Lightning Trigger Question

[Eric Treece]

Does anyone know anything about the Lightning Trigger attachment you put on your 35mm? I've been contemplating getting one and just kind of curious if anyone else has one and what they think of it. I went to the web site and some of the pictures are ok and some didn't impress me as much. Any on hand info would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks. ET

 

[Dan Robinson]

You can usually get the same type of shots with your own reflexes. The trigger circuit is essentially a hands-off equivalent of just reacting to the flash yourself and hitting the shutter manually. Either way is going to miss the branched first return stroke unless another bolt immediately hits in the frame.

Also, this is only really useful for daylight shots where you can't do long exposures.

Here are a couple 'reflex' daytime shots done manually. Shot handheld at 1/60th shutter speed at F8 on Sensia 100:

This was shot on a basic digital camera, handheld at 1/125th second at F8:

 

[Eric Treece]

Thanks Dan.........I knew it was for the day shots, but I kind of wonder if it would help me. My reflexes are a little slow sometimes since I get sidetracked doing other things while I am waiting around. I shoot alot of video stuff with CG and have slowly been getting into the time exposures, but saw that and wondered how effective it would be. Those shots you have were great!! Thanks again!!

 

[Greg Campbell]

I've never used one, but from what I've heard, they work as advertised.

Unfortunately the first lightning discharge will have come and gone by the time the shutter opens. The camera will only record any follow up strokes that come down the already established channel. This means you'll miss the branching, feathered leaders that preceed the main strike. You'll usually be left with thin 'pencil' lightning. It's better than nothing, but you can largely forget about catching stuff like Marco's giant 'fern' lightning as seen in the recent Blue Azure thread. You can partially make up for this limitation by exposing several lightning bolts on one frame.

The lightningtrigger.com device gets good reviews. (Even if the web site it broken!) The circuitry is simple, so any similar device should work fairly well.

Here's a schematic for a do-it-yoursel trigger. Total cost should be well under ten bucks.

-Greg

 

[Doug Raflik]

My brother uses it and the only use I would have for it is to get some lightning shots in with some structure during the day...

But I am not gonna pay the price for that. Besides, I like nighttime lightning WAY better than daytime.

Doug Raflik
http://www.dougraflikphotography.com