Good video, covered many good points. Have been using the Pluto trigger for this, off & on, for about a year, and it has worked very well. IF you adjust the solenoid and it still has an issue with 'running water' instead of creating drops, the company will send you a new one to replace it. The flowing water should not happen, even with plain water, so you may have an issue with that valve sticking periodically. It's not unheard of! Additionally, use the infrared trigger from the Pluto to trigger your camera when the app sends the signal to the valve. It makes things a bit more consistent, and you don't need to allow for the wireless flash delay.
How to adjust the solenoid? Is there any guide online? My valve randomly stays in open position till I tap it. Even when it works I have feeling it's not releasing drops correctly because of that... BTW when shoot water drops always set the camera for mirror up shutter mode, that will decrease huge amount of delay and will give 100% consistent results. In the video he struggle with consistency as his mirror introducing huge and inconsistent delay. Thanks!
The best way is to take the valve apart to clean it and adjust. There’s another video here on UA-cam (I think I linked it in one of my other vids on this subject) on how to do that. It’s super easy.
@@CarlConstantine Thanks, I think in my case the valve is faulty as it did not work properly from the box. I did the cleaning but it works only when I lose the big screw, when it's tight it won't close.
Hello and thanks for your question. Yes, you need the Pluto trigger as well. It’s the interface between the app, your camera, and the valve. Now the trigger isn’t just for using with the valve, it can actually do much more on its own. But the valve requires the trigger.
@@CarlConstantine I appreciate the response, I’m in need of something between a splash photo device (control size of bead/interval) and aquarium dosing pump (move liquid from reservoir to droplet nozzle). If I can’t find a product I’ll have to make it myself! 🙏🏻👍🏻💪🏻. Thanks again
Hi Carl, enjoyed your video and it was instruction. Thanks for demonstrating the Pluto valve. I do have a few questions. My first question concerns the PVC set up. I based my setup on your PVC setup. Problem is that the clamp that connects to the PVC slips and the arm drops down woth the valve. How do you keep the clamp tight enough so that the arm does not drop? I have a few other questions perhaps it would be better to communicate through email. Angain thanks for making both videos
Thanks for your question. Sorry for the late reply, I’ve been super busy. I actually had the same problem initially. It’s a bit of a fine line actually. I use the SMALLRIG Multi-Functional Ballhead Clamp Magic Arm Adapter with Bottom Clamp available from Amazon. It has rubber pads on the clamp. I tighten the clamp pretty good. I also found that the extension arm has to be really tight to keep position. That took quite a bit of fiddling. Finally, where you clamp the valve makes a bit of difference. I found clamping near the bottom of the valve worked best. I hope this helps.
I hope you'll reply - I'm stuck. What is it that triggers the shutter? I just ordered a cable to go from the pluto my Yongnuo YN560 III speedlight, but I don't get what triggers the shutter. Any help would be much appreciated! :D
@@CarlConstantine Ooooh gotcha.. Thanks very much! I heard you say it but I didn't quite pick up that this was what you meant.. Much appreciated, and great video!
They are repeatable if you connect the valve directly to the PC port on your flash (if your flash has that, some do not) and you leave the shutter open a bit longer (I think I used a 1s shutter speed). That way the flash stops the motion of the drops and you capture it, every time. If you connect the valve to your camera and rely on wireless trigger release, there’s enough delay caused by the wireless signal that it was extremely difficult to get repeatable collisions. It almost made me give up on it.
nice tuto. however, I don't understand what you explain for the setup. sorry for my english :-) where is the pluto on your setup ? do you mean your pluto is connectd to one speedlite with second one slave by IR ? in my mind there is a godox xpro transmitter (or similar) on camera and pluto is connected with a DC2 cable to camera. when we press play button on iphone, it triggers pluto by bluetooth which, in turn, triggers the valve and the camera by wires (so very fast) and the camera xpro triggers by radio the two speedlites. is it what you are doing ?
