Fuji Flash

I think most (everything?) is full manual, and I've got a cheapo Chinese wireless trigger for a x20 flash and two nikons SB800s, and that works perfect!
 
Yongnuo 560 III with built-in radio receivers, plus Yongnuo 603 triggers. Cheap and effective.


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i picked up a couple 603 transceivers based on the good reviews for budget pieces. plus, my Yongnuo branded speedlite has always been great. then, i returned the 603s. they were already failing. due to schedule and being concerned about reliability (i don't want to chance that on assignments), i ended up getting a set of the Phottix Strato II transmitter/receiver. love them.

Phottix Strato II Multi Wireless Trigger Gear Review:

i may end up getting Pocket Wizard eventually so i could get that Pocket Wizard flash trigger for a Sekonic 358 light meter.

edit: phottix has a speedlite (mitros) with built-in tranceiver (transmitter & receiver). how awesome is that. i'm loving the phottix so much, i'm thinking about getting the Strato TTL and a Mitros.


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Hey Romi - what would you recommend for a first setup? I want off-camera flash, 1 light for now but the ability to add a second later if it goes well, and cheap. The default answer seems to be the Yongnuo setup, but you say they failed quickly? What's the sweet spot for not having to blow over $200 to find out if this whole thing is for me?
 
ohh.. it was only with the dumb Yongnuo transceivers (as opposed to their smart tranceiver) that i kept having issues with. but their flashes have been solid, still.

the Phottix Strato II transmitter & receivers i've been using have been solid as well. they do add functionality to control groups right from the transmitter. i've been using them with a couple Yongnuo flashes. a Strato II transmitter + receiver can be had for $88.79 right now on Amazon. and a Yongnuo 560 III can be had for $71 right now in Amazon. this can give you room for a cheap travel-sized light stand + umbrella holder + umbrella. something with a bit more quality may run your whole external flash setup over $200.

just to note, the 560 IV now adds a built-in transmitter as well as having a built-in receiver (like the 560 III only had). so, you can trigger a 560 III and control its flash output from a 560 IV, wirelessly. the Yongnuo 560 IV can be had for the same price of $71 right now on Amazon, surprisingly. so you might as well get that. $74.20 if you want to include two sets of whatever rechargeable batteries. eventually get some Eneloop Pros though -- they give faster recycle times and have a good life to them. plus, you save monies in the near future.

for a little bit more money, i've really been liking what i've seen from reviews of the Cactus V6 transceivers. and they're surprisingly cheap (IMO). you can control groups as well as the output directly from the commanding transceiver. they have profiles for many name brands and third party brands, also allowing you to create a custom profile. i've seen some YouTube videos of people using a Nikon profile to control some Yongnuo models.

the V6 transceiver itself is $70. you would need two of those, plus whatever flash. or, you could get one transceiver ($70) and their RF60 flash ($175) which has a built-in receiver. the V6 can control both the power output and the zoom range of the RF60. unfortunately, that setup comes out to $245 (which i think is still a good price considering what functionality is offered). here's a blog of Damien Lovegrove using a V6 & RF60 setup on his X-T1. he's also got YouTube videos of him shooting with his Fuji.
 
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i say try the Stratos II transmitter + receiver and a Yongnuo 560 IV. that's $159.79. if you go through Amazon where Amazon is the seller and should you decide to return it for a refund, Amazon provides a free UPS return label. as soon as UPS scans it when you drop it off, the refund happens momentarily.
 
right? i'm even considering the V6, myself.

sometime last year, i read rumours about being able to do this with future Fuji bodies (particularly the X-Pro successor) as there will be a transmitter built in and a future flash with a built-in receiver. probably far-fetched for Fuji though. loll
 
So it's a V6 ($70) in the hot shoe on the camera, and then the Cactus RF60 flash with built-in receiver ($175, for a total of $245)

or...

it's 2 V6's ($140) and a Yongnuo 650iv ($71, for a total of $211)

...right?
 
ops! i think i forgot the link...

Rosalinde on the Streets of Den Haag - X-T1, Cactus V6 trigger - ProPhotoNut by Lovegrove Adventures

So it's a V6 ($70) in the hot shoe on the camera, and then the Cactus RF60 flash with built-in receiver ($175, for a total of $245)

or...

it's 2 V6's ($140) and a Yongnuo 650iv ($71, for a total of $211)

...right?
^
correct. i couldn't tell you if that particular Yongnuo model is on their list of supported flashes, but you could always do the learning feature or try one of the current profiles as i've seen people doing.
 
Months later, I am still sitting here battling it out in my head... V60 trigger and matching cactus flash? Or save some $ and go Yongnuo... So hard to figure it all out.
 
The Cactus V6 system is great if you have legacy TTL flashes in the Canon/Nikon/Pentax systems. Otherwise, you have to get the Cactus RF60 as your off-camera flash as it's the only manual flash the V6s can give you remote power control on.

YN-560III/IV is a cheaper unit, and gives you all the same function (remote power/zoom) if you use a YN-560-TX as your dedicated transmitter, and, like the RF60, has the bonus of a built-in receiver, so you don't have to remember to bring along the trigger and batteries for same. A cheaper unit matters if you plan on buying multiples.

But Yongnuo isn't really made for heavy-duty pro usage, so if that's your usage case, I'd say go for something more robust like a LumoPro LP180 and give up remote power control, or maybe consider a more robust, expandable triggering solution, say Phottix, RadioPopper, or PocketWizard triggers--where the manual and TTL triggers can inter-operate with each other, so integrating additional types of lights, such as studio strobes, becomes less of a hassle. Or, pick a triggering system that can control the power level on your studio strobes (e.g., Cybersyncs with AlienBees, or FT-16 with Godox Wistros or Vings).

I'm a hobbyist shooter who only occasionally does off-camera lighting, and I own a lot of Canon eTTL-II gear. I use my YN-622C transceivers, my 580EXII and YN-568EX, and a YN-622C-TX with my Canons (where I have full everything-- TTL, HSS, remote power, settings, groups on/off, etc.), and my micro four-thirds GX-7 and X100T (where I have remote manual power/zoom control and groups on/off).
 
Wellll I got two Yonguo 4's, and the remote trigger with level setting. I've just barely begun to understand it and use it, but I can see where it's going to make some new things possible. Biggest headache for now is not having a way to attach them to anything... to get them off the ground, or off a table. I wound up shooting a group shot this weekend through a blue and white umbrella on the ground. Don't judge me.

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KBRX6006
by gordopuggy, on Flickr

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KBRX6025
by gordopuggy, on Flickr
 
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