You don't necessarily have to go with Pocketwizards to get good reliability and range. Two more affordable options include the Cybersyncs and RadioPopper JrX units. They are "dumb" triggers like the original Pocketwizards, but are significantly cheaper. The RadioPopper JrX units were just released a week ago, and the only drawback I've heard so far is the relatively short battery life of the transmitter. I use the Cybersyncs, and they are simply fantastic. Both of these systems provide about 300ft of range, while the original Pocketwizards (non-TTL) have a range of about 1600ft (very few people actually use that kind of range, though). It is possible to use Cybersyncs in relay mode for increased range. Cybersyncs can also be used to trigger the shutter wirelessly if you have a motor (shutter release) cord with a miniphone jack. In fact, I used this feature yesterday while taking this self-portrait (the strobe in the background and the camera are both being triggered by Cybersyncs):









Another TTL-capable alternative are the RadioPopper PX units. They're about as expensive (if not more) than the new TTL-capable Pocketwizard units, but they're generally regarded as a much more reliable product. They developed TTL-to-radio communication; only after their pioneering R&D did Pocketwizard get off their lazy bums to try to develop the same thing. ;-)


If you want to put our toe into the water of radio-based non-TTL flash firing, you might want to investigate the cheapest alternatives--those being ebay triggers. They include Cactus, Yongnuo, etc. The ebay triggers can be extremely unreliable (although it is possible to receive a decent set), but it's a relatively cheap way to find out if you want to spend more money on a higher quality product.