedlites. The techniques I’m experimenting with here are all part of the preparation for an upcoming course on “Advanced Off-Camera Flash.”

I’ll keep you posted on that.

The other day I went in for a $5 lens cap and came out with $75 worth of stuff, including the book ON CAMERA FLASH: Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography by Neil van Niekerk.  I should know better than to even peek at the book rack.

But in this case I’m really glad I did.  Because this book kicks ass.

Now, I consider myself a fairly advanced flash photographer.  After all, I sell a course on off-camera flash photography on my own website.  I know a thing or two.  But of course, the more you learn about photography, the more you discover there is to learn.

That’s why I’m always thrilled to find a book like this one.

This is a serious book for serious photographers.  But unlike many serious books, it’s written in friendly, concise, easy-to-understand language, with plenty of photos to illustrate the points, and with an intuitive feel for areas that may be confusing to beginning or intermediate shooters, and may therefore need extra explanation. Neil van Niekerk turns out to be that rarest of things: a great teacher.

The book is divided into four sections:

1. Where Do We Start?
2. The Technical Stuff
3. The Techniques
4. Taking it Beyond On-Camera Flash

The bulk of the book lies in Sections 2 and 3, with 1 being essentially an introduction, and 4 being a pointer to the vast world of off-camera flash that can be explored elsewhere.

I consider Section 2, The Technical Stuff, to be well worth the price of the book alone.

If you want to thoroughly understand the interplay of Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO, and Flash Exposure Compensation, you can’t find a much better or briefer explanation than this.

I actually found myself pulling a white shirt out of my closet and taking test photos while reading his explanation of how to use the histogram to set your exposure.  How often does a photography book actually inspire you to take camera in hand and try to recreate the author’s examples?  For me, all too rarely.  But I found myself doing it several times in Section 2.

Section 3, The Techniques, is also jam-packed with useful information.  From simple flash modifiers, to bounce flash, to outdoor techniques van Niekerk provides case study after case study using his own wedding and portrait photos to drive the points home.

When I pick up a book like this, on a subject that I’m reasonably familiar with, I’m usually happy if I get one or two “Aha!” moments out of it.  I probably got five “Aha!” moments in Section 2 alone.  I’ll be reading, and re-reading, and re-reading this book for a long time.

Highly recommended.

Buy it on Amazon

As always, if you buy using my Amazon links a wee bit of the proceeds goes toward helping me produce more free content for you.

Cactus V5 Wireless Flash Trigger Set

I recently had the privilege of Beta testing the new Cactus V5 Duo Wireless Flash Trigger during its development phase. Now that the veil of secrecy has been lifted, I’m happy to report that this new trigger is a big leap forward over its predecessor, the V4, and it gives a good run for the money to any other flash triggers on the market.

Those of you who saw the original version of my flash portrait photography course know that I’ve been a fan of Cactus triggers since their venerable Cactus V2 unit (if anything can be called venerable in an industry where new and improved hardware appears every six months).

Now, with the V5, Cactus has taken a completely new approach, abandoning the dedicated transmitter and receiver units for a new transceiver that can serve in either role with the flip of a switch.

Detachable foot creates a flash stand

The new design is handsomely futuristic, looking like a bar of soap from Darth Vader’s shower, and it now has a detachable plastic foot, so the unit can support a stand-alone flash on any flat surface.

For mounting, the V5 includes a female threaded coupling on the bottom, allowing you to screw it directly onto a light stand without any kind of shoe or bracket required.  And it has a nice high-quality metal foot on the bottom for mounting in standard hot or cold shoes.

The unit is powered by two standard AAA batteries (a huge advantage over past models and competitors that require a funky CR2 battery), concealed in a nifty spring-loaded tray that pops out at a touch.

Mounts easily on an umbrella bracket with a cold shoe attachment

As for performance, I found the V5 to be flawless, as did most of the other Beta test group.  As with competing brands that operate in the 2.4 GHz range, the V5, for me, was rock solid, with no interference and no misfires.  The V5 boasts 16 channels that you can select with a dial, and even something the manufacturer calls “Frequency Self Tune” which is supposed to help keep the units firing in extreme weather conditions.  (I’ll have to take their word for that, since I live in San Diego where an “extreme weather condition” might be an unexpected drop from 70 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit.)

Hot shoe on top—but no TTL pass-through.

Only one feature disappointed me on the V5, and that was the lack of TTL-pass-through on the hot shoe atop the unit.  Of course, it’s great to have that shoe there—it allows you to mount a flash on the unit while it’s on your camera, perhaps to provide some on-axis fill light.  That’s great. Trouble is, that flash has to be set manually, just like the remotes, instead of working in TTL mode to adjust its exposure or help with auto-focus.  By contrast the Phottix Strato, which I reviewed recently, has a hot-shoe with TTL pass-through atop its transmitter, and I have found that feature very useful.  Maybe in the Cactus V6…

The V5 also works as a Wireless shutter release for most cameras, but I was unable to test that at the time of this writing because I haven’t yet received the connecting cable.  I hope to update this part of the review when I get a chance to test that feature.

Summarizing  the Pros and Cons as I see them:

PROS

• Slick design
• Good construction
• AAA batteries (an advantage over the competing RF-602)
• Detachable stand-alone foot
• Flawless 2.4 GHz reliability
• Long range (100+ meters)
• Wireless shutter release

CONS

• Lack of TTL pass-through (compare to Strato)
• Somewhat large and bulky (compare to Yongnuo RF-602) in the camera bag

The Cactus V5 can be purchased from the Gadget Infinity website here:

http://www.gadgetinfinity.com

Given the high quality, reliability, long range, convenient features, and favorable price, I expect these triggers to become quite popular.

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Footnote: If you want to know how triggers like this are used, check out my course on off-camera flash portrait photography where you can see me use and explain this kind of gear in great detail.

Phottix sent me a pre-release set of these new triggers to test, and now that the product is on the market I can finally talk about it.

I love this trigger. It’s got all the 2.4 GHz reliability of the Yongnuo RF-602 (previously my favorite in the low-budget trigger market), but with the added advantage of a TTL-pass-through hot shoe.

If you don’t know what the heck that means, or why it might be useful, then watch the video!

And if you buy a Strato from the link below you’ll help keep me fueled with beer (which leads directly to an increase in the quantity, if not always quality, of my photography and tutorial production).

Phottix Online Store Strato Page

Gotta love YouTube for always coming up with a splash screen where I have a funny expression on my face. They must have a special filter that searches for those frames.

If you’re interested, here is my course on Off-Camera Flash Photography.

Every wonder why the display on your Canon Speedlite 580EX or 430EX flash is blinking at you?  Ever want to throw it against the wall because you can’t get it to stop?  Here’s the solution.

Warning: It’s a bit of a rant.

Here’s my breathless 10-minute rundown of all the current contenders for radio-triggering your off-camera flashes.

This is an update of the information contained in my course, “How to Shoot Professional-Looking Headshots and Portraits on a Budget with Small Flashes.”

This technology is changing fast, practically daily, so I’ll make periodic updates available as things evolve.

I hope you find it helpful, and I welcome your feedback or stories of your own experience with any of this gear.