The Pluto trigger is connected via wire to the valve. Additionally, another wire connects it to my speelights (Yongnuo 565 III) via a PC cable. I use the Pluto app on my phone which connects to the trigger functions via Bluetooth. So the Pluto trigger is sitting just off to the side. Reading your description, that setup also works and is what I did in Video 1. But I found that it was very difficult to get consistent collisions captured as images as the wireless triggers to my flash give enough of a delay to be off and I only got some that would work. This is why this method works better. Have your camera set at 1” for time, your speed lights at 1/128th power and trigger. Successful collision captured every time.
thank you very much. does it mean pluto is on a mini tripod towards camera and triggers camera in infrared ? i didn't imagine we would loose so many msec with wire to camera and radio trigger of flashes with a xpro transmitter. I can understand you connect one speedlite to the pluto but how do you connect second one ? slave infrared with first one ?
@@marclabro no in this setup the Pluto doesn’t trigger the camera at all. It would cause more delays. So I just put a long exposure on the camera and trigger the Pluto for consistent collisions. And yes, the second speed light (if you want to use one) is just set in slave mode.
I've had two Pluto water droppers and neither worked properly. The replacement they sent me was worse than the original, the solenoid was perpetually open and the water ran straight through. I was amazed how it could have got past Quality Control. I won't be buying another.
Sorry to hear that. I didn’t show details, but I did mention how to do it. There are no wires on the flash units. They are all wireless. One has the Pluto trigger in the PC port and the other is set to slave. Both are 1/128th power. This I mentioned in the video.
Remember to check out the first video in this series here: ua-cam.com/video/lPJcOXTO43c/v-deo.html
Excellent video. I bought that set up about 8mths ago and haven't had a chance to even open it yet but I will be soon for sure.
Glad you have found it useful.
Good video, covered many good points. Have been using the Pluto trigger for this, off & on, for about a year, and it has worked very well. IF you adjust the solenoid and it still has an issue with 'running water' instead of creating drops, the company will send you a new one to replace it. The flowing water should not happen, even with plain water, so you may have an issue with that valve sticking periodically. It's not unheard of! Additionally, use the infrared trigger from the Pluto to trigger your camera when the app sends the signal to the valve. It makes things a bit more consistent, and you don't need to allow for the wireless flash delay.
How to adjust the solenoid? Is there any guide online? My valve randomly stays in open position till I tap it. Even when it works I have feeling it's not releasing drops correctly because of that... BTW when shoot water drops always set the camera for mirror up shutter mode, that will decrease huge amount of delay and will give 100% consistent results. In the video he struggle with consistency as his mirror introducing huge and inconsistent delay. Thanks!
@@lurker668 Clean the unit
The best way is to take the valve apart to clean it and adjust. There’s another video here on UA-cam (I think I linked it in one of my other vids on this subject) on how to do that. It’s super easy.
@@CarlConstantine Thanks, I think in my case the valve is faulty as it did not work properly from the box. I did the cleaning but it works only when I lose the big screw, when it's tight it won't close.
Nice one bud, im just looking at the pluto setup myself 👍
Wayne Ogilvie thank you! Glad you enjoyed and found it useful.
Howdy! Do we need the Pluto trigger, or can we use the Pluto valve with just app
Hello and thanks for your question. Yes, you need the Pluto trigger as well. It’s the interface between the app, your camera, and the valve. Now the trigger isn’t just for using with the valve, it can actually do much more on its own. But the valve requires the trigger.
@@CarlConstantine I appreciate the response, I’m in need of something between a splash photo device (control size of bead/interval) and aquarium dosing pump (move liquid from reservoir to droplet nozzle). If I can’t find a product I’ll have to make it myself! 🙏🏻👍🏻💪🏻. Thanks again
How have you found the reliability of the Pluto Dropper? I've gone through three now, they just stop working and nothing corrects them.
I haven’t done any extensive usage of it so I still have my original unit.
Hi carl can i use the pluto tube without the pluto trigger? Sorry i am just starting to learn.
