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 .

Nikon D4 … ISO 12800

High ISO shooting is now becoming more and more available across the board… but there is no doubt Nikon have been leaders in pioneering the technology in their top-end DSLR camera’s.

The D4 is no exception… I am a huge fan!

A high ISO / low light snap at the Swisse Mark Webber function prior to the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix 2012

No more really needs to be said (and this was ‘only’ ISO 12800)

Nikon D4 on Dirt bike Shoot

OK,

So I have had the go ahead from Australasian Dirt Bike Mag to throw out one of the new D4 photos from a recent shoot out.

The photo has recently been posted on My Nikon Life and had a few comments about HDR etc etc and so I am throwing up a few details here to appease some critics, explain some technique and generally waffle a little.

So here is:

Firstly… I must briefly mention the absolutely b/s focussing on the new D4. I will follow up soon with some crazy D4 auto-focus imagery but the general deal is the D4 somehow managed to track some of Australia’s best Enduro MX riders on singletrack, through trees, on a constantly changing trail… and all in 3D focus mode (I often only use single point focus to ensure no photo is dropped but the D4 might just change this)

I regularly argue that Enduro MX and Mountain Biking, whilst not the fastest sports… are possibly some of the best AF test around as the subject is erratic, fast moving, and constantly appearing and disappearing behind natural terrain, dust, trees etc etc. … the D4 excels.

I will not waffle further as I have not approved these AF photos through my client yet, but as soon as I get the go-ahead… you guys will see them.

As for the above photo I will let you in on a few details:

Nikon D4

Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 lens @ 14mm

ISO500

1/250 sec (Although FYI there is a trick to sync high power flash up to 1/2000 sec but you can figure that one out)

f/4.5

-1/3 EV

1x SU800

2x SB800

1 x pocket wizard mini

2 x pocket wizard tt5

As with all images I shoot RAW and flat. Exposure is determined to ensure highlights are retained, sharpness, colour, etc etc are kept at minimal so I retain a digital negative with the most detail possible… I can always push contrast and colour at a later date in post.

The lighting is a combination of ambient light and strobe.

I exposed to enhance colour in the dusk sky and therefore would have produced a silhouette had I not lit the photo. I then introduced 2x slave flashes, one from left and behind (you can see on rear tyre), and one from right and slightly in front of rider (you can see on his helmet)… this cross-flash ensured the rider wasn’t blinded from a direct flash or one in front of him. Remote flashes were commanded by a Nikon SU800 and pocket wizard mini which allows me to use the entire Nikon Creative Lighting system (Complete TTL and Manual control over all my remote flashes) whilst using the reliability of radio triggers.

In the end the flashes lit and froze the subject whilst the ambient light created the colour in the sky. A side effect of using this technique with a slow shutter speed (1/250th is relatively slow for MX action) is the shadow evident outlining the rider against the sky… however this is a photographic anomaly, not post production anomaly and does not detract from the image whatsoever… the same would have occurred on film had you shot it old school style.

So there ya have it.

A pretty damned cool photo, and the shooting technique behind it.

Hope this taught you something and I reckon that’s enough giving away of my secrets for now… so check in at a later date for more…

below is before and after post…

Before enhancing colour, detail and clarity for web

After enhancing colour and detail and clarity for web

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nikon D4 – A Wee Glimpse

I was fortunate enough to get my hands on one of the few Nikon D4’s in the country last week.

As usual, it has been a while coming, but worth the wait.

For those shooting with the D3, D3s, D3x… you will feel right at home with the D4… the ergonomics are very similar.

The build of the D4 is as usual, superb and the weather sealing exceptional.

The main specifications on Nikon’s new flagship are:

• 16.2 effective megapixel, full-frame sensor (16.6MP total)
• 10fps shooting with AF and AE, 11fps with focus and exposure locked, 24fps 2.5MP grabs
• ISO Range 100-12,800 (extendable from 50 – 204,800)
• Two sub-selector joystick/buttons for shooting orientation
• 1080p30 HD video at up to 24Mbps with uncompressed video output
• Twin card slots – one Compact Flash and one XQD

There’s a heap more though

The video has been hugely enhanced and worked and the camera is lightning fast.

When I mean fast – I am still to put my finger on it… but it just feels crazy-fast.  The AF is undetectable but super smooth and the 10fps just feels so much more accurate, quicker, more sensitive than the D3s… I can’t yet explain but it feels ‘good’

Anyway… www.dpreview.com have all the goods on it and I will endeavour to reel off the pros and cons as soon as I manage to get my hands on a production model and start firing off some frames for you to peruse.

I’ll keep you posted.