How to use PW plus II?

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Ditto026

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It might be a stupid question, but I am planning to buy PE Plus II to use and I have two flash heads... My question is: if I connect the PW on my canon mark 4, how flashes will be operating? Is there any kind of device to be attached to the flash head!

Please help...
 
THe PW Plus II is a transeiver - One goes on your flash the other on one of the heads. the secon head should be set to optical.

When you fire the camera the receiver on the PW on the flash head is triggered and the light ids fired, this light also fires the other head - light travels so fast, this is all done almost instantly.

If you ewant to have both heads controlled by radio so other cameras can't set off the head using the optical trigger, you'd need an additional PW transeiver.

Any reason why you're going the PW route?
 
EOS_JD said:
THe PW Plus II is a transeiver - One goes on your flash the other on one of the heads. the secon head should be set to optical.

When you fire the camera the receiver on the PW on the flash head is triggered and the light ids fired, this light also fires the other head - light travels so fast, this is all done almost instantly.

If you ewant to have both heads controlled by radio so other cameras can't set off the head using the optical trigger, you'd need an additional PW transeiver.

Any reason why you're going the PW route?
Click to expand...

Thank youfor yoyr reply... No special reason, but read that PW are best solutions..

Any recommendation!
 
EOS_JD said:
Any reason why you're going the PW route?
Click to expand...

I bought into the Pocket Wizard's some years ago and I swear by them for reliability, but if you just want triggers for studio lights, there are much cheaper options available that will do just as good a job. (which is the point I think EOS_JD is questioning).
 
Yes sorry exactly the point I was making.

Outstanding units but for starting out harly required. I had a couple of ebay units that worked fine for a while but upgraded to skyports because I also use Elincrom studio lights. Work fine with the flash too and half the price of PWs.

You can buy triggers like the RF602 faiirly cheaply
 
or have a look at the Phottix Atlas (PW II clone) can get them form Calumet for £80 each I got a pair for my birthday and they are very nice to use :).

search on calumet for Atlas don't think they have a picture up yet but you can check them out by googling as well loads fo reviews and videos out there.
 
Thank you all guys... such valuable info :)
I think I would go for PW as I like to use advanced devices and have concerns with quality..

I would go for the Plus II unless you have other recommendations
 
Ditto026 said:
Thank you all guys... such valuable info :)
I think I would go for PW as I like to use advanced devices and have concerns with quality..

I would go for the Plus II unless you have other recommendations
Click to expand...

What are you using them for? Only in the studio? Or on location with hotshoe flash too?

There are a lot of options - Do you need ETTL?
 
Ditto026 said:
Thank you all guys... such valuable info :)
I think I would go for PW as I like to use advanced devices and have concerns with quality..

I would go for the Plus II unless you have other recommendations
Click to expand...

RF-602,
Calumet Atlas
Elichrom Skyports
Bowens Pulsar

Have used all of the above & all are of solid build quality obviously some are better then others but just begs the question why are you set on PWs ? £320 (WEX price) for something that is advanced & well built, if your only fire one flash from within a studio RF-602s are £25 for a set (transmitter & reciever) & work just fine be it the transmitter is a bit annoying cause it has not locking mechanism.
 
EOS_JD said:
What are you using them for? Only in the studio? Or on location with hotshoe flash too?

There are a lot of options - Do you need ETTL?
Click to expand...


I need it mostly for outdoor and locations with speedlight, and some studio as well.

Yes i need TTL
 
kiteninja said:
RF-602,
Calumet Atlas
Elichrom Skyports
Bowens Pulsar

Have used all of the above & all are of solid build quality obviously some are better then others but just begs the question why are you set on PWs ? £320 (WEX price) for something that is advanced & well built, if your only fire one flash from within a studio RF-602s are £25 for a set (transmitter & reciever) & work just fine be it the transmitter is a bit annoying cause it has not locking mechanism.
Click to expand...


I prefer PW so i dont have to upgrade each time ;) so whats the best PW option i have?
 
Ditto026 said:
I prefer PW so i dont have to upgrade each time ;) so whats the best PW option i have?
Click to expand...

Depending on the number of light sources I would guess at the PlusII as i know nothing about the multimax but the multi is the most expensive.
 
Ditto026 said:
I prefer PW so i dont have to upgrade each time ;) so whats the best PW option i have?
Click to expand...

Ignoring the TTL issue.... why would you need to upgrade? They don't do anything more than most others and in fact I think my skyports have more functionality - although mainly with Elinchrom flash.

Also for ETTL, radio poppers could be a better option - not yet available in the UK but some do use them. Issues with frequencies are advised but some here use them I think
 
EOS_JD said:
THe PW Plus II is a transeiver - One goes on your flash the other on one of the heads. the secon head should be set to optical.

When you fire the camera the receiver on the PW on the flash head is triggered and the light ids fired, this light also fires the other head - light travels so fast, this is all done almost instantly.

