How to remotely trigger a Nikon camera using a PocketWizard FlexTT5 and PocketWizard MiniTT1

Steve Hooker (AUS) successfully clears the Olympic Pole Vaulting qualifying height, reigniting his passion to defend his Olympic gold medal. (Photographed on remote Nikon D3s + Nikkor 16mm fisheye and PocketWizard FlexTT5; fired by Nikon D4 + PocketWizard MiniTT1 (ISO 64000, 1/800 sec @ f/2.8)

So here’s the deal… I have spent many nights on hotel room floors with My Nikon cameras and PocketWizards going through hours of trial and error, mainly for two reasons.

1. To remote trigger different Nikon cameras using a number of triggering systems, with the main objective to fire a second remote camera at the exact same time as the camera in-hand fires

2. To Hypersync a number of flashes to obtain full power flash at up to 1/2000th sec

Here in this post I am going to give one of those secrets away… how to remote trigger a Nikon camera using a ‘master camera’… and it is not a simple as many may think. I had it all figured out when I was using PocketWizard’s MultiMax transceivers, however the move to the ‘brilliant’ TT1 and TT5’s offered new challenges. On the positive side, high-speed-sync and hypersync became available and additionally I can utilise my entire Nikon creative lighting system, including full manual control of multiple off camera flashes. But on the down-side, the TTL metering seemed to create massive complications in using the ‘Mini’ radio transmitters and ‘TT5’ transceivers as simple triggers to fire remote cameras etc.

After many hours of trying to figure out the nuances, and with many questions still unanswered, I can now present to you a step by step guide for triggering a ‘remote camera’ using a ‘master camera’

Step 1. Adjust your settings on your remote camera to suit. I prefer to use full manual exposure if I am able and often I am using a fisheye lens and so also prefer to manually focus… this avoids the complication of the triggering system activating the remote camera AF system and therefore the camera not firing at the exact moment you require or becoming out of sync with your master camera… so ideally pre-focus the remote camera where you expect to need your focal point (BONUS TIP… gaffa tape your focus ring to avoid vibration, stray birds, clumsy athletes, stupid art directors or random bumps and knocks shifting the focus of a camera that you have placed in a stupidly-hard-to-get-to-location) Should you require an automated exposure setting and/or Auto-focus tracking etc, then this system will also work but not quite as instantaneous and affective.

Step 2. Adjust your remote camera’s continuous firing speed to match that of your ‘master camera’… (e.g. Master camera = 9 fps / then remote camera should = 9 fps) … this means you won’t end up out of sync with your firing sequence. If you only require a single frame… then your life is easy.

Step 3. Plug your PocketWizard Mini TT1 into your computer and open the PocketWizard Utility. Within the Pocket Wizard Utility, select the settings tab and then select either Configuration 1 or Configuration 2 (These settings refer to C1 and C2 on your PocketWizard Mini TT1 and so you can leave one Configuration as your default flash/strobe setting whilst setting the other as a remote camera/trigger setting.)

Step 4. Select the ‘Misc’ tab and tick the box for ‘Basic Trigger’… this will now override your TTL settings and ensure the PocketWizard Mini TT1 simply fires as a simple radio-transmitter. THIS IS IMPORTANT (Should you not choose ‘Basic Trigger, then your PocketWizard Mini TT1 will still fire your remote camera… BUT only up to your max standard flash/strobe sync speed (1/250th on Nikon D3s or D4) as the PocketWizard Mini TT1 will then transmit a high-speed-sync signal that will not fire your remote camera.)

Step 5. Select the ‘Channel’ tab and choose a channel you would like to transmit on (You will notice the Control TL Channel is greyed out… as you are using your PocketWizard Mini TT1 now as a basic trigger.

Step 6. Click on ‘Apply Changes’ at the bottom of the page and wait for the PocketWizard Utility to eject and then re-mount your PocketWizard Mini TT1

Step 7. Unplug the PocketWizard Mini TT1 and fix to the hotshoe of your ‘master camera’

Step 8. Plug you PocketWizard FlexTT5 into your computer and open the PocketWizard Utility Application.

Step 9.  Select the ‘Settings’ tab and then select either ‘Configuration 1’ or ‘Configuration 2’… this should be the same Configuration as the one you adjusted on your PocketWizard MiniTT1

Step 10. Select the ‘Misc’ tab and tick the box for ‘Basic Trigger’… THIS IS IMPORTANT as your Pocket wizard will confuse itself trying to use TTL otherwise and will play funny-buggers (technical term) and your remote camera will either not fire, will fire after a few seconds delay, or will only re-fire once the camera’s metering system is turned off) … not much use of photographing sports or wildlife.

