Wireless shutter release + flash trigger with a7IV/a7RV?

[Jacques Cornell]

I'm wondering if a Godox X1R-S or TR-S2 can serve as a wireless shutter release for my a7IV and/or a7RV while also triggering off-camera Godox/Flashpoint flashes. If so, is the necessary cord included?

Another wireless shutter release possibility is the Vello Fusion Basic. The receiver has a hotshoe, so I could mount an X2T-S on it to trigger the flashes. Still, I'd prefer an all-Godox solution if possible.

Ideas and hands-on reports much appreciated.

In case you're wondering, I'm wanting to set up a camera with long lens on a tripod at the back of the room or in a balcony to remotely shoot closeups of a speaker at a lectern onstage while I work the space in front of the stage at corporate events I cover. I'd be setting up off-camera flashes to light the stage for this purpose, even if the stage lighting is sufficient to work without flash at closer distances, because the long lens requires faster shutter speeds than stage lighting usually enables.

P.S.:

I think I might have a solution. This cable connecting my Flashpoint R2 Single Pin Transceiver to my camera. An extra X2T-S trigger in my pocket should release the shutter and trigger off-camera flashes. In theory...

The cable is on order. I'll let y'all know if it works.

--
Event professional for 20+ years, travel & landscape enthusiast for 30+.
http://jacquescornell.photography
http://happening.photos

 

[MikeInOr]

I'm wondering if a Godox X1R-S or TR-S2 can serve as a wireless shutter release for my a7IV and/or a7RV while also triggering off-camera Godox/Flashpoint flashes. If so, is the necessary cord included?

Another wireless shutter release possibility is the Vello Fusion Basic. The receiver has a hotshoe, so I could mount an X2T-S on it to trigger the flashes. Still, I'd prefer an all-Godox solution if possible.

Ideas and hands-on reports much appreciated.

In case you're wondering, I'm wanting to set up a camera with long lens on a tripod at the back of the room or in a balcony to remotely shoot closeups of a speaker at a lectern onstage while I work the space in front of the stage at corporate events I cover. I'd be setting up off-camera flashes to light the stage for this purpose, even if the stage lighting is sufficient to work without flash at closer distances, because the long lens requires faster shutter speeds than stage lighting usually enables.

P.S.:

I would definitely recommend NOT doing this!

I think I might have a solution. This cable connecting my Flashpoint R2 Single Pin Transceiver to my camera. An extra X2T-S trigger in my pocket should release the shutter and trigger off-camera flashes. In theory...

The cable is on order. I'll let y'all know if it works.

Maybe I am missing something but that doesn't sound correct to me. There are 2 separate things you want to accomplish here:

1) Triggering the shutter on your remote back of the room Sony camera
a) use the shutter release button on the remote back of the room camera to trigger its shutter
b) use a remote cable that connects to the remote back of the room cameras usb port to trigger the shutter
c) use an RF remote through the usb port to trigger the shutter
d) use the Sony Bluetooth remote to trigger the shutter
e) use the Sony Imaging Edge app to trigger the shutter

2) Triggering the off camera flashes.
a) Use a Godox transmitter (X2T-S is fine) in the flash shoe on your Sony camera to fire the remote flashes. If the remote flashes are Godox flashes then all you need to fire them off camera is the X2T-S
b) you will only need two X1R-S's to trigger the flashes if they are not Godox/Flashpoint brand flashes. You would put your non-Godox flashes in the shoe of the X1R-S's to trigger the non-Godox flashes from the X2T-S

It doesn't matter which method you use to trigger the shutter on remote back of the room camera. When its shutter is triggered the camera will send an electronic signal to the X2T-S which will send a RF signal to the flashes to trigger them.

You want to:

Remote trigger the shutter on the remote back of the room camera --> camera will trigger the X2T-S --> X2T-S will trigger the flashes.

You do not want a single transmitter to trigger both the remote back of the room camera shutter and the flashes. If you try to do this the flashes will most likely not be synced with the shutter.

You want the transmitter in your hand to fire the shutter on the remote back of the room camera which will then cause the camera to fire the flashes through the GODOX R2 wireless protocol.

You could use a second X2T-S transmitter on your carry around camera set to the same channel of the X2T-S transmitter on the back of the room camera and use the remote flashes for shots with both cameras... I would worry about the flash refresh times if you decided to do this though. If you decide to do this I would take a picture with your in hand camera, wait 10 seconds for the flashes to recycle. Then take a picture remotely with the back of the room camera using the IE app or RF remote shutter trigger.

