Tag Archives: pocketwizard

The Pocket Wizard Plus X – Radio Trigger for under $100

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The crux with radio triggers has always been cost. They’re not cheap, which often deters new users. Back in the day, a pair of Pocket Wizard Plus II radios would have set you back about $350. That’s a lot of money for a new photographer who wants experiment with remote flashes and camera setups.

Last year, Pocket Wizard came out with the Plus IIIs, which are only $149 each. They’re awesome. They have some great new features, and I’d definitely recommend them. Still that’s almost $300 for the pair.

Enter the brand new Pocket Wizard Plus X. It’s a basic radio trigger with a simple design and a very reasonable price tag. Only $99 ea. For less than two hundred bucks, you can get yourself a pair and start triggering an off camera flash or a remote camera and have some real fun. Get a third and you can fire a camera AND a flash at the same time, or a pair of lights.

So what’s missing? It won’t do TTL flash, but none of the previous Plus models did either. It doesn’t have a any of the more advanced modes that the Plus III has, but honestly, most people don’t need those very often. I don’t need them very often. Doesn’t have a display either, but neither did the Plus II. The Plus X is a trigger. No more, no less. One button, knob. Connect to flash/camera, turn it on, set the channel and boom. You’re ready to fire. Boundless creative options.

That said, the Plus X still has 10 channels that are compatible with all Pocket Wizard radios, new or old, a 1,600-foot range, a long, 100 hour battery life, all stuffed into a durable little housing.

There are a number of less expensive radio triggers starting to appear on the market, but for overall reliability, usability, range and company experience, you can’t ever go wrong with Pocket Wizards.

They last for years (my Plus IIs are about fifteen years old) and they have full compatibility with every other model ever made. I don’t think you can say the same for a set of cheap Chinese off brand triggers.

At $99 each, The new Plus X is by far the best value for a radio trigger. It’s the perfect choice for photographers who are just entering the world of radio remotes, as well as shooters who just need more triggers because they keep getting more lights. If you’re just firing flashes or strobes, you probably don’t need extra features, you just need extra radios.

Announced a couple of weeks ago, The Pocket Wizard Plus X is available now at both B&H Photo and Amazon.

Two Flash Portrait with PocketWizard Flex TT5 Radio Triggers

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A couple of weeks ago, I headed out with cyclist Tim Reinbold to grab a late afternoon and try out the PocketWizard Flex TT5 radio triggers.

Using the dramatic sunset sky as a background, I set up a pair of Nikon SB-800 Speedlights and placed them about ten feet to either side, and slightly behind the subject and shot with a telephoto lens from about 50 feet away. No softboxes or other light modifiers were used, except for the regular plastic dome diffusers on the flashes.

This setup gives the dramatic, 3-dimensional lighting effect that you see in the shot above. With the dome diffusers on, the light scatters and ends up wrapping partially around the subject. Placed closer, it would wrap more. Further away, it would get even more directional and cast stronger shadows. Ten feet away seemed to give a pretty good mix of shadows and wrap.

I triggered the flashes with a set of PocketWizard Flex TT5 radio triggers, one on each flash and one on the camera.

Unlike the regular PocketWizard Plus triggers, which only let you do manual flash, the Flex TT5 radios allow you to make use of TTL flash metering from your dedicated Nikon or Canon flashes.

They’re very easy to use; you simply slide the flash onto the Flex TT5’s hot shoe, slide another TT5 onto your camera’s hot shoe to act as a master, and then fire away.

The Flex TT5’s send the TTL, i-TTL, or E-TTL information between your camera and your flash, and automatically control the output of your flash for normal, TTL exposure. You get TTL flash at radio trigger distances. Pretty cool.

The Flex TT5 radios made a HUGE difference here. In fact, they made this image possible, because if I had to do test shots and run back and forth to change the manual light settings on the flash, I would have missed the light.

In this case, they saved me time, and ultimately, in’t that what we want from technology?

Introducing the PocketWizard Plus III Radio Transceiver – Game On!!

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PocketWizard Plus III TransceiverYesterday at the WPPI trade show in Las Vegas, PocketWizard unveiled their brand new radio trigger, the PocketWizard Plus III Transceiver.

I say Game on!! Why? Because unlike some “new and improved” gear that we often see, where things get more complicate AND more expensive, the new PW Plus III are actually cheaper than the old, long lived PW Plus II radios.

AND, they’re crammed full of new features that are packed into a simple, durable design with an easy-to-use interface.

Here are some of the Plus III features.

32 Channels: First of all, the Plus III operates on 32 channels, instead of the old 4. This means that even in the busiest of working environments, (take note event and wedding shooters,) photographers should have no trouble finding an open channel to use. To switch channels, all you have to do is press a button. Fast. Easy. Did I say fast? Oh, and easy too.

Quad Zone Triggering: This is a brand new feature from PW. Remember all that running back and forth you (or your assistant) used to have to do in order to activate or deactivate remote cameras and/or flashes. No more. Quad Zone Triggering allows you to set up 4 separately controllable zones, that you can turn on or off with those four big buttons on the keypad. (See above.)

Auto Sensing Transceiver: The PW Plus III automatically sense whether it’s being used as a Tx or a Rx, and instantly switch as needed. You can also set that parameter as needed and keep it there.

Two-Stage Remote Camera Triggering: Another really cool feature. When using the PW Plus III to trigger a remote camera, (Requires separate cable) the TEST button on the Plus III acts just like the shutter button on your camera. Press it halfway down and it wakes the camera up to meter and focus; press it all the way to take the shot. As soon as the shutter fires, the camera returns to sleep mode, which saves batteries, especially in situations where you have to pre-place cameras before an event and leave them turned on.

Auto Relay Mode: This mode allows you to use 3 PW Plus III radios to trigger a remote camera/flash setup. The radio in your hands triggers the radio attached to the camera. It fires the camera, and then instantly turns to Tx mode and triggers the flash. Pretty cool!

Long Range: In normal operation mode, the new PW Plus III has a range of 500 meters (1,600 feet). Switch to Long Range Mode, and the workable range of the Plus III is doubled. Using Repeater Mode, you can daisy chain multiple Plus IIIs together for extreme distances, at the cost of slightly slower trigger time.

Backwards Compatability: The question we all want answered, will they work with older PocketWizards? Absolutely. The new PW Plus III is compatible with all PocketWizard radios, as well as all other radios on the same frequency.

Price: The best part is that the new PW Plus III Transceiver is priced at only $139. That’s $30 less than the older, but long lasting Plus II! 

An affordable radio trigger with a host of extremely usable features for any professional, working or enthusiast photographer, so what’s the catch? Only that you don’t have a set in your hands right now! Expected availability is the middle of March.

I am SO getting these things. If you do any kind of remote camera or lighting work, you should too. If you’ve never owned a set of radio triggers, now is the time. Just imagine the creativity. For complete info on this great new device, check out the PocketWizard Plus III website.

The PocketWizard Plus III is now available for at B&H Photo and Amazon

 

My First Photoflex LightingSchool Lesson – Now Online

Dan Bailey's Adventure Photography Blog Posted on by

I celebrate my birthday today with two great professional notes. First of all, I’m the featured photographer this month in the Photoflex Pro Showcase. As someone who’s been using (and sometimes abusing) Photoflex gear for 20 years, I’m honored to … Continue reading →

Feature Article About Me on The PocketWizard Blog

Dan Bailey's Adventure Photography Blog Posted on by

Check it out- PocketWizard has just posted a feature interview and profile about me on their blog. As a longtime user of PocketWizards, which in my opinion, are the best and most versatile radio trigger systems for remote cameras and flashes, … Continue reading →