Part of the fun of working with off-camera lights is figuring out how to trigger them. I started, like everybody else, by messing about with sync cables, even going so far as setting up a Y-connection with a bunch of BNC connectors. It worked without a hitch; the real problem was the trip hazard that much cable created.
So the next step is radio triggers! I am currently using the now-discontinued AlienBees RFT1 system, which is great for the price, but one of the receivers has been unreliable lately. This is apparently not uncommon, because AlienBees now sells a "new and improved" CyberSync system, which also costs a bit more. They do well, though, because you can get back the full cost of you RFT1 system, making the transition more bearable.
Whatever the pluses and minuses may be of this system's reliability, its real weakness is compatibility with other flashes. See, the receivers are AC-only, so only useful with AlienBees lights or similar.
My next step, then, is to take the plunge and start buying Pocket Wizards. Sure, they cost several times as much as the Bees system, but they're portable and, in my experience, ultra-reliable. I will start with the Plus II model and go from there.
The other remote trigger I use is the Phottix Cleon, which I bought from a Hong Kong company off eBay. This is a combination wired and remote release, and it works like a charm -- except that the radio release interferes with my RFT1 triggers, another reason to go for the Wizards. My primary use of this is as a wired release for long exposures, so whatever works or doesn't work with the radio release is less important.
