Why Use Pocketwizards?

[George Slusher]

The new PocketWizard products (MiniTT1 and FlexTT5) and the RadioPoppers support E-TTL II. The older PocketWizard Plus II and Multimax and the RadioPopper JrX do not use TTL in any form. They are remote triggers that work with any camera with a hot shoe or PC connector, any flash or strobe (you may need a hot shoe if the flash doesn't have , studio lights, etc. In a simple sense, they are the wireless equivalent of a network of cords connecting the flashes to the camera. (Some pros and some studio lights use "household" connectors and regular household extension cords.) So, the two sorts of products are really quite different.


Which you "should" buy will depend upon your own uses and criteria. If you want long range and reliability and E-TTL compatibility, the RadioPoppers are probably best. You'll also need one more flash or the ST-E2 to act as the source for the RadioPopper transmitter, so the cost will be higher. That extra cost may be partially mitigated by the cost of a shield for the PocketWizard units. If the range you need isn't as long (how many people put the off-camera flash 150 ft from the camera?), the extra capability, flexibility and lower cost of the PW system may be attractive, as long as they work reliably in your situation.


It will also depend upon what sort of set up you will use. It sounds like you are considering two off-camera flashes with no flash on the camera, as you mentioned two 580EX II's and a ST-E2. In the cost estimates below, that's what I've used. However, there are other possible setups, like one on-camera flash and one remote/slave flash. You can use a Canon 430EX II as a slave (not as a master), for $150 less than the 580EX II.


Here are some example costs for using two off-camera flashes, using B&H and RadioPopper prices. I don't include batteries or shipping, as that can vary a lot. You can easily figure other options. I don't include the cost of lightstands, umbrellas, umbrella brackets/swivels, cables, etc., that you will also need, depending upon the situation. (They can really add up--see below.) Be prepared for a major cost shock.


RadioPopper PX system:

• 2 Canon 580EX II: $420 x 2 = $840
  
• ST-E2: $220
  
• RadioPopper Transmitter: $249 (currently out of stock)
  
• RadioPopper Receivers (2): $249 x 2 = $498
• Total: $1807 (a bit outside the budget of a starving student!)
• Option A: Could use another 580EX II as the master: total = $2007
• Option B: Use 430EX II slaves ($270): total = $1507 with ST-E2, $1707 with 580EX II as master
• Option C: Use one 430EX II slave, one 580EX II slave, plus ST-E2: $1657

You can figure other options. You can't use a 430EX II as the master flash--it can be used only as a slave.


PocketWizard E-TTL-compatible:

• 2 Canon 580EX II: $420 x 2 = $840
  
  
• ST-E2: Not needed
  
  
• MiniTT1 Transmitter: $199
  
  
• FlexTT5 Transceivers (2): $219 x 2 = $438
• Total: $1477 (less, but still outside the starving student budget.)
• Option B: use 430EX II remote flashes (both): $1177
• Option C: use one 580EX II and one 430EX II: $1327

The main difference in price is the need to have a flash or commander on the camera with the RadioPoppers. That adds $220 for the ST-E2 or $420 for a 580EX II. The cost difference would be reduced if you end up having to use a shield with the PocketWizard system.


All those options are quite expensive. They might be worth the cost, though, if you really need the E-TTL capability. The big question, though, is whether you need E-TTL. It's very expensive. Do you want to spend that PLUS the cost of stands, etc.? It could easily add up to over $2000 with the RadioPoppers. I'd think that one would have to be very serious, indeed, about the benefits of E-TTL flash to spend that much.


If you're using a fairly static setup, you can easily use the flashes in manual mode. E-TTL can actually get in the way, especially if you keep the lights fixed but move the camera around. For example, if you move the camera to an angle to show more shadow on the subject, the E-TTL II system will try to lighten the shadow, even if you want the shadow to remain as it was. You can use a simple adjustable flash (non-TTL) as one or both remotes, as well as the more sophisticated Canon flashes. Examples are the Vivitar 285HV (which I use), $90 at B&H, and the more capable LumpPro LP120, $130 at Midwest Photo Exchange. You'd want to have one 580EX II for on-camera (or bracket) E-TTL use. The disadvantage would be that you can't use the 285HV or LP120 in an E-TTL wireless system. If you want to be able to use one flash on the camera as a master and one slave, you could use 2 x 580EX II's or a 580EX II and a 430EX II--or find the older 580EX and 430EX used on eBay.


