Nikon PW FlexTT5's?

desantnik

desantnik

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A friend of mine had a play with these at Park cameras the other day and seemed very impressed.

Has anyone here got them and used them in anger?

Does it give you everything CLS does - ie manual and/or TTL, perhaps a mixture of both? Can you control the remotes with the flash setup on the back of the camera?

I know the original C*non ones seemed to get a broadside of abuse, are these finally any better?
 
Rob Galbraith seems to be the go-to place for Pocket Wizard info http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-10057-11055 The Nikon versions are a year overdue, so they should have got the hardware sorted, but there was a firmware upgrade even on the day of release! And no doubt there will be more, but hopefully to extend the capability rather than fix fundamentals.

Canon jobbies appear to have got their firmware glitches and RF range issues sorted now, with 'the sock' or internal flash mods, but the EC versions are said not to suffer from RF interference like the US ones. It's PW's obsession with backwards compatability that seems to have been at the heart of it.

Radio Poppers are proven, but don't offer the PW's cool extra trixy features ;)
 
HoppyUK said:
Rob Galbraith seems to be the go-to place for Pocket Wizard info
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Very true - but I'd also want to see a review of the CE version before I invested.

They should be identical but these things are so complicated I'll wait for a European review.
 
Thanks for the link Hoppy - not seen that one.

What I am trying to work out, but nobody seems to be saying, is exactly how the flashes are controlled... Given that the transmitter doesn't seem to have any screen and buttons, then all your lighting controls must be using the CLS menu?

I am guessing the things pretend to be a Nikon flash and camera body and mimic the signals, whilst swapping data over a RF link.

I like the sound of hypersync, 1/400th definitely would help me, in fact I could see situations where a flash bracket and these would even be a workable possibility!

My friend who was playing with them in the shop is probably going to buy them so I should get a chance to borrow them for a weekend in January and have an experiment.

Not quite ready to bin my very reliable but very manual Skyports yet... maybe January :D
 
HoppyUK said:
but the EC versions are said not to suffer from RF interference like the US ones. ;)
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Nah, they still have their problems. I was assisting for someone who had one of the early beta and retail models, and we suffered the dreaded short range. They may be improved now, I don't know.

What I do know is that Pock Wiz dont offer the same 90 day no question returns policy in this country. I would demand it.
 
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desantnik said:
I like the sound of hypersync, 1/400th definitely would help me, in fact I could see situations where a flash bracket and these would even be a workable possibility!
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Being lazy and not read the link above but I thought the whole point of these was that you could shoot at much higher shutter speeds than 1/400th.

EG Lovegrove with the Cannon versions shoots 1/4000th in some of the Speedlight Mastery dvd. I'm confused.
 
Well, it seems that you can run to 1/400th without dropping into FP mode and that above that you can have FP mode over wireless and with flash units that don't even normally support it.

Thats more significant than you might first think....
 
pablob said:
Being lazy and not read the link above but I thought the whole point of these was that you could shoot at much higher shutter speeds than 1/400th.

EG Lovegrove with the Cannon versions shoots 1/4000th in some of the Speedlight Mastery dvd. I'm confused.
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Hypersync tweaks the tolerance that camera manufacturers leave in the timing window for flash. They play safe, and PW push it to the limit with settings customsed to individual models. The result is that you can get clean sync up from say 1/250sec to maybe 1/400sec. With no loss of power.

Above that is Optimised High Speed Sync, that again exploits the slack in the basic Canon system which wastes quite a bit more flash power than it needs to as shutter speeds go up. PW take wasted power and concentrate it into a customsed HSS burst, so you get more power and range. But again here, the benefit is incrementally improved rather than dramatically better. All very useful stuff though.

Desantnik, drop PW an email. They are very good and swift with customer enquiries.
 
Ta Hoppy - I'll fire them a mail.

I also like the idea of being able to use TTL with control over the size of the preflash - thats oooooh so useful.

Like I said earlier, I can think of plenty of reasons to use a lot of these features even when wireless off camera flash isn't really required!
 
Ive used the canons for the last year... excellent, and with the HSS, so much you could do, that I haven't got round to playing with, but thats what winter is for..
 
HoppyUK said:
Hypersync tweaks the tolerance that camera manufacturers leave in the timing window for flash. They play safe, and PW push it to the limit with settings customsed to individual models. The result is that you can get clean sync up from say 1/250sec to maybe 1/400sec. With no loss of power.

Above that is Optimised High Speed Sync, that again exploits the slack in the basic Canon system which wastes quite a bit more flash power than it needs to as shutter speeds go up. PW take wasted power and concentrate it into a customsed HSS burst, so you get more power and range. But again here, the benefit is incrementally improved rather than dramatically better. All very useful stuff though.
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Thanks Hoppy - Very useful to know. I'm surprised there are not more reviews out yet from the Pros, guess they need some decent camera time with them first.
 
