Pocket Wizard with Canon 550EX

[Technics]

I would like to use the Pocket Wizard receiver on my Canon 550EX flash on portrait outdoors, but how is this done? Is there any standard cable to make this work?

Also, any recommendations on external batteries for the 550ex?

Thanks

[DarkPenguin]

Search the strobists flickr group for such information....

http://www.flickr.com/groups/strobist

[timhurst]

I would like to use the Pocket Wizard receiver on my Canon 550EX flash on portrait outdoors, but how is this done? Is there any standard cable to make this work?

Also, any recommendations on external batteries for the 550ex?

Thanks
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You need the following:

Kaiser 1301 Flash Shoe Adapter

This connects to the flash hot shoe and has a pc cable you plug into the pocket wizard via a jack adapter.

I use this setup and it does work but from my experience the Canon speedlites (especially the 580) are a bit buggy with 3rd party accessories and I am told things are easier with the Nikon equivalents. For one thing the Nikon provides a pc socket so you don't need the Kaiser adapter.

[Technics]

Thanks for your help!
I will go for the hot shoe

[poljazz]

Try this cord from paramount Cords: Hot Shoe Female for 550/ 580ex        MPCF adaptor. I have one and it works. It is in the pocket wizard menu on the Paramount cords site.

[pathfinder]

Canon recently announced a new version of their 580ex speedlite - the 580 ex II - and it HAS a PC connection.

 Someone at Canon seems to be listening!

Canon makes an external battery pack - CP-E3 - it holds 8 AA batteries.  

I use the disposable  e2 Li AAs from Energizer.  They last a long time and pack more of a whallop for me than fussing with rechargeables all the time.  The are light weight, and work well in the cold also.

[Zuazua]

I just got a pocketwizard and still have this old flash. Is there anything better now that its been a few yrs.

[Ken Bennett]

If you have the standard Pocket Wizard Plus II or Plus III, then the easiest solution is still this Paramount hot shoe adapter.

If you have the TTL Pocket Wizards, then of course the flash slides into the built in hot shoe in the TT5. If I recall correctly, the 550EX is one of the Canon flash units least affected by the radio frequency interference that plagues the 580 EX II. (But I could have that backwards -- I use the 430 EX II with my PW TTL system.)

[Rob C]

Search the strobists flickr group for such information....

http://www.flickr.com/groups/strobist

Dark!

Welcome back; where the hell have you been?

Rob C

[Ken Bennett]

Rob,

This is a really old thread - that post is from 2007. Sorry.

Ken