If you ewant to have both heads controlled by radio so other cameras can't set off the head using the optical trigger, you'd need an additional PW transeiver.

Any reason why you're going the PW route?
Click to expand...



So I need 2 Plus II, one goes on the camera and the other one goes on the flash correct?
And what's the name of the cable that connects the Plus unit to the flash? Does it come in the box with the unit?
 
Ditto026 said:
So I need 2 Plus II, one goes on the camera and the other one goes on the flash correct?
And what's the name of the cable that connects the Plus unit to the flash? Does it come in the box with the unit?
Click to expand...

It depends on the flash you are wanting to use them with. mine came with the 3.5mm to PC lead for each of the units. I have 4 PW+II's but thinking of going to the TT-1/TT-5 Combination.

Skyports are great if you have Elinchrom heads. They offer remote level control and the heads do not fire when a IR pulse is detected, which happens a lot at events where people are using their own Point and Shoot compacts.

Look into the cost of specific leads and the availabillity for your flash heads.
 
Even without Elinchrom heads the skyports are decent. Connected to a hotshoe flash they work like any other radio device (PWs and the like)
 
Ditto026 said:
So I need 2 Plus II, one goes on the camera and the other one goes on the flash correct?
And what's the name of the cable that connects the Plus unit to the flash? Does it come in the box with the unit?
Click to expand...

You said you need TTL? If you do forget the PWII

You need the Pocketwizard Flex TT5 and MiniTT1 (see above)
 
EOS_JD said:
Even without Elinchrom heads the skyports are decent. Connected to a hotshoe flash they work like any other radio device (PWs and the like)
Click to expand...

Jim
The point I was making was the remote control of levels that the Skyports offer.
I was not denying the fact they still work as normal wireless triggers.
 
Tugster said:
Jim
The point I was making was the remote control of levels that the Skyports offer.
I was not denying the fact they still work as normal wireless triggers.
Click to expand...

Sorry I wasn't dissing what you said, just adding to it :) Cause they are great with or without Elinchrom heads.

With Elinchrom lights they are second to none as the functionality is superb.
 
kiteninja said:
or have a look at the Phottix Atlas (PW II clone) can get them form Calumet for £80 each I got a pair for my birthday and they are very nice to use :).

search on calumet for Atlas don't think they have a picture up yet but you can check them out by googling as well loads fo reviews and videos out there.
Click to expand...
Hi I'm looking at getting these next week, what's the reliability like on these?
And will they operate out of line of sight?

Thanks
 
Very early days for reliability I think but yes they will work out of sightline as they are radio rather than infra red.
 
Probably not - Only PWs and Radio Poppers I think use TTL. RPs though are US only - their radio uses frequencies similar to mobile phones here which are restricted
 
EOS_JD said:
You said you need TTL? If you do forget the PWII

You need the Pocketwizard Flex TT5 and MiniTT1 (see above)
Click to expand...

This ^

Or the radiopoppers but technically they're not available in the UK yet
 
Have received my Calumet Atlas triggers and am seriously impressed.
Excellent build quality To be hinest I'd be asking myself why buy PW's when these are about £100 cheaper per unit
 
SimonM said:
Have received my Calumet Atlas triggers and am seriously impressed.
Excellent build quality To be hinest I'd be asking myself why buy PW's when these are about £100 cheaper per unit
Click to expand...

LPA are probably asking themselves the same thing.
 
SimonM said:
Have received my Calumet Atlas triggers and am seriously impressed.
Excellent build quality To be hinest I'd be asking myself why buy PW's when these are about £100 cheaper per unit
Click to expand...

They have began court proceeding against Phottix (who make the calumet one) just as they were about to launch a US frequency one. Outcome could be interesting, but I think the days of the Phottix are limited, advice seems to be get em while you can.

To the OP. You sound like you have decided on PW and thats it. For what you are doing it is very expensive and not needed. PW are the best yes, but when you are relying on TTL a lot and seem to have very little knowledge on it (not a dig, just an observation) You would be better getting some cheap ebay triggers for a start while you figure out how to use manual flash and then upgrade as you see fit.

check out www.flashraw.com run by 2 professional music photographers and has reports on all the latest equipment for using flashes.

You seem to want Pocket Wizards for the sake of having them and are not open to ideas. Plenty of professional photographers swear by cheaper triggers. If you have one shot at getting a photo, then maybe look at them, but Atlas are the same unit with more features for less money. As it stands the advice from everyone is to buy the Phottix Atlas.
 
most people want PW's because the first thing in flash they ever read is strobist recomending they spend the money on them, however 90% of the time he sets the power himself on the flash heads rather than using the TTL system... i bought a set of Cactus V4's very good for the £35 i spent and cant fault them for manual use, and they get a decent range with a good set of bateries :)
 
Yeah those evil evil people charging for their R&D.

We all know that PW are suing Phottix for patent infringement, right? Like photographers get all antsy when people copy their pictures....
 
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