Radio Trigger delay

[RalphLambrecht]

I've purchased two old Vivitar 283 flash units and already one a Nikon SB26 flash, plus my Nikon 800 has a build-in flash; my plan is to use a radio transmitter for firing the two Visitors; the SB 26 has a built-in slave to be triggered. My question is, assuming my built-in flash will fire first together with the radio transmitter, what is the time delay until the Visitors and the SB26 will fire? Has anybody ever measured this; the radio trigger manual has no info on this.

 

[spijker]

I think that the modern radio triggers from brands like Godox, Yongnuo or Cactus etc are fast enough. I've used a pair of Yongnuo RC603ii in the past and they did the job fine with a shutter speed of 1/200. But be careful with those Vivitar 283 flashes as they have a high sync voltage ( > 200V). Make sure the radio receiver can handle that. Here's a website that lists some candidates for you.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I think that the modern radio triggers from brands like Godox, Yongnuo or Cactus etc are fast enough. I've used a pair of Yongnuo RC603ii in the past and they did the job fine with a shutter speed of 1/200. But be careful with those Vivitar 283 flashes as they have a high sync voltage ( > 200V). Make sure the radio receiver can handle that. Here's a website that lists some candidates for you.

thank you for your concern but Rather lose a radio trigger than my camera.

 

[Bill Burk]

I can't imagine there is any delay at all (X sync is immediate and radio waves travel very fast).

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I can't imagine there is any delay at all (X sync is immediate and radio waves travel very fast).

Yes, but how fast does the electronic react to a signal? In any case, I'll measure it soon.

 

[M Carter]

I've used old and boxy Quantum slaves, cheap Yongyou/Amazon/Chinese stuff, and my current PocketWizards. Never had issues with timing, but my flash sync has been in the normal range, 1/250th, 1/60th, 1/400th depending on the camera. Make sure you get the oddball sync cords for the Vivitars!

What I have found that's a big issue - the cheap Chinese stuff I tried doesn't sense the trigger on some of my older gear. RB lenses won't fire it consistently (if fact only my 90mm will trip it once every 5 or so pops); my Minolta spotmeter F won't either. My older PC-equipped smaller shutters, like copals on 4x5, prontors on folders, etc - will fire it just fine.

I think the RB must have more resistance in the circuit or something (ever see an RB flash sync? Big butch brassy looking parts). No clue on the spot meter. Just something to watch out for.

As far as synch voltage, I only use one receiver, and use peanut slaves and similar on the other units. Sometimes it means rigging an extension to get the peanut into the lit area, but it's generally less hassle than powering multiple receivers - I've only needed multiples for things like shooting in a factory and having packs strung out among machinery and things like that, or having packs and heads outdoors blasting through windows.

 

[John Koehrer]

Yes, but how fast does the electronic react to a signal? In any case, I'll measure it soon.

At the speed of light.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

we'll see

 

[John Koehrer]

Watch out for the photons and their pals, electrons.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I think that the modern radio triggers from brands like Godox, Yongnuo or Cactus etc are fast enough. I've used a pair of Yongnuo RC603ii in the past and they did the job fine with a shutter speed of 1/200. But be careful with those Vivitar 283 flashes as they have a high sync voltage ( > 200V). Make sure the radio receiver can handle that. Here's a website that lists some candidates for you.

Yes, I just tried and the radio triggers I bought work well with the Visitor 283s;nothing burst into flames yet.

 

[tezzasmall]

I think that the modern radio triggers from brands like Godox, Yongnuo or Cactus etc are fast enough. I've used a pair of Yongnuo RC603ii in the past and they did the job fine with a shutter speed of 1/200. But be careful with those Vivitar 283 flashes as they have a high sync voltage ( > 200V). Make sure the radio receiver can handle that. Here's a website that lists some candidates for you.

I obviously have a later model as mine is only 6 volt, if I remember correctly. But as this poster says...

'Reports of older units packing 300 volts or more abound. When cameras were all mechanical this kind of voltage wasn't a problem but used on modern electronic film or digital cameras that kind of voltage may be destructive. Unfortunately mis-information also abounds. There are claims that those "made in Japan" units are the oldest and will have this problem. I have a 283 from the Japan era and it measures less than 10 volts just like my Korean unit. The only way you can be sure is to measure the voltage coming from your own 283 before using it on a modern camera.'

Terry S