Are you going to use manual flash settings on the remote flashes? Or are you going to depend on the TTL information to be transmitted through the Godox R2 wireless protocol for TTL flash exposure? I would use manual flash settings.

Using the Imaging Edge app on your mobile phone to fire the rear remote camera will also allow you to see what the camera is pointed at through the screen on your phone.

P.S. I would just pay some kid minimum wage to take photos from the camera setup on a tripod in the back of the room. You will probably have less chance of an RF gremlin eating your lunch.

 

[Jacques Cornell]

I'm wondering if a Godox X1R-S or TR-S2 can serve as a wireless shutter release for my a7IV and/or a7RV while also triggering off-camera Godox/Flashpoint flashes. If so, is the necessary cord included?

Another wireless shutter release possibility is the Vello Fusion Basic. The receiver has a hotshoe, so I could mount an X2T-S on it to trigger the flashes. Still, I'd prefer an all-Godox solution if possible.

Ideas and hands-on reports much appreciated.

In case you're wondering, I'm wanting to set up a camera with long lens on a tripod at the back of the room or in a balcony to remotely shoot closeups of a speaker at a lectern onstage while I work the space in front of the stage at corporate events I cover. I'd be setting up off-camera flashes to light the stage for this purpose, even if the stage lighting is sufficient to work without flash at closer distances, because the long lens requires faster shutter speeds than stage lighting usually enables.

P.S.:

I would definitely recommend NOT doing this!

I think I might have a solution. This cable connecting my Flashpoint R2 Single Pin Transceiver to my camera. An extra X2T-S trigger in my pocket should release the shutter and trigger off-camera flashes. In theory...

The cable is on order. I'll let y'all know if it works.

Maybe I am missing something but that doesn't sound correct to me. There are 2 separate things you want to accomplish here:

1) Triggering the shutter on your remote back of the room Sony camera
a) use the shutter release button on the remote back of the room camera to trigger its shutter
b) use a remote cable that connects to the remote back of the room cameras usb port to trigger the shutter
c) use an RF remote through the usb port to trigger the shutter
d) use the Sony Bluetooth remote to trigger the shutter
e) use the Sony Imaging Edge app to trigger the shutter

2) Triggering the off camera flashes.
a) Use a Godox transmitter (X2T-S is fine) in the flash shoe on your Sony camera to fire the remote flashes. If the remote flashes are Godox flashes then all you need to fire them off camera is the X2T-S
b) you will only need two X1R-S's to trigger the flashes if they are not Godox/Flashpoint brand flashes. You would put your non-Godox flashes in the shoe of the X1R-S's to trigger the non-Godox flashes from the X2T-S

All my flashes are Godox/Flashpoint for Sony.

It doesn't matter which method you use to trigger the shutter on remote back of the room camera. When its shutter is triggered the camera will send an electronic signal to the X2T-S which will send a RF signal to the flashes to trigger them.

You want to:

Remote trigger the shutter on the remote back of the room camera --> camera will trigger the X2T-S --> X2T-S will trigger the flashes.

You do not want a single transmitter to trigger both the remote back of the room camera shutter and the flashes. If you try to do this the flashes will most likely not be synced with the shutter.

Yeah, that's what I'm wondering about. I've got plenty of triggers and can get more, so it's fine if I need another one on top of the remote camera.

You want the transmitter in your hand to fire the shutter on the remote back of the room camera which will then cause the camera to fire the flashes through the GODOX R2 wireless protocol.

So, X2T-S in remote-camera hotshoe to fire off-camera flashes, with Single Pin Transceiver, cabled to camera, either in the X2T's hotshoe or attached to the tripod. The latter seems electrically simpler - keep 'em separate.

You could use a second X2T-S transmitter on your carry around camera set to the same channel of the X2T-S transmitter on the back of the room camera and use the remote flashes for shots with both cameras... I would worry about the flash refresh times if you decided to do this though. If you decide to do this I would take a picture with your in hand camera, wait 10 seconds for the flashes to recycle. Then take a picture remotely with the back of the room camera using the IE app or RF remote shutter trigger.

Yeah, no. I don't want to fire my on-person camera and remote camera simultaneously.

