Help me understand slavery!

Let me admit right off that I've never used a strobe in slave mode. But I can easily envision at least three situations where I might want to:

1. I find myself with only one working sync cord, but still two working strobes

2. I borrow a strobe that is incompatible with my cords.

3. I want to use three strobes to better light a fisheye WA scene.

My questions:

a. Does the slave provide less light than the wired strobe (i.e., because of the time it takes it to be activated BY the wired strobe)? If so, how much less light does the slave provide in the shot than the wired strobe (1 stop?)?

b. What other drawbacks are there to using one wired and one slave strobe? (If there are none, then why EVER risk flooding two strobes/sync cords instead of ALWAYS using one wired and one as a slave?)

c. If you routinely (and successfully) use slave strobes, what special advice do you have for those of us who don't/haven't?

TIA,

Hi Bruce,

This one will be fun! I've used Inon and Sea and Sea strobes as slaves, and recently, I've used a DS200 as a slave in the swimming pool.

The main disadvantage I see is that the slave doesn't fire 100% reliably. This depends of the orientation of the strobe and slave sensor, how dark it is, how reflective your subject is, and how close you are to the surface.

Problem #2 is if you are VERY close to the surface, the specular light from ripples can set your slave off.

I'm sure others have lots of other good input. I've used a Z220 as a 3rd slave (to 2x Ike 200's) when I was shooting at 17mm and it worked well to light the center of the frame.

Cheers

James

a. Does the slave provide less light than the wired strobe (i.e., because of the time it takes it to be activated BY the wired strobe)? If so, how much less light does the slave provide in the shot than the wired strobe (1 stop?)?

Assuming the same distance and settings it will not differ in light output. The mechanical shutter can not compete with the speed of light and the electronics. Both strobes will fire in the time it takes the shutter to open and close.

b. What other drawbacks are there to using one wired and one slave strobe? (If there are none, then why EVER risk flooding two strobes/sync cords instead of ALWAYS using one wired and one as a slave?)

James answered it. Reliability problems is the most important drawback. Besides scattered light from the surface, you also have take into account that your strobe may fire from someone elses strobes. Might drain the battery too much.

In a jam though, it's always useful to be able to use a strobe as a slave.

Cor

I used this configuration more then once and its works.

At macro it’s very reliable, almost at 100% of the time the slave works perfect.

WA is a different situation, its work if you have big subject that reflects the light from the master to the slave (big fans and so) if not, most of the times the slave won't work.

You can use a simple fiber optic cable between the master and the slave for more reliability.

Another nice thing you can use with slave is to activate your model's strobes to fire at the same time with yours so it can create nice frames.

If you are slaving Inon strobes off of each other, this is a nice piece of kit;

http://inonamerica.com/products.php?produc...=4&subcat=1

The Z-220 did not initially function as ttl slaves, but this may have been changed. A Z-240 will, though. So you could manually set the power on the master strobe, and the TTL Slave will replicate it quite accurately.

This setup would yield 100% firing. Remote slaves rarely do.

To me the main drawback of using slaves is that you strobes will fire in everyone elses images - ruining their shots! And then the strobes won't be ready to fire for your shot.

Yet another reason for solo divin'!

Alex

http://inonamerica.com/products.php?produc...=4&subcat=1

It's got to be a royal pain to run a cable from the output surface of one strobe to near the output of the other in a WA setup. Know anyone who's actually using a setup like that?

If you really want to use three strobes why not get a cable splitter or a third synch socket put in your housing?

Alex