Best radio flash trigger for Panasonic G5

[Claus33]

I am looking for a radio flash trigger for traveling. Some models are difficult to transport, because their power button is not well protected against unwanted activation.

More important would be support of automatic exposure control. Radio supported TTL seems not be available in the MFT world. But is there a device, which provides some kind of assistance?

Claus

 

[VBester]

The only option I am aware of is the Neewer 850 flash and FT-16 trigger combo. Rumour has it that the latest firmware update to the PocketWizard TT5's will allow you to adjust manual output using the AC3 but I have not been able to get that to work yet.

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All politicians are scum

 

[Peter 1745]

I am looking for a radio flash trigger for traveling. Some models are difficult to transport, because their power button is not well protected against unwanted activation.

More important would be support of automatic exposure control. Radio supported TTL seems not be available in the MFT world. But is there a device, which provides some kind of assistance?

There is a way to get radio TTL remote control in the M43 world but unfortunately not for the G5.

Panasonic uses the Olympus flash system but until the G6, didn't support Olympus's optical wireless flash control system. For G6 and later bodies you can use the Aokatec-TTL device to convert the optical signals to wireless ones. It's a bit cluncky but it does work. This gives you full RF control of compatible remote flashes including remote TTL. The Aokatec-TTL can act as a simple wireless trigger but the remote flashes need to have a sync socket to connect to the receiver unit.

Cactus are rumoured to be working on making their V6 triggers work with the Olympus system but they are not currently compatible. I believe there is some pass through capability, hopefully someone with Cactus experience will post a reply.

I saw a rumour about a year ago that Pocket Wizard were going to release an Olympus compatible controller but nothing has come of it so far.

For the G5 you are best with a cheap RF trigger. There are many available. Use one with a flash with its own "Auto mode" and you will get automatic exposure control. Not all flashes have their own "Auto Mode". The Olympus FL600R and Metz 58 do but the Olympus FL300R and Metz 52 and below don't.

To stop electronic devices turning themselves on whilst travelling I often immobilise slide switches with electrical tape. For button switches I stick corn plasters (the type with a central hole) around the button. This makes accidental activation much less likely.

 

[gdiver]

Cactus does have firmware for Olympus. I will be getting my two v-6 units on Friday. Cactus has already sent me a link to download the beta Olympus firmware. I will try them out this weekend to see how the system works.

 

[Jacques Cornell]

The only option I am aware of is the Neewer 850 flash and FT-16 trigger combo. Rumour has it that the latest firmware update to the PocketWizard TT5's will allow you to adjust manual output using the AC3 but I have not been able to get that to work yet.

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All politicians are scum

FWIW, this flash is made & marketed by Godox outside the US as V850. It is also sold in the US by CheetahStand.com as CheetahLight CL 850. The Neewer model is TT850. The radio triggers are likewise sold under all three brands and called FT-16. The receiver is FT-16s, whereas the receiver for Godox' Witstro AD360 barebulb flash is just FT-16, while the transmitter is the same FT-16 for all.

 

[Claus33]

For the G5 you are best with a cheap RF trigger. There are many available. Use one with a flash with its own "Auto mode" and you will get automatic exposure control. Not all flashes have their own "Auto Mode".

Peter,

thank you very much for your explanations. I recently bought a Nissin i40, which is optimal for traveling due to its small size. Unfortunately it has non built in exposure control. Therefore I am searching now for an table or a smartphone app to calulate the manual settings.

I have not understood yet, why the automatic flash control depends from the difference between G5 and G6. My Panasonic G5 can be operated in TTL mode, if the Nissin i40 is connected via the hotshoe. If there would come a radio flash trigger to the market, which would transfer the TTL data to the flash, G5+i40 should flash automatically - or do I miss some information.

Interestingly there is a petition of photographers on this issue (search with google for "petition ttl mft").

Regards

Claus

 

[Michael Meissner]

I have not understood yet, why the automatic flash control depends from the difference between G5 and G6. My Panasonic G5 can be operated in TTL mode, if the Nissin i40 is connected via the hotshoe. If there would come a radio flash trigger to the market, which would transfer the TTL data to the flash, G5+i40 should flash automatically - or do I miss some information.

If somebody would make such a system, it would work to extend a single flash. You would not be able to use multiple flashes (unless each flash gets exactly the same commands, and you filter communication back to the camera, so that only one flash responds). However, so far, nobody has made such a system.

