Fujfilm X-Pro1 and Off Camera Flash – FlashWave III

Sunday September 9, 2012 (14:45) | 22 comments

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For years I have been using off camera flash, no matter what camera I happened to own at the time.  It produces beautiful lighting when done properly and helps you avoid that flat, “deer in the headlights” look with your images.  David Hobby (Strobist), Zack Arias and Joe McNally (just to name a few) use off camera lighting all of the time (I know, I’ve seen them in action) and if you want to improve your flash photography, I recommend you do too.

I find myself using my X-Pro1 all of the time (and soon, the upcoming X-E1) and I have continued to use off camera flash.   I had an unfortunate incident with my old Pocket Wizards (which were extremely reliable) which I used to trigger my remote speedlights and wanted to replace them – ideally with something smaller to match the compact size of the X-Pro1.

At first, I found some “el-cheapo” radio triggers on eBay.  A number of people I know swear by them so I thought I would give them a try.  They were quite small, however, I found them to be unreliable.  They always seemed to stop working when I was at a client site (why, I do not know) and the transmitter gave up the ghost after a month of use.  Perhaps I was unlucky and received a bad set, however, the last thing I want when doing paid client work is having equipment that I cannot rely on.

I was speaking to Billy of the Fuji Guys who showed me a tiny radio transmitter/receiver pair which he used with his X-Pro1:

I found out from him that he was using the FlashWave III radio transmitter (on the camera above) and receiver (to the right of the camera) – they are often re-branded under the name “Impact PowerSync 16” but they are exactly the same units.  After using these with my X-Pro1 for the past two months, I am extremely happy with them.   They are inexpensive, reliable, lightweight and best of all, they are small relative to my camera.

Above is the transmitter (Amazon – B&H Photo) that slides right into the camera’s hotshoe.  I was shocked by how small and light it is.  It supports 16 channels that are selectable via small DIP switches and uses a 3V lithium battery (a CR2450 which is included and lasts for months – replacements are inexpensive) to power it.  It has LEDs to indicate power and status.

For each speedlight you wish to use, you will need a receiver (Amazon – B&H Photo) as shown above.

Again, there are four DIP switches to set the channel plus there are power and status LEDs on this unit.  It is powered by two AA batteries (included) which last a long time (I am still using my original set).  You can place your speedlight into the built in hotshoe or connect the PC sync port to the flash using the included cable.  On the bottom of the receiver, there is a 1/4 20 mount so you can attach it directly to a light stand.  The lanyard that is included also has a small tool attached to it that allows you to easily change the DIP switches on the unit.  Nice touch.

I have had no issue triggering my external speedlights from 200 feet away and the manufacturer states the range is up to 600 feet.  That should cover most photographer’s needs.  Also, if you plan to purchase a transmitter and receiver pair at the same time, you can purchase them as a set (Amazon – B&H Photo) and save yourself a little money.

As you can tell, I wholeheartedly recommend this wireless flash/remote triggering system and use it all of time – not just for my X-Pro1, but for my other camera systems.  They just happen to be really small and work well with the X-Pro1 – plus they are extremely reliable (and good value for the price).

So, if you want to use a speedlight with your X-Pro1 system, get it off of the camera to improve your images.  Reliable radio receivers/transmitters and a little practise go a long way in making your flash photography better.

Here are a few examples of off camera lighting:

 

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22 Comments for Fujfilm X-Pro1 and Off Camera Flash – FlashWave III


Omri

Neat.

Do you have any advice on speedlights and typical setups?

Thanks,
Omri

    Roel

    Here are a series of good tutorials on the subject… click here to view them.

Jiro

Hi,

Great review! I am going to buy this set through the link you provided.

I have a couple questions:

1)With this set up does the EF-42 and the EF-X20 do everything Auto (like metering, exposure etc) ?

2)Can I use this set up with a Canon or Nikon Flash? and if that does work I am guessing exposure and metering is all manual?

3)What flash do you use?

Thank you in advance!

    Roel

    Hi Jiro,

    1) You are limited to manual flash and you will not get TTL functionality.

    2) Yes, you can use it with Nikon and Canon flash units in manual mode.

    3) I use a Nikon SB-27 with it (with my X-Pro1 – the flash is reasonably small) but sometimes will use a Nikon SB-900 from my regular Nikon kit.

Derek Clark

There’s a lot going for these triggers, like price, hot shoe, size…etc.

I’ve been thinking about the Pocket Wizard Plus iii’s, but I would need 5 of them. These ones are more appealing in every way except you can’t turn of lights individually like you can on the Plus iii’s. Ah decisions decisions .