You could then use either the RadioPopper JrX system or the PocketWizard Plus II transceivers. I haven't seen a comparison of them re: capabilities like range. In other features, they seem pretty much equal for ordinary use, though the PW Plus II transceivers can act as relays, triggering a camera, then sending the flash signal, as I mentioned above. You can trigger a camera with the JrX receiver with the right cable (probably identical to the PW cables), but you'd need an extra receiver. Still, the cost of a JrX transmitter and receiver is $50 less than the cost of one PocketWizard Plus II transceiver!


About cables: the JrX comes with a miniphone-to-sub-miniphone
(2.5mm) cable plus miniphone (3.5mm) and 1/4" plugs. Those will work
well with many studio strobes, but NOT with the 580EX II, which has a
PC connection. You'll need a miniphone-to-PC cable
($18 @ B&H) for each 580EX II. If you use the 430EX II, 285HV or the older Canon 580EX, you
can use a miniphone-to-hot-shoe cable ($30 @ B&H) or buy a cheap hot shoe with a
PC connection and a miniphone-to-PC cable. The LumoPro LP120 has a miniphone connection as well as
PC & hot shoe, so it works with almost anything. You may find cheaper cables from other sources, especially on eBay.


RadioPopper JrX remote triggers:

• 2 Canon 580EX II: $420 x 2 = $840
  
  
• Jr X Transmitter + receiver: $119
  
  
• JrX receiver: $69
• Miniphone-to-PC cables: 2 x $18
• Total: $1064
• Option B: use 430EX II remote flashes (both), with 2 hot shoe cables @ $30: $788
• Option C: use one 580EX II and one 430EX II with appropriate cables: $926 (still able to have a 2-flash wireless network)
  
• Option D: use a Vivitar 285HV as one remote (need the 580EX II for general on-camera use): $746
  
• Option E: use a LumoPro LP120 as one remote: $746 (flash is more expensive, but you don't need the extra cable/hot shoe)
  

PocketWizard remote triggers (using PW Plus II):

• 2 Canon 580EX II: $420 x 2 = $840
  
  
• Plus II Transceivers (3): $169 x 3 = $508 (no extra cables needed)
  
• Total: $1348
• Option B: use 430EX II remote flashes (both), with 2 hot shoe cables: $1108
• Option C: use one 580EX II and one 430EX II, with one hot shoe cable: $1228
• Option D: use a Vivitar 285HV as one remote (need the 580EX II for general on-camera use): $1048
  
  
• Option E: use a LumoPro LP120 as one remote: $1048

If you don't need the range of the PocketWizard Plus II or RadioPopper JrX (whatever that is), you might use the Cactus triggers from Midwest Photo Exchange--$37 for the transmitter & receiver with decent batteries and $25 for an extra receiver with good battery. You don't NEED extra cables with the Cactus V2s receivers, as they have a hot shoe on top, but it's a precarious situation. I'd prefer to use the proper cables (e.g., PC-to-PC or PC-to-hot-shoe), but left them out of the following.


Cactus V2s remote triggers from Midwest Photo Exchange:

• 2 Canon 580EX II: $420 x 2 = $840
  
  
• One set of transmitter & receiver: $37
  
• Additional receiver: $25
• Total: $902 (no extra cables needed)
  
• Option B: use 430EX II remote flashes (both): $602
  
• Option C: use one 580EX II and one 430EX II: $752
• Option D: use a Vivitar 285HV as one remote (need the 580EX II for general on-camera use): $572
  
  
• Option E: use a LumoPro LP120 as one remote: $602

Again, that does NOT include the other stuff you'll need--lightstands, umbrellas, swivels/brackets, etc. Midwest Photo Exchange has several package deals that variously include lightstands, triggers (PocketWizard or Cactus), umbrellas, swivels, cases, and flashes, plus other useful doodads. Their "Starving Student" package with Cactus triggers and LP120 flashes plus all the other gear is $450. For me, that plus a 580EX II (total $870) would be a great way to go, as you'd get all the basic stuff you'd need. Later, you can move up to the JrX or PocketWizard Plus II triggers for the greater range/reliability or even the RadioPopper PX or PocketWizard TTL systems.


I built my own system piece-by-piece, much of it from eBay. Below is what I spent for a minimalist 2-flash system. (The costs include shipping.)