Are you going to use manual flash settings on the remote flashes? Or are you going to depend on the TTL information to be transmitted through the Godox R2 wireless protocol for TTL flash exposure? I would use manual flash settings.

I def want TTL with my roaming cameras. Could go TTL or manual with the remote camera.

Using the Imaging Edge app on your mobile phone to fire the rear remote camera will also allow you to see what the camera is pointed at through the screen on your phone.

Thought of that, but read of release delays and don't trust Sony's software. Plus, don't want to be holding my phone. I'll be in front of the stage, so I can see what's happening and imagine what the remote camera sees. Want to be able to just push a button.

P.S. I would just pay some kid minimum wage to take photos from the camera setup on a tripod in the back of the room. You will probably have less chance of an RF gremlin eating your lunch.

I don't know any kids who work for minimum wage I'd trust with this. Plus, I prefer to DIY unless I'm working with another pro.

Thanks for the input! Several good points there. I've ordered a 2.5mm shutter release cable for the Single Pin Transceiver and will report back after testing.

--
Event professional for 20+ years, travel & landscape enthusiast for 30+.
http://jacquescornell.photography
http://happening.photos

 

[NAwlins Contrarian]

I'm wondering if a Godox X1R-S or TR-S2 can serve as a wireless shutter release for my a7IV and/or a7RV while also triggering off-camera Godox/Flashpoint flashes. If so, is the necessary cord included?

Another wireless shutter release possibility is the Vello Fusion Basic. The receiver has a hotshoe, so I could mount an X2T-S on it to trigger the flashes. Still, I'd prefer an all-Godox solution if possible.

Ideas and hands-on reports much appreciated.

In case you're wondering, I'm wanting to set up a camera with long lens on a tripod at the back of the room or in a balcony to remotely shoot closeups of a speaker at a lectern onstage while I work the space in front of the stage at corporate events I cover. I'd be setting up off-camera flashes to light the stage for this purpose, even if the stage lighting is sufficient to work without flash at closer distances, because the long lens requires faster shutter speeds than stage lighting usually enables.

It's not clear to me what distances you have in mind, but I wonder whether you might be able to use a Sony RMTDSLR2. It's infrared, so relatively line-of-sight and limited range. But if you trigger the camera and it in turn triggers the flash(es), then that should solve your problems, I think. They're inexpensive ($29), so it wouldn't cost you much to get one and experiment.

 

[Jacques Cornell]

I'm wondering if a Godox X1R-S or TR-S2 can serve as a wireless shutter release for my a7IV and/or a7RV while also triggering off-camera Godox/Flashpoint flashes. If so, is the necessary cord included?

Another wireless shutter release possibility is the Vello Fusion Basic. The receiver has a hotshoe, so I could mount an X2T-S on it to trigger the flashes. Still, I'd prefer an all-Godox solution if possible.

Ideas and hands-on reports much appreciated.

In case you're wondering, I'm wanting to set up a camera with long lens on a tripod at the back of the room or in a balcony to remotely shoot closeups of a speaker at a lectern onstage while I work the space in front of the stage at corporate events I cover. I'd be setting up off-camera flashes to light the stage for this purpose, even if the stage lighting is sufficient to work without flash at closer distances, because the long lens requires faster shutter speeds than stage lighting usually enables.

It's not clear to me what distances you have in mind, but I wonder whether you might be able to use a Sony RMTDSLR2. It's infrared, so relatively line-of-sight and limited range. But if you trigger the camera and it in turn triggers the flash(es), then that should solve your problems, I think. They're inexpensive ($29), so it wouldn't cost you much to get one and experiment.

Thanks, but I swore off infrared devices for photography years ago. Some of the venues I work in are pretty big - it can be 100' from the back/balcony to the stage - and I wouldn't be surprised if some venue lighting would wreak havoc with IR.

Right now, I'm waiting for a shutter release cable to connect my Flashpoint Single Pin Transceiver to the remote camera. Hadn't thought of that before. I'll set the Single Pin to RX mode and trigger it with a Godox X2T-S, or Flashpoint equivalent, in my pocket. It remains unclear whether that X2T-S can also trigger the off-camera flashes or, for sync reasons, I'll need to stack one with the Single Pin on the remote camera.

I'll report back after I get the cable in a few days.

--
Event professional for 20+ years, travel & landscape enthusiast for 30+.
http://jacquescornell.photography
http://happening.photos

 

[Jacques Cornell]

I'm wondering if a Godox X1R-S or TR-S2 can serve as a wireless shutter release for my a7IV and/or a7RV while also triggering off-camera Godox/Flashpoint flashes. If so, is the necessary cord included?