Thanks for pointing out the choice! Another plus point is that these would work with the X-E1 as the camera doesn’t have a PC Sync port. It would be nice to have a transmitter on both X-Pro1 and X-E1 and switch quickly between them. At the moment I have to swap my Nikon SU800 commander from one camera to another…or change lenses!

My mind is almost made up.

Thanks
Derek.

Jeremy Harris

Thanks for the tip! I’ve been using my Pocketwizard Flex and an TT5 with my X-Pro1. They work great, but I’m now using multiple flashes at weddings with my Fuji and Canon 5Dmk2 and need multiple receivers and another transmitter for my second shooter. The Flashwave system looks great and quite affordable.

    Roel

    You are welcome. For the price, these units are great value and I am impressed by how reliable they are. Not only that, they are a nice size for my X-Pro1.

Jiro

Thanks for the reply! I just ordered mine off of amazon!

So can I use any flash with this system? Canon or Nikon? Is there anything I should look out for?

I want two flashes for my set up.

thanks!

    Roel

    I have used these with both Nikon and Canon units with no issue. Just keep in mind there is no TTL support – the flash units will need to be used on Manual settings.

Jiro

sorry to keep bothering you but I have one more question..

Do you think having two Nikon SB-27 to light up a white back drop and one in front will be enough for a good model shoot?
So three in total.

    Roel

    hi Jiro,

    No worries… ask all of the questions you want :)

    Three SB-27′s *could* work, but they are small flash units and thus, do not produce a lot of light. It would depend on how close to the subject the lights were and what modifiers you are using. When I do a model shoot, I actually use my SB-900′s (regardless of the camera) as I do not like bringing my studio lights with me plus the (medium sized) SB-900 can produce a lot of light. The reason I bought the SB-27 is that it is relatively small (compared to the SB-900) and as such, it fits nicely in my small camera bag with my X-Pro1 (and lenses)

    So… what I guess I am saying is that you will need to determine how much light you will need and use a flash/strobe that will do the job.

Jiro

is there any reason why Yongnuo YN-565EX should not work with this system?
This looks like a great flash that isn’t a Canon or Nikon.

    Roel

    I don’t see any reason why it would not work – and you if you also have a Canon DSLR system, even better! If you are buying new, check with the vendor to see what their return policy is in the event it does not work.

Jiro

Wow!

Amazon was fast. Just received my flashwave and they look great!

can’t wait to use them

thanks again… and I am sure i’ll keep writing

    Roel

    That was fast. Congratulations and enjoy the units. As you know, I really like mine :o)

      Derek Clark

      I ordered 2 sets today from WEX here in the uk and they will be delivered tomorrow. So that’s 2 transmitters and 2 receivers. I’ll try them out and then order another 2 receivers if all is well.

      I got the 2 transmitters so that I can shoot with the X-Pro1 and X-E1 with a different lens on each.

      I decided to go for these instead of Pocket Wizard Plus III’s because neither the X100 or X-E1 have a sync socket.

      Goodbye Sync cable!

      Thanks again
      Derek.

Jiro

Awesome!
I ended up ordered the Fuji ef-42. What do you think? I can always return but it’s the only Fuji flash where the head rotates and if I want I can use TTL when on the xpro.

I think I might order another receiver once I test this first pair out.

    Roel

    I rarely use TTL flash (call me a diehard), however, the EF-42 is decent unit and I believe you will be happy with it. Let me know what you think of it when it arrives.

Hernan Zenteno

Hello Roel. What are the max speed you can use to sync the flash using the flashwave 3? 1/125? many thanks

    Roel

    On the X-Pro1, I typically use 1/125th of a second (unless I am dragging the shutter to pick up more ambient light), but you can go as fast as 1/180th of a second (if I recall correctly)

shigzeo

I’ve used the Flashwaves III for about two years (bought it in Korea) and like it very much. I find the switches a bit too easy to accidentally move to the ON position and hence drain the battery, but at least in the transmitter, the battery lasts practically forever. I’ve not changed it once.

Mind you, I only shoot studio stuff, but still, I’ve not once changed the transmitter.

Range is reasonable, too, and they sync at any speed I need.

Röel, how many assistants do you have to set up your flashes for shots like the dance? That is a great image, wonderfully imagined and technically perfect. Bravo.

    Roel

    At a wedding, I usually work with one assistant (who manages all of my gear and sets up all of my lighting) plus a second photographer (they only shoot). Weddings can get pretty crazy, so it really helps to have an assistant (especially, if they know what they are doing). It makes my life a lot easier.