Comments about Wein Wein HS-XL Hot Shoe Slave (600' Range):

Use the Wein slave on a hand held flash mounted on a light stand outdoors, tried all sorts of things to make the unit fail, only by covering up the unit completely will it fail to triger the flash.
Like the no batteries needed to operate.
Have some older flashes, Wein unit can use the hotshoe or sink cord to activate the flash.
Great little item.

Comments about Wein Wein HS-XL Hot Shoe Slave (600' Range):

To be honest, I have avoided all optical slaves due to the amount of times I've heard how they fail in brighter light or direct sunlight. The HS-XL was recommended to me from a friend so I tried it. To say I'm impressed doesn't say enough. With bright midday sun hitting the slave, a distance greater than 20' from the main flash, pointed 90 degrees away from the slave, it never failed.

Just to find out what it's limitations were, I increased distance and tried different angles. The only time it failed to trigger within 50' in bright sunlight was when the main flash was greater than 120 degrees off to the side and aimed at a point well behind the slave flash. if the main flash hits anything within about 220 degrees of the optical slave's view, it worked every time.

My test parameters:
- limited to 50' distance (my lot) but I have a feeling the range would work from way farther, although I would rarely have a use for anything greater than 50'
- main flash was a 430 EX set to 1/4 power at 35mm zoom.

It's unbelievably reliable, small, and convenient. In my opinion; a must-have.

Comments about Wein Wein HS-XL Hot Shoe Slave (600' Range):

For portraits and weddings I have found this slave
indispensable.