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Seagull SYK-4 Optical Slave Trigger with PC Sync Socket

3.6 3.6 out of 5 stars 60 ratings
Currently unavailable.
We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.
  • This optical slave sensor is used to trigger flash unit without slave sensor
  • Can be also used as PC connector to standard hot shoe adapter
  • Work with most flash guns in auto mode or manual mode (TTL mode is not supported)
  • Not compatible with Minolta or Sony flashes as they use different hot shoe connection

Additional Details

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Top Brand: Sea Gull Lighting

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Product Description

From the Manufacturer

This CowboyStudio Seagull SYK-4 Optical Slave Trigger with PC Sync Socket would be a great addition to your studio. It is ideal to turn your off-camera flash into an optical sensor. Our flash adapter is compact and sturdy with a standard hot shoe seat on the top and a standard 1/4"- 20 thread screw socket for tripod on the bottom.

This Flash Remote Controller is an optical trigger allowing you to remotely fire your flash without attaching it with wires. Since the slave trigger gets its working power from the flash it is attached to, it is battery free. The Slave Trigger features a sleek body style that is high in flexibility and stable in performance.

Specifications:

  • PC sync port at the side
  • Tripod mount at the bottom
  • Fits most of the camera hot shoe except Konica Minolta and Sony Alpha A700/A100
  • Effective Distance = guide number of master flash- 2

Product information

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Seagull SYK-4 Optical Slave Trigger with PC Sync Socket

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What's in the box

  • Hot Shoe Adapter

    • Customer reviews

    3.6 out of 5 stars
    3.6 out of 5
    60 global ratings

    Customers say

    Customers have mixed opinions about the performance of the camera. Some say it's a great product, while others say it doesn't work as expected.

    AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

    29 customers mention18 positive11 negative

    Customers are mixed about the performance of the product. Some mention that it works very well as a stand-alone optical slave, with the PC connection, and with all sorts of flashes and strobes. Others say that it just doesn't work at all, is not reliable, and is not high quality.

    "Works Great... ONCE! After triggering the flash unit (Canon 580EX) perfectly and easily the flash unit doesn't respond to further flash triggers...." Read more

    "The final verdict is still out - but for now, it simply does not work...." Read more

    "It works very well with the PC connection. However, the hot shoe is rather short and not manufactured as well as it could be...." Read more

    "With the right flash (the simpler, the better) it works great, and isn't nearly as 'line of sight' dependent as I'd anticipated...." Read more

    12 customers mention4 positive8 negative

    Customers are mixed about the fire of the product. Some mention that it works perfectly and hasn't missed a flash yet, while others say that it's very loose and it doesn't fire the flash. It also fires once and stops working.

    "...unit (Canon 580EX) perfectly and easily the flash unit doesn't respond to further flash triggers...." Read more

    "...They fired my shoe mount flashes each time. No misfires! I would buy more of this brand when the time arises." Read more

    "I use this for my canon 580ex speedlight. The light sensor only works one time then I have to turn the flash off and back on for it to work again..." Read more

    "I tried this on Canon EX 430 ii flash. And it fires once and stops working...." Read more

    3 customers mention0 positive3 negative

    Customers are not satisfied with the mounting of the camera. They mention that it does not allow a snug and solid mounting, and the hot shoe mount is really loose.

    "...coupled with the clearance of the rails to the base does not allow a snug & solid mounting...." Read more

    "...Not the most secure mounting system, and it does tend to wobble a little, but since it's on a stand, no reason to ding a star for that, especially..." Read more

    "...The second unit worked with hot shoe. The hot shoe mount is really loose. I would not recommend using it with heavy flash...." Read more

    Top reviews from the United States

    Richard J.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Worked great for me (so far)
    Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    First it should be fairly well known that optical slaves are not the most reliable triggers on the market especially with high voltage flashes. Since my flashes are not high voltage I hope to get longer life from this.
    Some have complained about the sensitivity of this slave which concerned me but what I did was face the slave away 180 deg. angle and about 3 ft away from the triggering flash which was pointed at about a 45 deg. toward a wall, which is off white, from about 3 ft and firing the flash at full power it was able to trip the slave. Once I reduced the triggering flash to 1/4 power it wouldn't trip it. This means the light from the flash had to travel 3 ft to the first wall, about 12 feet to the opposite wall and back to the slave another 6 ft to trip it. So I was very impressed with the sensitivity. Others, obviously, have had problems and I won't argue the point that buying one these triggers is always a throw of the dice. But Seagull has been around quite awhile with some decent products, low end, but generally work well.
    2 people found this helpful
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    Bob12345
    4.0 out of 5 stars Worked OK once I figured how to adjust settings of my equipment.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    The final verdict is still out - but for now, it simply does not work. I have two older Vivitar 283s that I used for many years as a portrait and fashion photographer in the SF Bay area. I also used slave triggers in many different ways so liked the concept. My main flash now is a Canon 580EX. I bought one of these Seagull SYK-4's to see how well they work - then planned to buy a second one if all went well.

    So far, I simply cannot get this puppy to work. I have tried every way I can think of to make it fire one of the 283's to no avail. The 283 works just fine as it always does. The on camera flash from my Canon 50D in any mode will not fire the slave, nor will the 580EX.

