Advanced Wireless TTL

Next recommended reading: Manual Flash

This section talks about Advanced Wireless TTL with the MiniTT1, FlexTT5, and/or FlexTT6 PocketWizard radios. You can assign your remote speedlights to their own Zones or groups and adjust the power levels of each Zone or group from your camera's position. This article covers using either an on camera flash as a master or a master controller from the camera manufacturer, like the SU-800 or ST-E3-RT. If you plan to use an AC3 ZoneController to adjust power, please see the AC3 ZoneController page for details. You will need one PocketWizard as a transmitter with a flash or master controller plus one FlexTT5 or FlexTT6 radio for each remote speedlight you wish to use. The system allows for up to 3 different Zones (A, B, and C) and you can have as many remote flashes in each Zone as you want.

NOTE: if you wish to use remote PocketWizard radios that have a Zone D like the Plus III or MultiMAX, that Zone will always fire. With manual radios, like the MultiMAX, Plus III, and Plus IV, your master controller can enable or disable the Zone but will not be able to adjust power. As long as the Channels are matched correctly, you can combine remote Plus or MultiMAX radios with remote FlexTT5/FlexTT6 radios. Please contact us if you need help with your specific setup.

IMPORTANT NOTE: : PocketWizard radios use the manufacturer's optical trigger systems to adjust power levels. You will need to be familiar with the master mode settings of your flash. Please see your flash's instruction manual for specific details about adjusting power, using TTL or manual, and changing Zones. This varies by flash model and manufacturer.

You may also want to read about Manual Flash.

If you have not done so yet, please see the Getting Started section first to set up your radios!

All references to TTL on this page refer exclusively to Canon's E-TTL II system, or Nikon's i-TTL/CLS. Film TTL or earlier digital TTL systems are not supported.

"Speedlite" and "Speedlight" are used interchangeably. Either may be used to refer to Nikon or Canon's hot shoe flashes. Nikon or Canon specific information will be noted as needed.

REMINDER: Speedlights mounted on a remote FlexTT5 should be set to their standard i-TTL/E-TTL mode. Do not use <MASTER>, <REMOTE> or <SLAVE> modes on a remote flash.

Canon E-TTL II

1. Slide the transmitting MiniTT1, FlexTT5, or FlexTT6 onto the camera and tighten the locking ring.
2. Slide a Canon Master speedlight like a 600EX-RT or 580EX II onto the transmitting radio. Turn on the Speedlite and set it to MASTER mode for wireless triggering and enable remote groups/zones per Canon instructions, using the Canon ratio system for optical wireless flash. The Canon ST-E2 or ST-E3-RT Commander may also be used.
   • NOTE: Be sure to disable radio mode if applicable.
   • PocketWizard radios use the Canon optical wireless system's menu to set power levels but the actual trigger signals are sent via PocketWizard radio triggers.
3. Turn on the transmitting radio, then turn on the camera and set the shutter speed to 1/160.
4. Set remote FlexTT5/FlexTT6 radio(s) to desired remote group/zone (A, B, C) using FlexTT5/FlexTT6 zone switch.
5. Slide your Speedlite onto the remote FlexTT5/FlexTT6. Turn on the Speedlite and set it to standard e-TTL mode (not REMOTE or MASTER). Repeat for each remote Speedlight and receiving radio. All remote e-TTL Speedlights on the same group/zone will be treated as one zone of light.
6. Turn on the remote FlexTT5/FlexTT6 transceiver and watch for a confirmation pop from the flash after a couple seconds..
7. Once all equipment is turned on, shoot the first calibration shot at 1/160. This will not fire your flashes. Shoot another photo at 1/160 to confirm all remotes fired.
   • NOTE: Do not press the Test button. Use the calibration shot to ensure the radios are communicating.
8. Take pictures normally and adjust flash output level compensation using MASTER Speedlite flash controls as desired.

IMPORTANT: Canon Speedlites set to REMOTE and connected to remote FlexTT5/FlexTT6 radios will not function properly as remotes. You must be in normal e-TTL mode for remotes to operate properly. Turn off REMOTE or MASTER for your remote Speedlites. Set desired Canon remote group/zone via remote FlexTT5 zone switch. PocketWizard Channel is used instead of Canon Channel. Disable Radio mode in Canon Speedlites. ISO, aperture,aperture, flash exposure compensation (FEC), and other settings will work with exposure normally via the PocketWizard ControlTL system.

Nikon Advanced Wireless CLS / i-TTL

1. Slide the MiniTT1 or FlexTT5 onto the camera and tighten the locking ring.
2. Slide a Nikon Master speedlight like an SB-910 or SB-800 onto the transmitting radio. Turn on the Speedlight and set it to MASTER mode, then enable remote groups/zones per Nikon instructions for Nikon CLS flash. The Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander may also be used.
   • NOTE: Be sure to disable radio mode if applicable.
   • PocketWizard radios use the Nikon CLS system's menu to set power levels but the actual trigger signals are sent via PocketWizard radio triggers.
3. Turn on the transmitting radio, then the camera, and set the shutter speed to 1/125.
4. Set the remote FlexTT5 radio to desired remote group/zone (A, B, C) using FlexTT5 zone switch.
5. Slide Speedlight onto the remote FlexTT5 Transceiver. Turn on the Speedlight and set it for standard i-TTL mode (not REMOTE or MASTER). Repeat for each remote Speedlight and receiving radio. All remote i-TTL Speedlights on the same group/zone will be treated as one zone of light.
6. Turn on the remote FlexTT5 and watch for a confirmation pop from the attached flash after a few seconds.
7. Take a calibration shot at 1/125 to confirm that all remotes fire.
   • NOTE: Do not press the Test button. Use the calibration shot to ensure the radios are communicating.
8. Take pictures normally and adjust flash output level compensation using the MASTER Speedlight flash controls as desired.

IMPORTANT: Nikon Speedlights set to REMOTE = ON and connected to remote FlexTT5 radios will not function properly as remotes. You must be in normal i-TTL mode for remotes to operate properly. Turn off REMOTE or MASTER for your remote Speedlights. Set desired Nikon remote group/zone via remote FlexTT5 zone switch. PocketWizard channel is used instead of Nikon channel. ISO, aperture,aperture, flash exposure compensation (FEC), and other settings will work with exposure normally via the PocketWizard ControlTL system.

Note: Most changes made on camera (ISO, aperture, etc) will not display on back of remote flash’s LCD and the remote flash will not zoom with the camera lens. Due to the way our radios communicate with Nikon flashes, the display on the flash LCDs will default to ISO 200, and the zoom will go to the widest the moment you turn on the FlexTT5. Automatic zoom only works for the on-camera Speedlight. The zoom feature on the Speedlights is designed to match the flash's light output to the current focal length of a lens only when the flash is at the camera position. If you want to set the zoom level of a remote Speedlight, it needs to be set manually via the flash's controls. This behavior with our radios is actually the same behavior that Nikon's optical iTTL system exhibits.

The ISO display isn't transmitted to the remote flashes with our radios, because it isn't actually needed for TTL operation. This doesn't affect exposure in any way. Changes in camera ISO will still be accounted for, because our radios do send the TTL metering information to the flash, which responds to changes in power. You'll notice that when using Nikon's own CLS, no ISO information is even displayed.