Pixel King for Sony Part 2 “The Basics”

Out of the box the Pixel King triggers come with all the necessary accessories to get started

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  • 1 trigger and 1reciever what you need to get started with basic TTL trigger
  • 1 usb cable (for firmwear updates)
  • 2 pc cables (BL-1/2 and BL-3.5) for connecting to various non TTl equipment
  • 1 foot of the receiver so you can placed your flash where you want.
  • and a nice little bag to keep it all in.

Remember I’m talking specifically about the Pixel kings for Sony. But other then firmware and hotshot the information is general and can also be applied to the Nikon and Canon units as well.

The first thing you need to know about the Pixel King triggers is that you will need the correct firmware for you camera. As far as I can tell the only firm wear that supports A55, A65, A77 ,NEX-7 is 1.03 so please don’t upgrade to 1.04 if you want to use them with one of these camera. But a new firmware is in the pipeline.

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The major features with the Pixel King triggers are

  1. Support for Sony TTL
  2. Up to 3 difference group and 7 combination on the flash transceiver.
  3. Support all the shutter speed, sync speed up to 1/8000s
  4. Multi control of system flashes or studio lighting.

This product timing doesn’t come with out a little bit of irony. Starting with the NEX 6, Alpha 99 and HX50 Sony have changed the camera hot -shoe to an ISO style hot-shot. As a long time Sony /Minolta/ Konica Minolta user I got used to the  hotshoe a long time ago and have a collected variety of different adaptors for this shoe. Now I have a great product that is basically out dated and will need to be used with an adapter.

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Model # ADP-MAA

The good news is that the TTL protocol is the same as all the Sony flashes are supported with the new cameras. The TTL protocol my change with time to support new or better functions but that’s why the triggers having a USB port to upgrade the firmware is a great advantage.

 The Basics

Sony / Minolta have had a long history of wireless flash support, but the main issues are you need to ether use your pop up flash or only of the system flashes that can be used to trigger the wireless system. This system has been around for a very long time and relies on line of sight between the control flash and the rest of the flashes involved. Minolta did have an IR wireless TTL trigger that supported this system but the last camera to support its use was the Dynax 7 film camera, and it also relied on line of sight. The first major advantage of radio wireless triggers is that I no longer need a direct line of sight to my flash, it can be positioned behind walls, doors or inside a softbox.

Pixel HK claim a range of up to 100m between the sender and the receiver, and this is something I will like to test in the future.

Click on the link below for the user handbook (PDF)

King For Sony Product Manual

One of the first things I noticed was that there is a hot-shoe on top of the trigger unit so I can have on cameras flash as well as triggering other flashes via the wireless signal. Personally I’m not a big fan of on camera flash but if you tilt the head of the flash unit attached to your camera and bounce it off the roof or wall then it makes a great fill light. Then use a second flash as your key light (maybe with an umbrella or soft-box) triggered via the receiver.

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Of course you don’t have to use a flash on the trigger at all but it dose open extra options when lighting your subject. And I also can start off right from the start with 2 flash units with out the extra expense of a second receiver.

54 Responses to 'Pixel King for Sony Part 2 “The Basics”'

  1. Lloyd Grace says:

    Where do you get the 1.03 firmware? Their website only shows v1010 and v1020. I am using an a77 and have been looking at these for a year but won’t buy them because of the incompatibility problems.

  2. Sam says:

    Hello, I purchased one unit and upgraded them to v1020. They work with the A77 and A99. They worked so well, I bought a second unit.

    • Scott Lewis says:

      The hotshoe on the pixel king transmitter is the Minolta-Sony type. So you0 will have to use the square/cube hotshoe adapter that comes with the a99.

      You will also need to have the latest firmware on all the Pixel King transmitter and receivers for this Pixel King set and a99 to work for all shutter speeds and modes. Currently the latest version is v1020 found on the Pixel King website.

  3. Carlos Venegas says:

    Scott, do you know if today this Pixel King system is finally fully compatible with Sony a99?

    • Scott Lewis says:

      I have asked a few people and got the answer yes….. but it looks like it depends on your definition of “fully” apparently you cant use the wireless flash commander mode on the larger Sony flashes with the new firmware. But there are a lot of people using then with the A99 with full ttl and hss

      Hope that helps

    • Scott Lewis says:

      Official answer from Pixel ….

      Pixel Enterprise Limited Hi,Scott and John,thanks very much for your support of our products,:)Still now,the king Sony can’t totally compatible with A99, and the update program for A99 is not available now.the new version still under developing..maybe consider of to develop one kind of hotshoe that can transfer the new hotshoe to the old one..but if you have some suggestions on Sony version,please send us freely.

  4. Jinli says:

    How did you guy get it to work with A77? I bought my A77 and it came with latest firmware 1.07. Is there a way to downgrade the firmware?