    Will write more as I try to resolve this - but for now, based on my experience so far and from what I read in other reviews, I cannot recommend this item.

    1/31/15: Follow Up
    Found the problem. My older slave units rotated - allowing me to point the trigger bulb towards the master flash. This unit does not rotate - so, thinking I needed the bulb pointed towards the master flash I mounted it that way on the Vivitar 283. The Vivitar w/slave unit is on a small tripod. My AhHaaa moment was when I discovered the connection is "not" centered, so if mounted that way, the connection between the slave and the 283 flash are not touching. It now works even tho the trigger bulb on the slave is pointing in the opposite direction from the master flash.

    Will do further tests to see how far away from the master this will still work considering the slave flash and trigger bulb are pointing in the same direction as the slave flash. Am thinking if used on a group shot, e.g., where the slave/s are 20 or so feet from the master flash.

    So now I can post that this unit will fire a Vivitar 283 from my Canon 50D built in flash, or, from that 50D with a Canon 580EX flash, shoe mounted. And it does this consistently from any position from the slave flash. From a "it works as advertised" I can recommend it. How well I can improve some shots I will have to explore - but that is not the problem of the item. Have ordered a second unit now, and raised my rating to 4 stars.

    2/6/15: Follow-up (2)
    It would be nice if the manufacturer would include some thoughts on how this item may or may not work with various equipment configurations - cameras and flash. After much searching the net for thoughts I finally got the unit to sync w/my Canon 50D with a Vivitar 283 as a slave to be fired using the SYK-4. Various DSLR cameras will have settings to turn pre-flash on and off, plus more expensive flash units have Off-Master-Slave toggles. Unless I have overlooked something, there is "no way" to sync my 283 on the SYK-4 using the Canon 50D built in flash. The slave "does" fire every time from anywhere within 360 degrees of the master flash. It just does not sync properly.

    However, once I made my Canon 580EX flash shoe mounted on the 50D the master - plus set the 580EX Off-Master-Slave to Master the 283 synced perfectly every time, regardless of the mode setting on the Canon 50D. My 283's have rheostat type sensors so now I am purchasing another SYK-4 and will start doing some smaller set up product shots - using this 3 flash set up.

    BTW, I did do an indoor test today where I placed the 283 slave about 25' away from my shot with the Canon50D and 580SX. The SYK-4 sensor was 180 degrees in the opposite direction of the master flash. And it continued to fire and sync each time properly. Will do further tests to see how far away I can do this outdoors.

    Hope I haven't been too lengthy here - but these inexpensive slave sensors can be a very good way to get into multiple flash photography, but OTOH, may take a lot of fiddling with equipment to get the setup working properly. A nice learning process as well.
    2 people found this helpful
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    Amazon Customer
    1.0 out of 5 stars If you don't mind turning your flash off and on after every picture
    Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Works Great... ONCE! After triggering the flash unit (Canon 580EX) perfectly and easily the flash unit doesn't respond to further flash triggers. In addition, the flash unit locks and doesn't respond to dial or button adjustments. The unit needs to be turned off and back on in order to restore functionality... until the next flash trigger.
    One person found this helpful
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    Jerry
    3.0 out of 5 stars Seagull SYK-4 Optical Slave Trigger
    Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    It works very well with the PC connection. However, the hot shoe is rather short and not manufactured as well as it could be. It is poorly pressed rather than precision made and the side rails are too high off the base to allow a snug fit with a flash foot. The length of the rails that the flash slides into are also short and this, coupled with the clearance of the rails to the base does not allow a snug & solid mounting. It does, however, work very well as a stand alone optical slave when using the PC connection!
    2 people found this helpful
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    Huckleberry
    5.0 out of 5 stars More sensitive than I expected
    Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    With the right flash (the simpler, the better) it works great, and isn't nearly as 'line of sight' dependent as I'd anticipated. Unless it's exposed in bright sunlight, it will see the trigger flash and do it's job. Not the most secure mounting system, and it does tend to wobble a little, but since it's on a stand, no reason to ding a star for that, especially considering the price point. It also breathes new life into old flashes, and when combined with a dedicated and a manual secondary unit, you can set up some pretty elaborate lighting on the cheap, so I'll probably grab a couple more; one as a backup and one to add another popper when needed. Won't work in a blacked softbox, but works fine in shoot-throughs or in a bare head setup for rim lighting or background burn. A couple of these and some used fleabay HS285's open up a myriad of possibilities for under a c-note, and will work every bit as well as solutions costing 10X more.
    3 people found this helpful
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    Anthony P.
    2.0 out of 5 stars not as good as i thought
    Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    bought it for an experiment with a high speed sync hack... it didn't work :(
    other than that it cost me only $8, so i don't feel to bad about it
    it sometimes worked, but it took a while to recycle... not worth it, buy yourself a trigger instead
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    Larry M
    4.0 out of 5 stars I bought the Seagull SYK-4 to use with my old ...
    Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I bought the Seagull SYK-4 to use with my old Vivitar 283 flash (high voltage), which has been sitting on a shelf collecting dust since digital cameras have become the norm. After reading the mixed reviews I decided that for $10 I could afford to take a chance. While it is not exactly high quality, it did work. It has fired consistently at a distance of 10 feet or so away from my Nikon 7000 and triggers from my SB-600. 4 stars since I've only been using it for a few weeks.
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