Hands On: Impact Powersync16 DC Radio Triggers

The Impact Powersync16s are a reliable, well built, and powerful wireless trigger set for those that want wireless flash control at a decent price. I’ve been testing them for a short period and though I do not feel like I’ve given them a full run-through yet, they are definitely something worth talking about again.

Tech Specs

Build Quality and Ergonomics

The Impact Powersync16s are built tough. I’ve admittedly dropped them once or twice and they keep working and firing. Like the Pearstone Wireless Shutter Release, you can squeeze these things as much as you want and it will feel like you’re applying pressure to a small rock.

The durability means that they will be a great item for photographers who: are working on locations, have clumsy assistants that may drop stuff, have extra curious kids, and need something that will be able to take punishment in their camera bag when traveling.

Nothing on these units feels shaky, loose, or flimsy. The only exception to this is the receiver, which uses Double A batteries. The batteries seem to be a bit too big and bulge out a very tiny bit when the cover goes on. Granted, it’s never popped off for me, but this is an issue to consider if you don’t want anything getting into the units.

The receiver comes with a little stylus that allows you to change the channels on the unit when a flash is attached.

Ease of Use

I’ve only used the units with one flash unit off-camera, so all I’ve needed to do was ensure that all the channels were matching up accordingly, set up my flash in the right location, adjust the output, focus my camera and shoot.

And it’s really that simple.

Reliability

The units have never failed on me so far. I’ve only been using them within a 50 foot by 50 foot studio space and haven’t encountered any problems yet.

Results

I’ve used these triggers with the Olympus XZ-1 and couldn’t be any happier with how they performed. The trick here is this: the units only sync to 1/250th shutter speeds for DSLRs. But since point and shoots have different shutter types, it can do high speed flash sync with no problem.

Using the high speed sync, I was able to kill nearly all the ambient lighting in the studio and achieve the effects in the photos above. Once again, I was using my hacked beauty dish for this project and a very small aperture of F/8 at ISO 100 and at a very fast shutter speed.

I couldn’t have been more pleased with the way that the triggers worked though. So far in the testing, my favorite usage by far has been with professional point and shoot cameras.

A full review will be coming, but in the meantime, we’d like to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

The Impact Powersync16s are available only at B&H Photo.

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Tagged as: impact, olympus, powersync16, radio triggers, range, tough, XZ-1