    • Scott Lewis says:

      im using mine with an a99 and the newest firmware, if i were you i would upgrade to the latest version

  5. Jan-Erik says:

    Just order this for my NEX-7, but can not find any update on the Pixel King webpage. Anyone has the update? Or is it sipped with update that works with NEX-7 now? Or is it Money in the drain and it will not work for me?

    • Scott Lewis says:

      I just tested them that an a99 and a7 no problem as they are newer cameras i wouldn’t worry about the nex 7. I will find you a link to the newest firmware if i can 🙂

      • Jan-Erik says:

        Scott, new info:

        I have tried with firmware 1.01 and 1.03 on my NEX-7.
        I do not know which firmware the triggers have.

        With shutter times 1/200 to 1/4000 it works great.
        Anything below 1/200 it won’t sync. The flash will flash, but the Picture gets dark.
        Are there any workaround or shall I give the triggers back?

      • ihur says:

        Hey there scott, I wonder how it works with Sony A7. You use an adapter right? where to get it? Does all the functions work?

        • Scott Lewis says:

          Hi I used the newest Sony A mount adapter, it has a SLT mirror in it and it basically turned the camera into an A99 (with a different shape).

  6. Jan-Erik says:

    Scott, I have now tried the King Pixel for Sony on my NEX-7 with the HVL-F43AM flash.
    The flash fiires, but somehow the photo get bad. It get dark, just as if the flash and shutter is not syncronized. Any clue how I fix that? Or what I do wrong.

  7. Ricardo says:

    Eagerly awaiting an answer as to where to get the latest update from PK. I checked their website but it doesn’t seem to be displayed there. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

  8. gFlow says:

    hello,
    just a quick straight to the point question to clear out any vagueness.
    Does the unit deliver TTL and HSS on the A7 body provided the use of a shoe adaptor and a sony branded strobe right..?
    thank you…am just a few days before ordering…:P

    • Scott Lewis says:

      I have only tested it briefly on a friends A7 and it worked fine even when I was bouncing the flash off a wall or used 3rd party flashes. You will need a hot shoe adapter from the Sony Multi interface shoe to the standard old Minolta/Sony hot shoe(Sony ADP-MAA) As no third party companies are making stuff for the new hot shoe.

  9. Kurnia Lim says:

    Hello, I have NEX6,so I need ADP-MAA and Pixel King to enable TTL with my Sony flash? Does it mean I have to buy HVLxxAM series or M? and also can it do HSS beside TTL? Do you have other flash brand beside sony that also support at least TTL (can do HSS is better), Thank you

    • Scott Lewis says:

      HI I havent tested it with a NEX 6 but set you will need a ADP-MAA. I have tested several manufactures flashes including Sigma, Metz and Sunpac but all had the old Minolta hotshoe and supported ADI / HSS. I dont have any Sony flashes with the new hot shoe yet

      Hope that helps
      Scott

    • Scott Lewis says:

      Hi I just borrowed a friends next 6 and it worked great (but it needed the hot shoe adapter)

  10. ewhite75 says:

    Ok, So Scott I know this question has been beaten to the ground but I plan on buying a full set 1Tx + 4Rx for my Sony A77 and my Mecablitz 52’s. I just need confirmation these triggers will work completely using the latest firmware that the product comes with? I plan on upgrading to FF a99 later and I understood clearly that they will work on that camera. Thanks, for the help!

    Eddie

  11. Simon says:

    Hi Scott, how does the TTL flash system work if just one pixel king receiver & transmitter between a77 and controller flash + there are other slave ttl flashes in the setup (without pixel king receivers):

    1. Will it just work as if the controller flash was mounted straight on the a77 (with the controller flash communicating with the the slave via light pulses).
    2. Or some other way of functioning.

    Now what if a second pixel kings receiver is attached to the ttl slave flash (so there is now one on the controller flash and the slave ttl flash)

    a) Will the controller flash still send out light pulses to the slave ttl flash – or will the communication information be sent via the pixel kings (and the light controller light pulses suppressed).
    b) I’m presuming the ttl controller flash, still has to send out it’s own pre-flash, before the communication with ttl slaves (so meter the scene).

    Presuming all the controller communication with ttl slaves does take place over the pixel kings rather than via light pulses – will this still be the case if a controller metz flash is used and a slave ttl flash is used (say 52 AF-1 in both cases).

    Thanks in advance guys 🙂

    • Scott Lewis says:

      Hi Simon
      I’m using 2 receivers (with either an a99 or a900) with different flashes and it always seems to get the exposure right. I can then use flash compensation from my camera settings to get more or less light depending on what I want.

      But to be 100% Honest I don’t use TTL a lot 90% of the stuff i shoot is manual exposure

  12. dipesh says:

    Hi.

    I am planning to buy yongnuo 560-iii for my sony a58. I want to use them as off- camera flash in manual mode only .Will RF 603 work with the new sony a58 or a99 multi shoe interface ? Can you suggest some wireless trigger other than RF 603,which will work with 560-iii?

    Help please.!