Yes I was surprised about the lack of coverage too - including the lack of a thread on TP until I started this one!
 
pablob said:
Thanks Hoppy - Very useful to know. I'm surprised there are not more reviews out yet from the Pros, guess they need some decent camera time with them first.
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It's because everyone is so bloody sick of waiting for them with repeatedly broken deadlines that they aren't as willing to just run out and buy them as they otherwise would be. I think they are very good though.
 
desantnik said:
Thanks for the link Hoppy - not seen that one.

What I am trying to work out, but nobody seems to be saying, is exactly how the flashes are controlled... Given that the transmitter doesn't seem to have any screen and buttons, then all your lighting controls must be using the CLS menu?
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The flash is either in manual, so you set it up on the back of the speedlight as with normal radio transmitters) or TTL mode where it will meter its own output and communicate with the camera as if it was on the hotshoe, or you set your flash as a slave and it will be controlled through the CLS system in the camera, just as if you were firing it using CLS with a pop up flash on a D300/D700.

Very clever system, but a complete waste of money for people who always set their off camera flashes manually.
 
rogan200 said:
....Very clever system, but a complete waste of money for people who always set their off camera flashes manually.
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If they're anything like me, the reason for manual flash adjustment is purely a financial one.

I'd love to have a go with these and an SU-800 to see just what it can do with my SB-800s, especially at range, which is probably where this system will be the next step on from standard CLS.
 
I think the guy nails it with this comment:

I really think the auto TTL feature will shine in spontaneous situations where as on my shoot I primarily controlled the flash output remotely in manual. Since I’m a Charleston wedding photographer...
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TTL is not really the place to be for creativity, TTL is about nailing something usable on the fly IMHO.

I'm still waiting for my friend to come back from his xmas break and let me have a play with a set of these... not long now :D

Hopefully if the snow has gone I'll try some skate stuff with it.
 
desantnik said:
I think the guy nails it with this comment:



TTL is not really the place to be for creativity, TTL is about nailing something usable on the fly IMHO.

I'm still waiting for my friend to come back from his xmas break and let me have a play with a set of these... not long now :D

Hopefully if the snow has gone I'll try some skate stuff with it.
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It's true that auto-TTL's great virtue is speed and ease of use - you can get a decent exposure straight out of the box, first time, no messing. And you can adjust the flash/ambient balance very easily (and lock it if you like). But there's more to it than that.

With Canon (I guess Nikon is similar) using E-TTL and Av will track and maintain exposure and balance when the ambient level is changing (clouds, shade etc) and the flash to subject distance is changing (kids for example).

It is also the only way to get remote high speed sync which I find is pretty much essential outdoors, plus with PWs there is also remote second curtain sync and HyperSync and optimised HSS.

My experience is that I don't usually have a) set up time, b) a static subject, and c) light that isn't changing, all at the same time. And HSS is a godsend.

Also, you can use E-TTL in manual, or with the camera in manual, with or without compensation and override locks. It's a different way of working (that some members of the Old School don't always take to :D haha! ) but it works very well indeed when you get the hang of it, and can do things which full manual simply cannot.
 
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you also get hypersync if only using the flex tt one as the transmitter, and plus 2's or older pw's on your flashes - so there is the option there to upgrade slowly, giving you 1/400th sec sync with all your existing equipment, just need to buy one small transmitter for your camera.
 
I was supposed to get the loan set yesterday, but my friend forgot them. Should have them by the end of the week though.
 
itsdavedotnet said:
you also get hypersync if only using the flex tt one as the transmitter, and plus 2's or older pw's on your flashes - so there is the option there to upgrade slowly, giving you 1/400th sec sync with all your existing equipment, just need to buy one small transmitter for your camera.
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Dave are you saying with the TT1 that you can increase sync speed above the max standard sync speed of the body....Ie with Canon at 1/250 sec you can sync at higher speeds with tt1 on camera with remote PW+2's ?
 
Tugster said:
Dave are you saying with the TT1 that you can increase sync speed above the max standard sync speed of the body....Ie with Canon at 1/250 sec you can sync at higher speeds with tt1 on camera with remote PW+2's ?
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That's the way they say it will work. AFAIUI they trigger the light slightly earlier - it's a matter of trial and error to find how far you can push a light/body combination.

http://www.pocketwizard.com/inspirations/tutorials/hypersync_tutorial_video/

And PLEASE stop talking about that feature. I'm really trying not to spend £500 on these.....
 
