PT-04 Four Channel Wireless Flash Trigger Review

Home » Photography Gear Reviews

 - September 9th, 2010 @



Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /hermes/waloraweb044/b1061/moo.thedistrictphotograp/WWW/simplynesscom/wp-content/plugins/wordpress-flickr-manager/FlickrManager.php on line 358
Four Channel PT-04 Wireless Flass Trigger-10
Photo of the PT-04 Wireless Flash Triggers. The transmitter on the left and the receiver with umbrella holder on right

These wireless flash triggers are cheap chinese made triggers that are sold everywhere under different names. As long as you see the model no. PT-04 or UNPT-04, they are compatible with each other, and you can expand your collection and buy additional receivers from other ebay sellers or from amazon. Surprisingly they are made of good quality hard plastics and they work. For less than $30.00 you can buy a pair of Transmitter and Receiver from Amazon and ebay which is a great price especially for those budget conscious photographers.

Product Description:
Newest Version: as of this writing- PT-04 III 4 Channel Wireless Flash Trigger Set with 1 x Receiver
Function: It is used for triggering off-camera flashes
Features :

  • 4 channels to avoid interference
  • The receiver has an on/off switch, and an LED to indicate triggering.
  • New design: Channel Selector outside the transmitter and the receiver
  • A standard 1/4″ screw mount.
Four Channel PT-04 Wireless Flass Trigger-2
Photo of the PT-04 Wireless Transmiter on a Canon EOS 20d

Specifications:

  • 4 channels with hot shoe connector for external flashes
  • Transmitter Power: 23A 12V battery
  • Receiver Power: 2 AAA Battery (Not included)
  • Maximum Working Distance: 30m (open area, without interference)
  • Operates on Frequency: 433MHz
  • Highest responding time up to 1/320s
  • Standby time: one year
  • Triggering life: up to 20,000 times

How to Operate:

  • Set the channel selectors on both transmitter and receiver on same position
  • Plug the transmitter to the camera’s hots hoe socket
  • Switch to On position of the receiver
  • Plug the flash onto the receiver
  • Press the test button on the transmitter to test before shooting.

Compatible with:

  • Canon SpeedLite 580EX II, 580EX, 550EX, 540EZ, 520EZ, 430EZ,430EX, 430EX II, 420EX, 420EZ, 380EX;
  • Nikon SpeedLite SB900, SB-800, SB-600, SB-28, SB-27, SB-26,SB-25, SB-24;
  • Olympus FL-50R, FL-50, FL-36R, FL-36;
  • Pentax AF-540 FGZ, AF-360 FGZ, AF-400 FT, AF-240 FT;
  • Sigma EF-530 DG Super, EF-500 DG Super, EF-430;
  • Sunpak Auto 2000DZ, 622 Pro, 433AF, 433D, 383, 355AF, 344D, 333D;
  • Vivitar 285HV, DF-400MZ, DF-340MZ, 2700;
  • Other flash models with a trigger voltage of 12V or lower

What’s in the standard packaged?

  • 1 x Transmitter (with 23A 12V battery installed)
  • 1 x Receiver (Powered by 2 x AAA, Battery is not included)
  • 1 x Sync Wire Cable (no need to use it for most flashes)

Parts Details:

  • Transmitter
    • Four Channel PT-04 Wireless Flass Trigger

      The Transmitter (shown on the right) is powered by one 12V 23AE type battery. You will need a small philips type screwdriver to open the battery door underneath.  The battery on mine lasted for 2 months so I bought 1 pack of GP 23AE 12v High Voltage Ultra Alkaline batteries from Amazon. There are 5 batteries in a pack. The transmitter can be mounted on the camera’s hot shoe or connected to the camera’s PC socket with the supplied cord. On top, you can find the test button for test firing your flash. On the right side is the PC socket. When you look underneath you’ll find the channel selector switches. There is a locking ring to secure it to the camera’s hot shoe. There is no power button, basically it is turned on all the time and ready to go once you hook it up in your camera.

  • Receiver
    • Four Channel PT-04 Wireless Flass Trigger-9

      The Receiver(shown on the right) is powered by two AA batteries. The battery compartment is easily accessible at the back and you won’t need any type of tool to remove the cover. It has a power switch and a channel selection switch, which is useful in a multiple flash setup. There is a locking ring to secure it to a flash mount, you can also screw it in on a standard tripod or monopod. On the left is a built-in umbrella mount, which is very useful if your flash mount can’t accommodate an umberlla.

Who should buy this?

  • Budget oriented. Those people with limited budget
  • Amateurs, advanced amateurs
  • Those who can live without TTL Functionality
  • Those who can deal with manual flash settings.
  • Those who doesn’t make money out of photography.

Should you buy it?
I bought it, and it works for me. For less than $30.00 you have a Transmitter and a Receiver or for around $60 to $70.00 you can get a set of 4 receivers and 1 transmitter, that is really cheap. My suggestion, if you are an amateur who is just starting in flash photography, just buy it, I’m sure you’ll be happy. For professionals, I don’t think this wireless radio trigger can handle the pressure, maybe, maybe not. I’ve seen it misfire a lot of times, and I have to repeat a pretty good scenario because of luck of light. For big assignments, I’m not sure that this is the right tool for the job.

Related posts:

Tags:  , , , , , , , ,