October 19, 2011
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The Little Triggers That Could – Review of Scott Robert Tiny Triggers
So a few months ago I got a set of Scott Robert Photography Tiny Triggers. Before that I had been using Pocket Wizards, which are the industry standard for wireless triggers. At times I even ran them side by side during certain events for a couple of reasons. First I actually needed to run two different sets of lights so I figured instead of having to remember to flip the switches I would just run the two systems and dedicate them to one set. Also then it would give me a better idea asto how the two performed side by side.
I have written a couple other quick and interim reviews onmy Facebook page but this will now be my final wrap up. So after using the SR Tiny Triggers for a few months this is what my thoughts on them are. At the beginning I thought I might have issues with not using myPWs. They have and still work great, they are reliable and sturdy. Hey thereis a reason why they are the industry standard, right? But what I like the most about the SR Triggers is that they are small, light, and fast. As a wedding and portrait photographer I amone that does most of my work out on location. So I have to be mobile and fast while still having powerful tools at my disposal to be flexible and adjust for the infinite scenarios that are encountered. When I have my PWs they take up a whole little corner of my Pelican case while the same amount of SR Triggers takes up a little bag. The thing that I love the most though is that I use a lot of small strobes,therefore, what gave me speed and ease is that I can just slide them into thehot shoe mount of the SRs and I am ready to go. My PW Plus IIs require that I have to tether a bigger unit to my strobe and then connect it with a cable, more steps and more things to deal with. Why not use a Pocket Wizard Flex 5 some might ask. Because I do have one and first of all for the price of one unit I can get an entire set of SR Triggers. Second is that I have always had very spotty performance from my PW Mini and Flex. Infact while attending the Flashbus Tour, Joe McNally was having all sorts of issues with his Mini andFlex system. You could see the frustration he was having and you know that he is sponsored and uses them allthe time. Another little thing I like about the SR Triggers is that it has a threaded spot in the bottom so I can screw the trigger directly to a light stand or monopod. Again less stuff and less steps.
So is it all love? As with all things nothing is always perfect. So as a psychiatrist might say, “What are your issues?” I think the main cause of problems with theSR Triggers stem from battery issues. The back door sometimes comes loose and then they don’t work right. I believe that Scott has a new improved version and they did try to address this by making the door more secure. Also in the receiver it is best not to use a rechargeable battery. I of course love rechargeable batteries as each shoot I rip through tons of batteries to run everything. Unfortunately the rechargeable AAA only put out 1.2v and the triggers are more reliable with the regular AAA that put out1.5v. But on the bright side you don’t have to change the batteries every time and can go for awhile before you need to change them. Other little hiccups, I think in some locations there is a certain interference that really limits their range,although to be fair I did not have my PWs with me those times and I could not switch to see if they did any better. Also they are not as beefy as the PWs but that is also why they are small and light. And perhaps a significant issueis whether they will be backwards compatible or not. That is one of the strengths of PWs in that thenew products will still play with the old ones. But being the SR Triggers are affordable it might not be too bad to just get new equipment, this issue somewhat depends on your situation. Also if you find yourself out somewhere and you need another trigger it is possible to rent PWs where as you would not be able to rent a SR Trigger.
So in conclusion, I would have to say that the SR TinyTriggers really exceeded my expectations. As I mentioned they are fast and easy to use but most important is thatwithin their expected range they are highly reliable. Those who are looking for a great tool toempower you to release your creativity while still not breaking the bank, theSR Tiny Triggers are a solid and reasonable investment. Here are just a few ofthe images that I was able to create with the help of these little giants.
