Radio triggers, what's your choice?

[OPSSam]

I need a new radio trigger and I'd like to buy one that doesn't suck. I figured this would be a good place to get opinions since I use a E-PL1 and the last trigger I bought for it was incredibly bad.

https://www.mu-43.com/f42/strange-effects-e-pl1-wireless-strobe-trigger-12268/

I, being an idiot, bought a $20 CheapChinese trigger for my E-PL1. Resulting pictures included some noticeable electromagnetic interference/artifacts on my pictures. Did not seem to affect my E-30. Then, after a model shoot this past weekend, I'm pixel peeping my pictures an low and behold that interference is back, though less pronounced and it mostly showed up when I was boosting shadows.

I'm leaning towards a radio popper since I use alien bees, and was wondering if anyone has dome advice or observations. I'm willing to spend the money as long as that effect will never appear in my pictures again.

 

[Sammyboy]

If money's not a problem, go for the Pocket Wizard's, they're the best on the market, they work for just about any camera/flash combo, and will last a life time.

 

[OdzBodkinz]

I got a set of RadioPopper Jrs last year and I love them. Coupled with my Nikon Speedlights, I can Dial the power up or down right from the transmitter. Awesome stuff. I dont use the built in CLS with my Nikons anymore, and it works well with my Panny G3 and it worked fine with my Olys.

 

[RedNumber5]

I use Paul C. Buff's Cybersync transmitter and receiver with a Panasonic G1 and Canon 540EZ flash. I've never had a misfire and it works from a long distance too.

 

[Vivalo]

Here are my experiences about triggers:

I've tried Aputure Trigmaster, but it didn't work with FL-36, for some reason I don't know. Then I got Yongnuo RF-602 which was fine but it stopped working after a while, might have got some rough handling by me though. Now I use Hähnel Combi TF, which I think is the best out of the three. It even has locking ring (or what ever that is called) on both units. Only negative so far would be that you have to open the battery door to change the Tx/Rx channel.

 

[OPSSam]

Thanks for the input. Either way I'll put it through the wringer on day one when I buy one. I believe this cheap trigger is just so poorly constructed it would do this to any camera I have used. Granted it's more subtle on the big bodies, but it should not be there anyway. Hopefully the radiopoppers won't disappoint.

My 'shoot' was actually a artistic nude shoot (aren't they all), and luckily the E-30's reaction to the interference was less pronounced. And for better or worse the effect is slightly diminished more as the picture is converted from a RAW to a JPEG. The PL1 would have been unusable, and I really want to be able to shoot while wirelessly triggering my flash(es).

 

[addieleman]

I use YongNuo RF602 triggers for my G1. They work flawlessly, never had any interference in my pictures. The only caveat is that you can't use the fastest sync speed (1/160 s for the G1) because sometimes there are dark bands in the frame that way; 1/60 s seems a safe upper limit.

Before that I had some fantasy brand (Blazzeo, same stuff to be had on eBay under various brand names), they fired sometimes spontaneously and the battery of the transmitter could not be exchanged!