The Phottix Strato II is something more than a simple remote Flash Trigger    

When you decide to shoot your flash remotely, one of the biggest headaches that most photographers have is to find a suitable remote trigger. Some are very expensive, beyond the reach of most pockets or very cheap but unreliable. In this article I want to tell my experience with the Phottix Strato II a trigger that could be called the “Middle Class” comprehensive and affordable. You come with me?

The Importance of Choosing Well 

Find a remote trigger for your flash is not easy. It is possible the accessory most expensive time the already more important to your team Strobist, as it will be responsible for communicating your camera with flash, hence must be a reliable item and give you top performance.

There is nothing more frustrating than working with a trigger that fails every few minutes, there is not enough reach or respond in difficult situations, and to all the effort of the organization to obtain the desired picture is going to ruin all for not having chosen the right product.

On the other hand, if you do not dedicate to photography professionally, it is not necessary to make a large investment in a trigger high end, since, for just under 100 € Strato II has a kit consisting of a transmitter and a receiver which will give a magnificent performance.

Technical Specifications:

• Model Stratso
• Frequency 2.4 GHz
• Channels 4 (1, 2, 3, 4)
• Groups 4 (A, B, C, D)
• Threaded tripod adapter ¼ “cold shoe
• Range 150m +
• Flash Clock Yes
• Max Sync (s) 1/250
• Wired Shutter Release Yes
• AAA Batteries
• Yes shoe transmitter, TTL pass-through
• Puerto receptor DC Yes
• 3.5mm transmitter input
• Output Receiver 3.5mm, 2.5mm
• Price on Amazon 95 € approx.

First Sensation

When you have them in your hands gives you the feel of a high quality product with impeccable, robust finish, with nice touch buttons, easy to operate and very affordable, with positive stops at each position making it difficult to change by accident when introduced, for instance in a backpack or pocket. Metal floor in the transmitter and threaded ¼” recipients. It has a “test” button on both transmitter and receiver to see if the flashes are working properly. It also has a “led” light indicating when flashing red, there is communication between the two units. Let me tell you the highlights of this trigger.   

What You Give The Phottix Strato II

It is especially reliability. I have long been using it and have never failed me, or situations inside or outside. It offers a great range (150 meters outdoors) 4 groups, 4 channels, a frequency of 2.4 GHz, keep the TTL function of a flash on the axis of the chamber, bolt locks which ensures that the contacts are always well states and no connection failures, on / off switch on both transmitter and receiver. I love your design with rounded shapes integrated antenna. These are details that give extra quality to this accessory.

Operating keep the TTL of your Camera

One of the drawbacks of using a remote trigger for your flash is that you lose the TTL system and remote releases that work in manual mode. However, the Phottix Strato II maintains the TTL operating system can mount a flash on your camera bag, thanks to a shoe placed on the transmitter that lets you continue to use this system and use it as fill flash or bounce.

4 Group and Channels

These have 4 groups (A, B, C, D) and four channels (1, 2, 3, 4). With this you have complete flexibility to do many combinations if you work with multiple flashes. Any flash that is located in the same group and channel will be triggered. If you’re starting out and you only use one or two flashes, this function may see little practice, but if you advance in the lighting world and start working with more equipment would appreciate having this opportunity, though, to use this option need purchase additional receivers.

Connections

The transmitter you can connect to the camera in two ways, either directly or via a sync cable (supplied) through the “PC” input. Likewise the receiver can be connected directly to flash or also through the sync cable. You can also connect to your Phottix Strato studio flashes as it brings an adapter for it. It is another strong point in its favor.

Using as a Remote Control 

Another feature of this trigger is that it can be used as wireless remote or wired so that if you were thinking of buying one, it is a cost that saves you also imagines the possibilities that offers a wireless remote with that scope!, from sports photography to nature photography.

1. Place the receiver on the camera hot shoe and connect to it using the 2.5 mm cable (supplied) into “SR”. Now it serves as the transmitter remote control, press the button halfway and enfocarás, if you push to the end shoot camera.

1. Also connect the 2.5mm cable into the “SR” connector and turn to the camera. It’s that simple. Now a receiver is a remote control that operates the same way that I mentioned above. Used in this way, the receiver need not take batteries.

Conclusions

So far it has been my first and only remote flash trigger. I do not want, much less, making this article a comparison with others of the same category, since I have no evidence for this. I just tried to tell you my experience with this great accessory and many virtues that you will find to help you take the plunge, if you are thinking about buying one for the first time or if you are not satisfied with the one you have and you need to change.