Pocketwizards?

Bazza

Bazza

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Brian
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My head is melted, can someone please explain the basics of Pocketwizards?

I know there are a lot of different types, TT1's, Mini's, II's, III's, ST4's etc.

I'm lost, I want to use it to trigger two 580ex ii's, what do I actually need and what's the difference in them? When I run a search it just brings up items for sale, so I'm hoping someone can force it into my fairly thick skull please? :banghead:

Thanks!
 
I've only had experience with the Plus transceivers but I believe the difference boils down to the Plus units don't offer TTL while the Mini's, Flex's etc do.

A quick look on Google seems to say the Mini is for your camera hot shoe and the Flex for your flash but again no first hand experience with them.

They also do ones for specific brands like ST4 for Elinchrom, Bowens cards, Alienbees etc.
 
Its not head metling.

The TT1 is a transmitter capable of TTL
Use the TT5 Transceiever with yours flashes to give you TTL capability, plus the tt1/tt5 combination gives you ability to remitley trigger your shutter and also various sync options.
Using an AC3 with the above gives the ability to control power.
The Plus II and plus III are dumb studio triggers.
The ST4 allows remote power control of Elinchrom studio heads. I believe there is also a bowens and alien bee's equivilant.

so to trigger your 580ex you need either saa tt1/tt5 comdination if you want ttl of any of the plus II/plus III/plus X if you want manual only.

But and its a big but, save your cash. And thats from one of the few people round here who rates PWs highly. The TT1/TT5 TTL combination is infamous for struggling with interference from Canon flashes. Its really unreliable and you'd be far better of buyining yongyou 622C triggers instead. Work well and cheaper too. As I tend to use PW's someone else qill have to advise you on the ins and outs of that system. If you want dumb triggers again there arer far cheaper chinese options now.

The only real reason for buying PW now are

1. You're already using it and it works (well I find)
2. You need the HSS options.
3. It is expandable. Within the capabilities of the triggers any combination of them works

but really, buying new. Buy Yongyou instead
 
Perfect folks, nice and simple thank you!

I take it you can't use HSS with the Yongyou?

I think I'd quite like the luxury of being able to control the flash in my camera settings, so am I right in saying that would lead me to needing 2xTT5's (one per flashgun?) a TT1 and an AC3 for this to be possible?

In regards to the Yongyou, it looks like I would only need 3 x 622c's but they would only allow me to trigger the flash remotely without any other control?

Just starting out with the knowledge around this so bear with me

Thanks!
 
Short answer, get a YN 622 for each gun and 622Tx on-camera.

A better option than PWs in every way except a few specialised HSS tweaks as Hugh mentioned (can be handy for action work) and massively cheaper.
 
Bazza said:
I think I'd quite like the luxury of being able to control the flash in my camera settings, so am I right in saying that would lead me to needing 2xTT5's (one per flashgun?) a TT1 and an AC3 for this to be possible?

In regards to the Yongyou, it looks like I would only need 3 x 622c's but they would only allow me to trigger the flash remotely without any other control?
Click to expand...

As Richard said, using a 622TX would give you the same control as the AC3. FWIW I wouldn't buy the TT1 new if you did go the PW route (and don't, buy the YN-622 instead) the TT5 can be used on the camera or the flash and offers that additional flexability(and the same functionality from camera) for no more money
 
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HoppyUK said:
Short answer, get a YN 622 for each gun and 622Tx on-camera.

A better option than PWs in every way except a few specialised HSS tweaks as Hugh mentioned (can be handy for action work) and massively cheaper.
Click to expand...

HSS tweaks... so with the Yongnuo's, you can't shoot higher than 1/250th?

boyfalldown said:
As Richard said, using a 622TX would give you the same control as the AC3. FWIW I wouldn't buy the TT1 new if you did go the PW route (and don't, buy the YN-622 instead) the TT5 can be used on the camera or the flash and offers that additional flexability(and the same functionality from camera) for no more money
Click to expand...

Glad I asked here first folks, thanks, saved me a fortune lol
 
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Bazza said:
HSS tweaks... so with the Yongnuo's, you can't shoot higher than 1/250th?

Glad I asked here first folks, thanks, saved me a fortune lol
Click to expand...

No, the YNs do regular HSS just like OEM kit (with a suitably enabled gun) as do all other auto-TTL triggers that I know of. PWs though have some unique technology that is camera-model specific (downloaded from the PW website, and some cameras benefit more than others) and can give you optimised HSS with a little bit more power - on Canon, not Nikon. Also optimised second-curtain sync (tightens up the sloppy OEM timing) and peak hypersync that allows you to shoot at a marginally faster x-sync speed with no loss of brightness.

All very handy if you happen to need these features and they can make a useful difference, if not quite night and day better. If you still fancy PWs, then they seem to sell for substantially reduced prices in the classified section. Basically YN has rewritten the strobists' rule book in a few short years - PW is no longer king and recent news is they're shedding staff. A lot of their problems are self-inflicted, like manufacturing in the US (expensive) and insistence on reverse compatibility with their old radio frequencies. All very laudable but it also turns out that Canon guns put out a ton of radio interference at those frequencies, leading to greatly reduced range and reports of other problems like DJ equipment or the local taxi service stopping them working. Forgot to mention those minor details, and PW's crude attempts to overcome them with cumbersome screening, costly gun modifications and other nonsense.
 
I have them and the 622tx with two sb700s. Awesome combo. The manuals are daft chinglish though, but there are better versions on the net.
 
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