flash

OKA - band promotional shoot

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OKA - www.okamusic.com

Shot with a combination of natural light, small flash and a great location in the hills of Byron Bay.  I was trying for a gritty image with grounding to the texture of a building that shows history and life.  The props were all from within the space.

Incorporating flavours of Dub, Electronica, Hip-hop, Jazz & many forms of world music, OKA’s sound can sometimes be hard to describe. A better way to define OKA is by the three interesting characters that make up the outfit, bringing together a variety of influences, backgrounds & talents. Stu Boga Fergie (Didgeristu), the big man behind the electronic beats & keys brings raw didgeridoo & vocals inspired by his aboriginal heritage. Chris Lane (foreground) plays captivating melody on slide guitar, harmonica & woodwinds including bamboo, flute & sax. Making up the trio is Samoan-Australian Charlie Zappa (the FRO) – a rhythm specialist with beats of Polynesian fire & deep pocket. Together they blend many pieces that is the OKA puzzle - A sound & force that touches the heart & feeds the soul.

Equipment:  Canon 5dmkIII 1/160s @ f/5 ISO1250, 16-25mm f/2.8L II USM @ 16mm, odin flash triggers, 2 x 580exII flashs.

New Pixel King E-TTL flash radio triggers

in ,

I just received a set of new Pixel King E-TTL radio triggers and I must say am very impressed.  I purchased transmitter/receiver pair from eBay for about AUD$150: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/PIXEL-KING-E-TTL-Wireless-Flash-Trigger-CANON-F369-/150659391128?pt=AU_Flashes&hash=item2313ffde98

I set them up with my Canon 5D mark II and 580exII speedlites.  The E-TTL works really well and supports A,B & C groups in normal & high speed sync.  Second curtain sync dent work and group ratios are not supported making the use of multiple speedlites less than ideal for creative work.  One other odd thing is the hotshot on top of the transmitter doesn't function, so you can't use an on-camera fill flash with this setup.  BUT...manual mode is awesome!  You can use the 3 groups and set individual power settings and zoom settings for each group all from the back of the 5DmkII menu system.  This is fantastic when using the Westcott soft box that normally requires a wrestling match to change a power/zoom setting on the speedlite inside.  You can swap between E-TTL & manual from the camera as well - everything plays along.

These units use a radio frequency of 2.4Ghz and so don't suffer the issues that the Pocket Wizards have with interference when using 580ExII speedlites.

A USB connection is supported to allow firmware upgrades, so I am hoping the E-TTL group ratio aspect will be fixed in time.

 

 

[caption id="attachment_210" align="alignnone" width="458" caption="Pixel King E-TTL radio trigger for Canon flash 580EXII"]Pixel King E-TTL radio trigger attached to Canon 5D mark II[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_209" align="alignnone" width="458" caption="Pixel King E-TTL radio trigger with canon 580EXII attached"]Pixel King E-TTL radio trigger with canon 580EXII attached[/caption]