• 580EX (used): $285
• Used 285HV: $71
• Chinese triggers (transmitter + receiver set @ $24 + extra receiver @ 17): $41
• Hot shoes with cables (PC-to-PC), 2 @ $8.50 = $17
• Total to compare to above: $414
  

Then, add in the other stuff for a "strobist" system of 2 matched off-camera flashes plus the 580EX for on-camera E-TTL:

• Additional used 285HV: $64
• Lightstands: $58 (included reflector boom & holder plus a case) + $45 (Giottos from B&H) = $103
• Umbrellas (2 white satin collapsible @ $21, 2 silver @ $29): $100
• Umbrella swivels (2 @ $15 from B&H): $30
• Total: $711

I spent more on lightstands because I needed heavy-duty stands, rather than lightweight, compact stands, to use outdoors. The lightweight stands can easily blow over, or, even if you weight them down, be damaged by the wind catching a nearly 3-ft wide umbrella. If they go over, it may be goodbye flash and/or PocketWizard.


Later, I moved to the PocketWizard Plus II system. I got 3 transceivers on eBay for a total of $417.


There are all sorts of gadgets one can add to the basic system--ball bungees, brackets or caddies for attaching the PW triggers to a lightstand, longer cables, various types of cold and hot shoes (one can use a cold shoe--no electrical connection--if the flash has an external connection), "motor drive" cables to connect the PW triggers to the camera's remote trigger connection, plus a bewildering array of flash modifiers--umbrellas, soft boxes, reflectors, gels, etc.


If you get really serious, you can invest a small fortune in external battery packs that will cycle the flash(es) more quickly and allow more shots. (It's easy to overheat the flash if you use full power shots in rapid succession, however.) Quantum Turbo batteries cost $389 each at B&H, plus you'll need cables for your particular flashes ($28-54 each, depending upon flash & manufacturer). I got two used Turbo batteries plus cables for the 580EX and both 285HVs for a total of $422 on eBay. A cheaper option with the Canon 580EX II is the Canon CP-E4 battery pack, $150 at B&H. (You can get cheaper battery packs on eBay, as well.) It doesn't cycle as fast or last as long as the Turbo batteries, but, with rechargeable NiMH AAs, it's a lot cheaper and lighter (1 lb vs 2.5+ lb). The cost and weight can add up, fast.

[crosbyharbison]

Thanks for the awesome post George. I think I should add that, for now at least, I am just shooting in a terribly light gym. I've progressed over one year from not being able to shoot at all in the gym to getting okay shot. This year I'm looking for great shots.








My first attempts at indoor sports with available light in a different decently light gym with a slow lens (Canon 28-135 3.5-5.6)

First attempt in the terrible gym but I bought a 430 ex II that I had mounted directly on the camera. Notice the ambient is more than 2 stops below of what I had the flash at. Also note the long shadows on the wall.

Finally I bought a 580 ex II to mount on camera at a lower power setting to reduce large shadows on the back wall and commanded the 430 ex II of camera left for some rim/separation light. (disregard the poor focus). Again notice how terrible the ambient light is. I have a 40d and I'd really like to not put the iso above 800 as it gets pretty noisy for my taste.





This season I'm hoping to get two flashes off camera for more mobility and add some gels to the flashes for color temperature.


After consideration of the posts here I've decided to just use my 430 and 580 with 3 pocketwizard plus II units and then sell the 430 and replace it with another 580 when I have more money.


So I would be spending $576.80 now and then $200 (net) to replace the 430 later.


Of course for my setup I will need 2 umbrella stand adapters and bogen superclamps as well as some gaffers tape and some ball bungees if I can't clamp onto anything in there.

[George Slusher]

Quite a challenge you've set yourself, Crosby! Shooting indoor sports is a real PITA. I don't go to basketball games, but I do shoot indoor horse shows, which can have even worse lighting, if that's possible. Our 4-H Youth Fair Horse Show is in an arena that has not only dim lighting, but very difficult-to-handle color balance, as the overhead lights seem to vary in color output (possibly based on their age?). I've had to go to f/2.8 zooms (Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS & 70-200mm f/2.8L IS) plus a bunch of primes--Canon 35mm f/2, 50mm f/1.4, 85mm f/1.8 (the one I use the most), and 100mm f/2, plus a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 that I got after the last horse show and haven't tried out in that venue. Later, I'll post a shot that demosntrates the difficulty. I end up using ISO 1600 or even 3200 on my 30D much of the time in that arena, with the usual noisy results, but that's better than blurred images due to subject movement.