Depending on the complexity of the flash protocol, I suspect it isn't that hard of a task. If it is just sending pulses on the 3 additional pins, it may be doable by something like a pair of Arduinos with a radio setup. If the protocol encodes things via different voltages, or is a 2 way control system, it may be more complex.

The Olympus cameras starting in 2007, have a remote setup, where the clip-on/built-in flash sends out coded pulses that allow you to control multiple flashes. From the camera, you can control up to 4 groups of flashes with different exposure compensations or other settings. Because this is optical based, the flashes have to be able to see the flash commander to get the pulses. The AOKATEC AK-TTL system has a light sensor that clips on the flash commander, and separate receivers that clip over the sensor of the flash, to relay that stream of pulses to the flash (light sensor sees light pulses, converts them into radio waves, sends it over to the flashes, which then use a LED to recreate the light pulses for the flash). Unfortunately until the most recent generation of cameras (G-6, G-H4), Panasonic did not support this remote mode.

Interestingly there is a petition of photographers on this issue (search with google for "petition ttl mft").

People have been asking for things like this for years. I wouldn't hold out much hope.

 

[Paulmorgan]

I am looking for a radio flash trigger for traveling. Some models are difficult to transport, because their power button is not well protected against unwanted activation.

More important would be support of automatic exposure control. Radio supported TTL seems not be available in the MFT world. But is there a device, which provides some kind of assistance?

Claus

I would not worry with radio TTL, get some cheap triggers and learn off camera manual flash, it is so much more rewarding.

 

[Peter 1745]

thank you very much for your explanations. I recently bought a Nissin i40, which is optimal for traveling due to its small size. Unfortunately it has non built in exposure control. Therefore I am searching now for an table or a smartphone app to calculate the manual settings.

The Nissin i40 is a good flash and works well on the camera. If you have the "FourThirds" version it will work in TTL mode on your camera without any problems.

I have not understood yet, why the automatic flash control depends from the difference between G5 and G6. My Panasonic G5 can be operated in TTL mode, if the Nissin i40 is connected via the hotshoe.

I don't know why Panasonic didn't include the flash RC (remote Control) functionality in their cameras prior to the G6, but they didn't. It may have been a licencing issue or software incompatibility.

This RC functionality allows you to control up to 3 groups of remote flashes from the camera. You can set the flash mode and power level (TTL/Manual/Auto (if supported by the flash)) as well as switching between normal and FP/HSS mode.

If there would come a radio flash trigger to the market, which would transfer the TTL data to the flash, G5+i40 should flash automatically - or do I miss some information.

Here is how the Olympus TTL flash system works. A pre-flash is fired. The camera measures the this exposure and calculates the necessary power of the flash needed for proper exposure. It then takes a picture using the calculated flash power. There are a couple of downsides to this. Firstly the pre-flash can cause subjects to blink so you get photos of faces with closed eyes. Secondly it slows down sequential shooting.

If the flash is remote from the camera the camera needs to communicate with it to:- set the power of the pre flash; trigger the pre flash; set the power of the main flash; trigger the main flash at the correct moment. This is what the RC functions does. Olympus it uses a rapid series of flash pulses to do this.

All a simple radio trigger can do is to send a signal to fire the flash. It can't send the TTL data.

The Cactus V6 is a sophisticated radio trigger that can send TTL data. Currently the support for Olympus flashes is at a beta (pre-release) stage. If it works as well as it does for the Canon flash system you may get what you need. Recent discussion thread about it here .

Alternatively you could buy a flash extension cord to physically link the remote flash to the camera. They are cheap and easily available on eBay. Using a short cord you can hold the flash in your left hand and the camera in your right and take pictures like these by Robin Wong. He used the wireless RC function but a flash cord would have worked just as well. It is worth noting that Canon flash extension cords are often cheaper than Olympus ones and work just as well due to positioning of their contacts.

Don't be too discouraged about the lack of remote TTL. Most remote flash users use manual flash control to set their flash power levels, as the camera can't read the photographers mind about the lighting effect desired. In consequence remote TTL metered exposures often produce sub-optimal results.

I use the RC function to manually set the remote flashes power from the camera as it saves me from physically going to them. However this is just a convenience. I would get the same exposures if I went to the flashes and set the power levels there.

Interestingly there is a petition of photographers on this issue (search with google for "petition ttl mft").

Regards

Claus

--
Regards,
Peter
'Keep taking the photos'