I'm a sucker for anything that streamlines my workflow and photo assignments. A simple photo shoot can get complex quickly; one main light on the subject, one accent light on his left side…better add a few lights to illuminate the car in the background. Before I know it, I am racing around the location adjusting pack outputs, test firing, establishing lighting ratios. I use battery powered Elincrhom Quadras for a lot of shooting on location. In the past I have relied on the Elinchrom Skyport wireless system to trigger the flashes for normal shooting. But now I have a new option that offers even more control; I use my iPhone in conjunction with the Skyport WiFi system.
This system is very simple to use. First, I downloaded the free Elinchrom EL-Skyport app onto my iPhone from the Apple App Store. Next, I turned on the portable Skyport WiFi module. This small device creates its own Wi-Fi network, good to 20 meters indoors and 50 meters outdoors. In Settings on my iPhone, I located the Skyport network, logged onto this, then opened the Skyport App on my phone. All of my compatible pacs (Quadras, Rangers, RX units) showed up on my phone with detailed controls available. Similar to a standard Skyport, I can adjust power output and test fire the packs. But unlike the Skyport, I now can see exactly what power my packs are set at, turn on/off the slave eye, audible beep, slow recycle and auto-off options all from my phone. I gain a lot more control on a device, my iPhone, that I always am carrying with me. And this system works on iPads and iPods as well. The Wi-Fi module is rechargeable, lasts up to 10 hours, and automatically shuts off after 1 hour without use. If you are an Elinchrom user, this might be one system you want to check out.