If I were in your situation, I'd strongly consider putting money into one or more faster (and better quality) lenses, rather than more flash gear. The 17-55mm f/2.8 or 24-70mm f/2.8 might work well. (The EXIF data on your photos show FLs of 28mm and 44mm.) For what you'd spend on E-TTL triggers, especially the RadioPoppers ($750 + another flash or the ST-E2, total of $970-$1170), you could buy either lens used or the 17-55mm new. Which would be better would be up to you. They would both be almost 1 stop faster and have better image quality.


You also might consider a prime lens or two (or three!). Look through your
photos and see what the common focal lengths you use and figure out if
a prime would work. I would guess, if you're close-in, that the Sigma 30mm f/1.4, Canon 28mm f/1.8 or Sigma 28mm f/1.8 would be good. They would all be at least two stops faster than your f/3.5 lens--the f/1.4 lenses are even two stops faster than the f/2.8 zooms. Even the vernerable Canon 35m f/2 might be OK. The shallow depth of field can be useful, too, to put the background out of focus. Other advantages of the primes are that they are smaller, lighter, use smaller (i.e., less expensive) filters, and easier to use. Get a fairly wide prime and crop when you need to.


To put it into perspective, the shutter speed for your ambient light shot was 1/100th at f/3.5. At f/2.8, that would be about 1/150. At f/2, it would be 1/300, at f/1.8 it would be 1/378, at f/1.4, it would be 1/625! Maybe you don't need flash, especially with the difficulty in matching the color of the ambient light.


New prices:


Canon 28mm f/1.8 - $500


Sigma 28mm f/1.8 - $379 - includes hood


Sigma 30mm f/1.4 - $439 (I paid $330 used) - includes hood


Canon 35mm f/2 - $300 (I paid $212 for used with a hood and Hoya SHMC UV filter)


Canon 35mm f/1.4L - $1,299 (Probably not worth it)


Canon 50mm f/1.4 - $399 (I paid $335 used, but it included the hood--$20-27 at B&H, for a total new of $419-426)


(The Canon 50mm f/1.8 at $110 might be usable, but it's not as fast-focusing nor as good as the f/1.4)


Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS - $1,030


Canon 24-70 f/2.9L - $1,349


Thus, you could get the 30mm f/1.4 and 50mm f/1.4 for less than the RadioPoppers + ST-E2.

[crosbyharbison]

I forgot to mention that I'm using the 50 mm f/1.4 now and love it and its focal length. I do find that anything shallower than f/2.5 produces undesirable results. The canon 28 sounds like a great lens for some wider shots and I'll look into it.


To get my Canon EX 430 II to work with the Plus II system do I need this?


If I want to use a third flash can I get the mini TT1 on my camera and mount a flash on top of it and still operate with my Plus II's?

[peety3]

While the FlexTT5 works ideally upon many older Canon flashes, the 580EX, 580EX II, and 430EX emit strong RF noise across the PocketWizard's frequency range, and this significantly reduces out-of-box range performance of the FlexTT5 Transceiver.In PocketWizard's research, the interference from the flash varies wildly from sample to sample; they can only guarantee that the flash will work to ~30' (~10m) in all conditions, although they do have many suggestions for increasing this considerably.

This is exactly the shortfall I was talking about because of therushed the R&D and testing before releasing the units. The performance, I've heard, using a 580EX flash is abismal. There are steps you can take to improve the situation, but they are inconvenient and somewhat costly (at least compared to everything working great out of the box). The biggest reason to pay the premium price for Pocketwizards has always been range and reliability. With the new units, the range and reliability of the units have clearly suffered (using the 580EX units, at least) and thus have stained the Pocketwizard's great reputation.

The new PW units do have some issues relating to R&D/testing, but the short range is NOT a by-product of a rushed timeline. Pocket Wizard US products have been on a particular frequency for years if not decades. Some of the recent Canon flashes emit significant RF energy on the PW US frequency band, and that's not Pocket Wizard's fault.

[peety3]

Is there a pocketwizard product that supports E-TTL (i.e. high speed sync)?

Yes, the new Pocketwizard Flex (transceiver) units and Mini (transmitter) units work with E-TTL. Yes, you can do high-speed sync with them. Pocketwizards also developed a technology called Hypersync that allows another stop or so pastthe naturalmax sync speed of your camera using (I believe) any flash. The units are re-programmable using a USBcable and your computer.

