Pixel King Flash Tx/Rx

I wanted a middle-of-the-road wireless flash solution.  With the low-end "Chinese dip-switched" systems at the bottom end and the PocketWizards at the top.

http://www.pixelhk.com/proshow.aspx?id=101

In recent years there are many more middle-of-the-road vendors.  So I did some research and in the end went for the Pixel King Canon wireless triggers.

The ebay, amazon etc descriptions of how they work and their compatibility seem appropriately vague and unclear.  Once received, the printed manual is equally impressively unclear.

So I set about configuring them and seeing what can be done without reading the manual.

I have a 5Dmk2 with the latest firmware, 2x 580EX and 1x 580EXII and an Opus Flash.

Points to note so far:

• When the Pixel King says it is compatible with 580EX, it means it can trigger it.  The Pixel King only supports ETTL2 which is available on 580EXII.
• There is a fair amount of chatter between Rx and Tx units whenever you focus the camera.  Some adjustments on the flash can occur... mode, zoom etc.
• ETTL2 performance seems very marginal.
• Basic wireless trigger works fine.
• Opus Flash works well with a remote trigger and doesn't work very well with light sensor.

The most annoying thing BY FAR is the Canon 5Dmk2 "External Flash" menu system which must be used to control the flashes.  Different lines and features enable and disable seemingly at random.  Some make sense, some change, then bounce back to the original setting.  Titles of each External Flash setting sort of make sense but there are numerous key presses to change anything.

If/When I get a second 580EXII I will hope the A:B ratio logic works.  This was ultimately what I was hoping to use but it seems 580EX will not work with ETTL2 and Pixel Kings.  At least for now, presumably there may be a firmware upgrade available.

Which brings me on to the Windows firmware upgrade software and software release information on the website... OMG.  No idea if I upgraded the firmware.

Bottom line: expensive wireless flash triggers (~US$380 for 3 Rx and 1 Tx).  Either go cheap or go PocketWizard.

Bottom line 2: I've spent more time using the in-camera flash menu which quite frankly is very poor and often resets to default settings.  The reset seems to occur at the same time the Pixel King units reboot or freeze.  They seem to freeze as often as 1:3 times.  They also seem to confuse and upset the 580EX flashes periodically causing them to strobe.