Step 11. Select the ‘Channel’ tab and choose a channel to ‘Recieve’ on (Obviously this must be the same channel as the PocketWizard Mini TT1 is transmitting on)… NOTE… make sure you adjust the ‘Receive’ channel at the bottom, not the ‘Transmit’ channel at the top. (You will notice the Control TL Channel is greyed out in both ‘Transmit’ and ‘Receive’ mode … as you are using your PocketWizard FlexTT5 now as a basic transceiver.

Step 12. IMPORTANT: Fix the PocketWizard FlexTT5 to the hotshoe of the ‘remote camera’ (I do not know why this is necessary as it should now be acting as a basic receiver with no TTL control … but trust me – DO IT! if you want the remote camera to work)

Step 13. Plug the appropriate PocketWizard camera cable (For Nikon D3s US CAT # 802-454) … 10 Pin remote cable for most modern Nikons (if you are electrically minded you can even make your own) into the P1 socket on your PocketWizard FlexTT5 (funnily enough it has a little picture of a camera next to it) and plug the other end into your camera’s 10-pin socket…. make sure your screw the cable into the camera.

Step 14.  Turn both cameras on and fire your ‘master camera’…. your ‘remote camera’ should fire at exactly the same time.

Now go and have fun.

Josh Sheehan going stratospheric in his own backyard in Western Australia. (Remote D300s + 10mm fisheye and PocketWizard MultiMax, fired by Nikon D3s + PocketWizard MultiMax .

Sheeny’s last flight… for a while

Two days before FMX superstar Josh Sheehan was due in a Sydney hospital where green robed surgeons would delve into the depths of his shoulder, pull a few bits out, re-align some other bits and paste a few extra bits back in (which would mean up to 6 months off the bike); He could be found somewhere in the stratosphere, hovering over his childhood property in Donnybrook Western Australia, Performing his iconic Ruler Flip, or Rock Solid, or Lazy Boy Flip… or any number of ‘bulls#*t’ inverted FMX manoeuvres.

In between throwing himself and his Carlton Dry clad Honda CRF450 well into the golden sunset of southern WA, he could also be found projecting massive rooster tails behind him as he exploded from each corner of his personal MX sand-track.

“I’m lucky to have grown up on a property where I was able to put in my own sand track, but also build my own FMX compound in the clay earth amongst dad’s orchards. When I first tried backflips I practiced on a sandy step-up I built out back so if I crashed I’d only fall a few metres” Sheeny professes.

Following Sheeny’s dominating performance and win over Dany Torres of Spain & Levi Sherwood of NZ at Red Bull X-Fighters in Sydney, I mentioned to Red Bull how it might be cool to catch up with Sheeny to shoot some photos outside of competition. Then all of a sudden I got the call at the last-minute, “Can you go to Western Australia next week?” Sheeny’s surgery meant he would be off the bike for the first half of 2012 and so if we wanted to shoot anything other than him sitting on a sofa with his arm in a sling, then we had to do it immediately.

And so a few days later I found myself eating a roast dinner with the awesome Sheehan family who offered up some incredible country hospitality to accommodate me  for the shoot.

As it happened Sheeny’s chaotic schedule, my back-to-back projects and mother nature all managed to align to offer up a sole afternoon and one morning of good weather before it clouded over and I had to hammer it back up the highway to Perth to catch a red-eye flight back to Sydney where I was due to shoot the entire next day.

There’s no question Sheeny is on the up-&-up. He’s obviously got balls of solid steel, but he is also meticulous with his training and ability to perform at the top of his game.

Whilst there  is often the cliché of tattoo adorned, rebellious heavy drinkers and partiers amongst the FMX crew, Sheeny goes to show that both inside and outside of the competition scene, the sport of Freestyle Moto Cross is an incredible art and takes huge dedication and drive to succeed. For the time being he appears content with his lot… being at the top of his game and following his dream.

 

X-Fighters… just a little more

Josh Sheehan (AUS)

Josh Sheehan (AUS) - double back flip

Robbie Maddison (AUS)

 

Dany Torres (ESP)

 

X-Fighters

One of the worlds largest FMX competitions has been and gone.

Here is a glimpse… more to come soon.

Dany Torres (ESP) performs a 9 O'Clock on his way to winning Red Bull X-Fighters World Series