The Phottix Tetra wireless flash triggers are yet another low-cost photography accessory from the Asian Phottix, and are designed for triggering one or more off-camera flash units. The Tetra can also be used to trigger studio lights with the included PC sync cable.

Thanks to HK Supplies for providing a Phottix Tetra with two receivers for review purposes.



A wireless flash trigger is designed to trigger one or more flash units that are located away from the camera, without requiring a wired connection between the camera and the flash units.

Off-camera flash allows a photographer to get much more creative with lighting, and the Strobist website has served to educate many more photographers in the use of off-camera flash lighting.



Features (as listed on the packaging):

• 4 channels with hot shoe connector for external flashes
• PC Sync socket for studio flash
• Receiver battery: 2x AAA
• Transmitter battery: 23A 12V
• Maximum working distance: 30m / 100ft (open area, without interference)
• Operates on frequency: 433MHz
• Standby time: one year
• Triggering life: up to 20,000 times
• Sync speed varies from 1/125s to 1/250s depending on the sync speed of the flash / strobe and types of cameras

Supported Flashes (as listed on the packaging):

• Canon SpeedLite 580EX II, 580EX, 550EX, 540EZ, 520EZ, 430EX, 430EZ, 420EX, 420EZ, 380EX
• Nikon SpeedLite SB-900, SB-800, SB-600, SB-28, SB-27, SB-26, SB-25, SB-24
• Olympus FL-50, FL-40, FL-36
• Pentax AF-540 FGZ, AF-360 FGZ, AF-400 FT, AF-240 FT
• Sigma EF-500 DG Super, EF-500 DG ST, EF-430
• Sunpak Auto 2000DZ, 622 Pro, 433AF, 433D, 383, 355AFm 344D, 333D
• Vivitar 285HV (Older Vivitar 285/283 works only with PC Sync)
• Other flash models with a trigger voltage of 12V or lower

I don't have a wide range of flashes to test the Tetra with. However, I can confirm that it worked fine with the Canon 430EX and the Canon 580EX II flash units I used for testing.



The Tetra remote as reviewed here has a single transmitter, and two receivers, which allows you to trigger two flash units simultaneously.

The contents of the box included:

• 1 x transmitter (with battery pre-installed)
• 2 x receivers
• 4 x AAA batteries (two for each of the receivers)
• PC sync cable
• 1/4" to 3.5mm adaptor

components: 2 receivers, one transmitter, sync cable, and adaptor

The receiver has a power switch, as well as a status LED to indicate when it is being triggered. Also visible on the receiver are the DIP switches for setting the channel used for communications. With two DIP switches used for selecting the channel, a total of four channels are available for use.

Tetra receiver

The receiver has an aluminium L-bracket that can be mounted in a hot-shoe, or on a standard 1/4" screw mount. The locking screw allows the receiver to be rotated relative to the L-bracket, with indentations on the receiver body allowing it to be locked in the upright position, as well as 45 degrees forward or backwards.

Tetra receiver

The top of the receiver features a hot-shoe, designed to have a flash unit connected to it.
On one side of the receiver is a PC sync socket, which allows a flash (or other device being triggered) to be connected to the receiver via a PC sync cable, rather than via the receiver's hot-shoe.

PC sync socket on Tetra receiver

The transmitter has two DIP switches on its underside for setting the channel. A test button on the top of the transmitter allows it to be manually triggered, thus providing an easy way to test communications between the transmitter and the receiver(s). A status LED next to the test button provides an indication of the triggering action.

Tetra transmitter

The bottom of the transmitter case also has a plastic shoe, and is designed to allow the transmitter to be inserted into a camera's flash hot-shoe, where the transmitter will be triggered by the electrical contacts in the camera's hot-shoe each time the camera's shutter button is depressed.

Tetra transmitter

The transmitter also has a 3.5mm socket on one side (not really visible in the above photos), and can be triggered via a PC sync cable.



The Phottix Tetra is available from Phottix resellers, including Phottix's sister company, HK Supplies who sell them on eBay. The Tetra typically sells for approx AUD$24 with a single receiver, or AUD$40 with two receivers, and can also be purchased with more than two receivers.

Update: Phottix are now selling the Tetra via their recently launched their online store.



The transmitter comes with its 23A 12V battery pre-installed, but the receiver's two AAA batteries (supplied with the Tetra) need to be installed before you can use the trigger.

batteries installed in the Tetra receiver

The DIP switches on both the transmitter and receiver(s) must be set to the same channel. The Tetra supports 4 channels, so you can change the channel if anyone else in the vicinity is also using a set of Tetra remotes.

Turn on the receiver, and you can then test communications using the "TEST" button on the top of the transmitter. This should cause the LED on the receiver to briefly flash.

Tetra transmitter mounted on hot shoe of a Canon 50D

The transmitter can then be mounted on the hot shoe of your camera, and a flash connected to the hot shoe of the receiver, and you can start your Strobist photography.

Canon 430EX flash on a Tetra receiver

Whenever the camera's shutter button is depressed to take a photo, it'll cause the Tetra transmitter to trigger the receiver, which in turn will trigger the flash connected to the receiver.

Multiple Tetra receivers can be used with a single Tetra transmitter. Providing they are all configured to use the same channel, the transmitter will trigger all receivers simultaneously.

Using the provided PC sync cable, the Tetra receiver can also be used to trigger other devices that have either a 1/4" (ie, studio lights) or a 3.5mm socket (some cameras) input connection.

receiver with PC sync cable attached

The Phottix Tetra, although cheaply made, is a good way to start with off-camera flash photography, as it provides a much cheaper alternative than the expensive Pocket Wizards or Radio Poppers.

The use of AAA batteries in the receiver is a good feature, as AAA batteries are much more available and cheaper than the more exotic batteries that are used on other wireless flash receivers. Having the channel selection DIP switches mounted on the outside of the transmitter and receiver makes it easier to change channels, and it's unlikely that the DIP switch position will be accidentally changed while in your camera bag, as the switches are recessed.

Being able to purchase a transmitter with multiple receivers is useful, as many people will be interested in using a wireless flash trigger with multiple flash units.

The transmitter is extremely compact, and mounts onto the camera's hot-shoe easily, and is small enough to ensure it won't get in the way. However, I do have some concerns about the form-factor of the receiver. Because the receiver is relatively tall, with a heavy flash unit mounted on the top of it, the lock nut on the L-shaped bracket at the bottom of the receiver doesn't inspire me with confidence. If mounting a remote flash on the end of a pole or similar, I would be more inclined to mount the flash unit onto the pole, use a PC sync cable to connect the Tetra receiver to the flash, and then hang the receiver from the flash mount.

The construction of the Tetra remotes is somewhat better than that of the Cactus Wireless Flash Trigger V2 that I reviewed several years ago. The battery cover on the Cactus receiver wouldn't close properly with the battery installed, and the PC sync sockets on the Cactus receivers were of very dubious quality.
In comparison, the battery covers on the Tetra remotes fit properly with no such issues. The PC sync sockets on the receivers are also significantly better than those on the Cactus receivers, and the PC sync cable can easily be inserted and removed without any issues.

During my testing, I found the Tetra triggers worked reliably, with almost zero mis-fires or false triggering. Admittedly, my testing was at relatively short range, indoors, but I do intend to do some longer distance outdoor testing with them.

In summary, I think the Phottix Tetra wireless flash trigger provides a value-for-money cheap solution for people wanting to get started with off-camera flash photography.