Another wireless shutter release possibility is the Vello Fusion Basic. The receiver has a hotshoe, so I could mount an X2T-S on it to trigger the flashes. Still, I'd prefer an all-Godox solution if possible.

Ideas and hands-on reports much appreciated.

In case you're wondering, I'm wanting to set up a camera with long lens on a tripod at the back of the room or in a balcony to remotely shoot closeups of a speaker at a lectern onstage while I work the space in front of the stage at corporate events I cover. I'd be setting up off-camera flashes to light the stage for this purpose, even if the stage lighting is sufficient to work without flash at closer distances, because the long lens requires faster shutter speeds than stage lighting usually enables.

It's not clear to me what distances you have in mind, but I wonder whether you might be able to use a Sony RMTDSLR2. It's infrared, so relatively line-of-sight and limited range. But if you trigger the camera and it in turn triggers the flash(es), then that should solve your problems, I think. They're inexpensive ($29), so it wouldn't cost you much to get one and experiment.

Thanks, but I swore off infrared devices for photography years ago. Some of the venues I work in are pretty big - it can be 100' from the back/balcony to the stage - and I wouldn't be surprised if some venue lighting would wreak havoc with IR.

Right now, I'm waiting for a shutter release cable to connect my Flashpoint Single Pin Transceiver to the remote camera. Hadn't thought of that before. I'll set the Single Pin to RX mode and trigger it with a Godox X2T-S, or Flashpoint equivalent, in my pocket. It remains unclear whether that X2T-S can also trigger the off-camera flashes or, for sync reasons, I'll need to stack one with the Single Pin on the remote camera.

I'll report back after I get the cable in a few days.

Well, making progress. The good news is that, according to the Single Pin Transceiver's manual, the SPT has a TRX mode that lets the remote transmitter (X2T/R2-TII) trigger the SPT and remote flashes in sync.

The bad news is that the SPT isn't actually releasing the shutter. It activates AF, but doesn't make a photo. I've emailed Flashpoint support.

 

[TomV1]

Well, making progress. The good news is that, according to the Single Pin Transceiver's manual, the SPT has a TRX mode that lets the remote transmitter (X2T/R2-TII) trigger the SPT and remote flashes in sync.

The bad news is that the SPT isn't actually releasing the shutter. It activates AF, but doesn't make a photo. I've emailed Flashpoint support.

Jacques, I was reading the manual, pages 16 and 18, each states that MF is preferred to AF as the shutter will not release if focus is not achieved.

Since I am not testing this setup myself (I do own Godox/Flashpoint R2 flashes and TX and the updated XPro) then could your issue be the AF may need to held longer with the half-press before going full-press for the shutter release. I do not know your lens thus I ask this question. (ie I expect a Sony lens to AF a bit faster that a Tamron lens) Or perhaps your long lens is too close to a target for your test conditions (Min Focus Dist issue). Does the function work with any of your AF lenses?

Looking forward to your setup since I see myself doing something like this in the future.

TomV

 

[Jacques Cornell]

Well, making progress. The good news is that, according to the Single Pin Transceiver's manual, the SPT has a TRX mode that lets the remote transmitter (X2T/R2-TII) trigger the SPT and remote flashes in sync.

The bad news is that the SPT isn't actually releasing the shutter. It activates AF, but doesn't make a photo. I've emailed Flashpoint support.

Jacques, I was reading the manual, pages 16 and 18, each states that MF is preferred to AF as the shutter will not release if focus is not achieved.

Focus was definitely achieved. There was a clear, contrasty target within focus distance, with red AF box positioned over it, and the green box appeared there.

That said, I'll try with AF-S instead of AF-C, and also with MF...

Since I am not testing this setup myself (I do own Godox/Flashpoint R2 flashes and TX and the updated XPro) then could your issue be the AF may need to held longer with the half-press before going full-press for the shutter release.

Tried that.

I do not know your lens thus I ask this question. (ie I expect a Sony lens to AF a bit faster that a Tamron lens) Or perhaps your long lens is too close to a target for your test conditions (Min Focus Dist issue). Does the function work with any of your AF lenses?

Good point. I'll try other lenses.

Looking forward to your setup since I see myself doing something like this in the future.

TomV