    • Scott Lewis says:

      Hi
      as the yongnuo 560-iii is manual only flash you should have no problem with any iso hotshoe triggers. It is all dependant on yout budget
      Have a good one Scott

  13. I Scott i have the sony a7r and the Sony HVL-F43M flash! If i buy the adapter to go on the pixel king, all the fonction will work perfectly(TTL,synchronization,wireless)

    • Scott Lewis says:

      I have only quickly tested them with an A7 and ttl and HSS worked fine. but it was a very limited test sorry I cant help more
      Scott

  14. dod2565 says:

    Do you need to wake up the f42 with pixel ings

  15. Denni says:

    Is this possible to set ext flash in Groups with different FEC value (i.e. Group A have +0.7 FEC & Group B have -1.3 FEC)? How would we do it?

    • Carl Bertossi says:

      Hi Scott !

      I shoot with A7 and D600
      And I need TTL and HSS for 2 of my system
      I thinking to get
      3 x Yongnuo YN-568EX they work on Canon Nikon and
      Yongnuo YN-622N YN 622 Wireless I TTL ITTL HSS 1/8000S Flash Trigger 2 Transceivers for Nikon DSLR
      Now I need something to triger sony A7 with HSS TTL with same 3 x Yongnuo YN-568EX
      Can be done with one of yours trigers ?

      Thanks in advance for advice

      Regards CB

      • Scott Lewis says:

        as my triggers have the old minolta/sony hotshoe I have to use an adapter on the new hotshoe, this dose work with my a99.

        As 3rd party manufacturers are only now starting to bring out stuff for the new hot-shoe it would be great if they bought the pixel kings out with the new shoe

    • Scott Lewis says:

      you can set groups but you can control the individual ev of the groups with these triggers as far as I know.

  16. nikos georgiou says:

    Hi Scott, I’will buy next week a Sony a6000 ,I want to use some off camera flash like the Godox 850 or 860 , I want to trigger them and also control remotely their power , do you think the pixel king for sony with an ADPMAA shoe adapter will do the job? will they work? What about the pixel king pro ( no Sony version for the moment as far as I know).
    Any suggestions about other triggers perhaps?

    If I don’t find a remote trigger system with power controls that works for sony a6000 I’ll have to give up the whole idea and go for another camera brand , which I really don’t want to cause I love a6000.

    thank you
    niks

    • Scott Lewis says:

      Hi im using the Godox Wistro system the the triggers you can remotely control the power with and they work fin with my a99 (with out adapter) and my a900 with adapter, I have also tested them with an a7 and had no problems. but of course they are all shot in M mode and no ttl

  17. dod2565 says:

    Hi Scott

    I have just got the pixel kings but when I use them with my Sony A580 and the F42 flash the image is either over or under exposed its seem as if the TTL is not working.
    Any advice would be welcome

    • Carl Bertossi says:

      Hmm I can’t find my question
      So why I getting notification thrue emails ?
      Shame that instead of replay I got deleted

      • Scott Lewis says:

        Thats strange I have only ever deleted one post (well actually I just didn’t approve it) because it was a rant about my bad spelling.

        Do you remember what you posted?

      • Scott Lewis says:

        hi opps i found you post … will address it to day my fault

    • Scott Lewis says:

      HI at the moment the only thing i can suggest it to check the firmware version of your triggers and camera….

  18. Badiane says:

    I have a A6000 and would like to use the Yongnuo 560 IV with it; do you know if there is a wireless trigger I can use which would allow me to use the Yongnuo on and off the trigger?

    • Scott Lewis says:

      I see no reason why it shouldn’t work but of course with no ttl 🙂

      • Ash says:

        Hi Scott. Been reading your responses to everyone witha certain degree of hope- I’m having HSS issues. I have an a6000, correct hotshot adaptor, pixel kings for Sony & a jingbai 600v strobe, I can’t get the system to sync past 1/160th, camera is set to wireless flash & strobe is set to HSS. Getting really frustrated as I’m certain this combo works. Am I being stupid & missing something simple? Could firmware be an issue? If so which should it be? I’ve heard of various people using an a7 instead of a6000 with no issues. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

  19. trolisz says:

    I have bought Pixel Kings for A6000 , my flash Nissin i40 works ok no top of the camera , but with trigers (with sony oe adapters ) flash did nor work properly … trigers seem to work one with another , but in manual mode flash did not respond at all ..
    If I mount the flash on top of the triger , it works ok again , but not on receivers. On Mode a (automatic) selected on flash unit it fires , but with minimum power only … 🙁

  20. nixland says:

    I just tried again the Pixel King for Sony on my A7. If the camera mode is Av, the flash always on TTL and can not be set to Manual. The Manual flash setting can only be set if the camera mode in Manual too. Is it the way it is or else?

  21. Frank says:

    I have upgraded to Ver 10 and this still does not work. ver 20 won’t even upgrade. I tried it. What the heck could I be doing wrong?

  22. Rob says:

    A99 users, when using the Pixel King in TTL mode, does the live view display on the camera change accordingly as you change the flash settings, as it does with an on camera flash?

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