JonathanRyan said:
That's the way they say it will work. AFAIUI they trigger the light slightly earlier - it's a matter of trial and error to find how far you can push a light/body combination.

http://www.pocketwizard.com/inspirations/tutorials/hypersync_tutorial_video/

And PLEASE stop talking about that feature. I'm really trying not to spend £500 on these.....
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Johnathan,

I have 4 PW+2's already and was contemplating selling and getting the tt1 tt5 combination instead....but if I can up the sync to say 1/500sec doing it this way, I may just stick with the PW+2's..... I'm toying with the portable 4 speedlight rig that has been used recently....Can't justify 8......Yet !!! ;);););)

Looking for some info on triggering the 4 580ex ii's with 2 PW+2's.. Any info you know of ?
 
Tugster said:
Looking for some info on triggering the 4 580ex ii's with 2 PW+2's.. Any info you know of ?
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Can be made to work ;)

The +2 has 2 sockets on it and either will trip a flash. But if you wire both up it seems only one works at once (just tried it with 2 X SB800s).

However, get yourself one of these http://www.cybermarket.co.uk/shopscr4716.html and you're laughing :D Make sure it's the mono kind.
 
Tugster said:
Johnathan,

I have 4 PW+2's already and was contemplating selling and getting the tt1 tt5 combination instead....but if I can up the sync to say 1/500sec doing it this way, I may just stick with the PW+2's..... I'm toying with the portable 4 speedlight rig that has been used recently....Can't justify 8......Yet !!! ;);););)

Looking for some info on triggering the 4 580ex ii's with 2 PW+2's.. Any info you know of ?
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I've made one with 4, you'll love it, had 5 tt5's and 4 580's
 
JonathanRyan said:
Can be made to work ;)

The +2 has 2 sockets on it and either will trip a flash. But if you wire both up it seems only one works at once (just tried it with 2 X SB800s).

However, get yourself one of these http://www.cybermarket.co.uk/shopscr4716.html and you're laughing :D Make sure it's the mono kind.
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I couldn't see the wood for the trees ! Thank you for opening my apertures :)


old git said:
I've made one with 4, you'll love it, had 5 tt5's and 4 580's
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The 4 580's I understand, but why all the tt5's? If you were individually triggerering each 580 with its own tt5,I would have thought it a little over kill ? Sorry if I totally misunderstood your setup.
 
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Tugster said:
The 4 580's I understand, but why all the tt5's? If you were individually triggerering each 580 with its own tt5,I would have thought it a little over kill ? Sorry if I totally misunderstood your setup.
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I had them already, was using 4 covering different parts of a track, just made a rigs to bolt to, set up works fine, only used them a couple of times, but the results have been great
 
Take a look at "old git's" MX photos in the motorsport section. You'll see what he does and how good the results are...
 
desantnik said:
Take a look at "old git's" MX photos in the motorsport section. You'll see what he does and how good the results are...
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Cheers... desantnik

Unfortunately I cant tell you the in and outs of flextt5's, I have used them for a couple of years and have always had reliability from all the equipment however much **** the riders through at them...literally

I followed this thread.. just to see peps views on them, Ive always been impressed with these, the odd misfire, but normally when i'm rushing them. I was expecting a few problems setting 4 so closely together, but no, still excellent, even from 100yds+
 
I don't know is this is helpful.

You can trigger four flashes off two PW Flexes, provided they are identical units. PW told me this, and although it is not officially endorsed, they say it works using a Phottix twin E-TTL cord. This is the link PW gave me :) http://www.flickr.com/photos/oliver_clap/4754705918/in/pool-356484@N20/

Michael Bass in the US also does modded/shortened custom twin cords, but they're not cheap.
 
pablob said:
Anyone dropped their ££££'s yet then?
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Took the plunge today :gag:

I went to the trade show at the SWPP convention and saw a 'show special offer'......

ONE TT1 plus TWO TT5's for £499......

Seemed like a pretty good deal, especially as Calumet were selling them upstairs for 100 quid more.
 
chip said:
Took the plunge today :gag:

I went to the trade show at the SWPP convention and saw a 'show special offer'......

ONE TT1 plus TWO TT5's for £499......

Seemed like a pretty good deal, especially as Calumet were selling them upstairs for 100 quid more.
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What are you first impressions of the new kit Chip ?
 
chip said:
Took the plunge today :gag:

I went to the trade show at the SWPP convention and saw a 'show special offer'......

ONE TT1 plus TWO TT5's for £499......

Seemed like a pretty good deal, especially as Calumet were selling them upstairs for 100 quid more.
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There's bound to be a deal on these things at the Focus show - NEC, 6-9th March.

Hard to predict of course, but last year there was hundreds of pounds to be saved on all sorts of kit, especially high end Canons and lenses.
 
I've had a set here now for a few days... but still haven't go round to trying them. Whenever I get a spare minute something else seems to crop up :(
 
Anyone know when the AC-3 Zone controller will be available in the UK?

As soon as it's here I'm ready to switch over to this set up, having the ability to control the power of my Elly RX and Speedlites, is going to be very useful feature :)
 
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