Hi Carl, enjoyed your video and it was instruction. Thanks for demonstrating the Pluto valve. I do have a few questions. My first question concerns the PVC set up. I based my setup on your PVC setup. Problem is that the clamp that connects to the PVC slips and the arm drops down woth the valve. How do you keep the clamp tight enough so that the arm does not drop? I have a few other questions perhaps it would be better to communicate through email. Angain thanks for making both videos
Thanks for your question. Sorry for the late reply, I’ve been super busy. I actually had the same problem initially. It’s a bit of a fine line actually. I use the SMALLRIG Multi-Functional Ballhead Clamp Magic Arm Adapter with Bottom Clamp available from Amazon. It has rubber pads on the clamp. I tighten the clamp pretty good. I also found that the extension arm has to be really tight to keep position. That took quite a bit of fiddling. Finally, where you clamp the valve makes a bit of difference. I found clamping near the bottom of the valve worked best. I hope this helps.
I hope you'll reply - I'm stuck. What is it that triggers the shutter? I just ordered a cable to go from the pluto my Yongnuo YN560 III speedlight, but I don't get what triggers the shutter. Any help would be much appreciated! :D
I just used a remote trigger release. But with the camera on a 1” exposure you could do a manual release with a 2s timer and then trigger the Pluto.
@@CarlConstantine Ooooh gotcha.. Thanks very much! I heard you say it but I didn't quite pick up that this was what you meant.. Much appreciated, and great video!
Hi Carl this is great. Are the drops repeatable with the same settings. we have not had much success in getting the water drops.
They are repeatable if you connect the valve directly to the PC port on your flash (if your flash has that, some do not) and you leave the shutter open a bit longer (I think I used a 1s shutter speed). That way the flash stops the motion of the drops and you capture it, every time. If you connect the valve to your camera and rely on wireless trigger release, there’s enough delay caused by the wireless signal that it was extremely difficult to get repeatable collisions. It almost made me give up on it.
nice tuto. however, I don't understand what you explain for the setup. sorry for my english :-) where is the pluto on your setup ? do you mean your pluto is connectd to one speedlite with second one slave by IR ? in my mind there is a godox xpro transmitter (or similar) on camera and pluto is connected with a DC2 cable to camera. when we press play button on iphone, it triggers pluto by bluetooth which, in turn, triggers the valve and the camera by wires (so very fast) and the camera xpro triggers by radio the two speedlites. is it what you are doing ?
The Pluto trigger is connected via wire to the valve. Additionally, another wire connects it to my speelights (Yongnuo 565 III) via a PC cable. I use the Pluto app on my phone which connects to the trigger functions via Bluetooth. So the Pluto trigger is sitting just off to the side. Reading your description, that setup also works and is what I did in Video 1. But I found that it was very difficult to get consistent collisions captured as images as the wireless triggers to my flash give enough of a delay to be off and I only got some that would work. This is why this method works better. Have your camera set at 1” for time, your speed lights at 1/128th power and trigger. Successful collision captured every time.
thank you very much. does it mean pluto is on a mini tripod towards camera and triggers camera in infrared ? i didn't imagine we would loose so many msec with wire to camera and radio trigger of flashes with a xpro transmitter. I can understand you connect one speedlite to the pluto but how do you connect second one ? slave infrared with first one ?
@@marclabro no in this setup the Pluto doesn’t trigger the camera at all. It would cause more delays. So I just put a long exposure on the camera and trigger the Pluto for consistent collisions.
And yes, the second speed light (if you want to use one) is just set in slave mode.
Is there any reason why you don't trigger the camera using the pluto IR pointed at the camera?
For this kind of thing, I would cause more delay. I found that this is the beat method to get consistent collisions.
I've had two Pluto water droppers and neither worked properly. The replacement they sent me was worse than the original, the solenoid was perpetually open and the water ran straight through. I was amazed how it could have got past Quality Control. I won't be buying another.
You didn't show how to set up the camera or wire the flash units. Dissapointed
Sorry to hear that. I didn’t show details, but I did mention how to do it. There are no wires on the flash units. They are all wireless. One has the Pluto trigger in the PC port and the other is set to slave. Both are 1/128th power. This I mentioned in the video.