To elaborate further, the new PW units can do normal/HyperSync/high-speed sync or normal/high-speed sync or normal/HyperSync. For any of the modes that use high-speed sync, they can increase the usable light output of your flash, up to 1.8 stops better (camera-dependent). This is a prime reason why I have three Flex units on order, due to arrive on Monday.


I'll admit that I'm aware of the distance limits with the 580II flashes that I use, so I ordered two SuperClamps (to hold the Flex units on the stand away from the flash) and two OC-E3 cables to interconnect the goods, and picked up some ferrite cores at RadioShack today.

[George Slusher]

[removed]

[crosbyharbison]

Is there a pocketwizard product that supports E-TTL (i.e. high speed sync)?

Yes, the new Pocketwizard Flex (transceiver) units and Mini (transmitter) units work with E-TTL. Yes, you can do high-speed sync with them. Pocketwizards also developed a technology called Hypersync that allows another stop or so pastthe naturalmax sync speed of your camera using (I believe) any flash. The units are re-programmable using a USBcable and your computer.

To elaborate further, the new PW units can do normal/HyperSync/high-speed sync or normal/high-speed sync or normal/HyperSync. For any of the modes that use high-speed sync, they can increase the usable light output of your flash, up to 1.8 stops better (camera-dependent). This is a prime reason why I have three Flex units on order, due to arrive on Monday.


I'll admit that I'm aware of the distance limits with the 580II flashes that I use, so I ordered two SuperClamps (to hold the Flex units on the stand away from the flash) and two OC-E3 cables to interconnect the goods, and picked up some ferrite cores at RadioShack today.
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Let me know what kind of range you have after you test; I'm interested.

[George Slusher]

[removed]

[peety3]

I'll admit that I'm aware of the distance limits with the 580II flashes that I use, so I ordered two SuperClamps (to hold the Flex units on the stand away from the flash) and two OC-E3 cables to interconnect the goods, and picked up some ferrite cores at RadioShack today.
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Let me know what kind of range you have after you test; I'm interested.
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I've experimented in my front yard and on a "gig" with the PW Flex system. In my front yard, I found that I could go perhaps 100-150' with the PW units in "optimum" position (umbrella mount tipped over 90', Flex antenna straight up, flash head as far from Flex as possible, camera-mounted Flex transmitter antenna pointed up) using no other accessories. I found about the same range with the Flex separated from the flash using a ferrite-equipped OC-E3 as well as the Canon CP-E4 external battery pack. I think my mistake was not testing the flashes with the remote-mounted Flex but without the battery pack, as I suspect that might have given me more to work with. Honestly, with two flashes (one gelled red, the other gelled blue) aimed at my large white SUV (Ford Excursion) and a 24-105 mounted to my 1D3 body, the SUV was approaching "speck" smallness in the sample photos (i.e. this wasn't a likely lighting scenario that AA flashes could really handle anyway).


At a gig, I decided to go simple and mount the Flex units in their optimum position and forgo the remote mount and/or battery packs. For an indoor dinner, anything solid in the way could cause problems (but half the time the pillars were messing up my composition anyway). At another indoor dinner, I ended up with the light stands rather far away from the podium, and I made the mistake of trying to snoot the remotes to avoid spill on the projection screen, leaving me with a rather tight window of well-lit area. Reliable triggering for the most part to probably 120', just not used to operating without a local sense of recharge-ready indication (i.e. operator issues).


Outdoor, I struggled a bit because I don't do much flash group portrait work (because I rarely have the power to actually do it, so I shoot natural light) and therefore don't have ambient-flash balancing skills well developed. However, I found myself successful doing a group shot of ~100 people at probably 20' away. For this shot, my stands were up as high as they could go, 580EX II flashes zoomed to 35mm I think, with a gobo on the bottom to minimize near-side white-out. Aperture was f/5.6 for DoF, aperture priority -1EC, and ISO 800 gave me a shutter speed of 1/1000 (which is theoretically the maximum HSS efficiency gain using the Flex units on a 1D Mark III, of about 1.8 stops). Some back-row people are a little dark, but my stands were as high as they'd go, so "oh well". This is probably shot with the 17-40L or possibly the 24-105L. Range wasn't the real factor here IMHO, instead it was the HSS power gains and I'm certainly happy with what I got (except for "forgetting" to gel the flashes with 1/4CTO).