Pocket Wizard Mini/Flex vs Radio Poppers

[Livin The Dream]

I would really like the flexibility these offer and there's still not that much I can find on the net from user experiences. It seems the EU version of the RP is now available, any user experiences?

 

[specialman]

Just had a look at the RP site and it looks like a reliable system. The PW looks great too.

I think I have my head round the PW system; attach a transmitter to the hotshoe, and the receiver to the flash and away you go - wireless TTL with FP sync, although I'm not sure how you control outputs. Then for multiple flashes you need an SU-800 to change multiple output values that are then passed through the transmitter.

The RP on the hand relies totally on having some kind of master/commander, even when you only have one flash off-camera, because it reads the IR signal being emitted from that unit and converts it into a signal that the receiver then passes through the IR port on the flash to fire it. That's two-button interface looks a bit confusing though. Bit more belt and braces approach IMO, but it obviously works.

The PW certainly looks the tidier set-up I think, although either way I'd need to get hold of an SU-800 (which i was going to get anyway for CLS).

I suppose the beauty of both system is that it effectively takes CLS and gives it massive range and reliability under any light condition.

I'm hoping that come Focus 2011 I'll be in a position to purchase a TTL radio system so will hopefully get a hands-on demo at the show.

 

[spxxxx]

Been using Radio Poppers for 18 months or so .... PX system and it just works !

 

[Livin The Dream]

Hi Simon,

Did you get the EU version back then and did you purchase direct from the website or a distributor?

From what I can find on the net the poppers seem to be more reliable than the PW system and easier to use from the box,

Cheers

Kris

 

[spxxxx]

Hi Simon,

Did you get the EU version back then and did you purchase direct from the website or a distributor?

From what I can find on the net the poppers seem to be more reliable than the PW system and easier to use from the box,

Cheers

Kris

Mine are the original version

 

[Livin The Dream]

Just spent the last couple of hours reading further into this. The PW's on paper do everything I want but wow they're not without their problems. Damien Lovegrove on a recent blog entry has gone as far as saying they sometimes work then have periods of being flakey through software updates and he sells them! Great!

I don't like the fact you need to mount the RP transmitter on top of an on board flash though being a canon shooter it can go on top of my ST-E2.

Thing is the PW's have been out 18 months now and still have their problems. The other significant one is the RF interference with the EX580mkII flash hence the AC5 & AC7 RF shields they do, doesn't inspire too much confidence though some users say it has fixed this issue....

 

[old git]

I have five flex tt's, very rarely miss a beat, before these used ebay triggers, both give thier own results, just the tt's are more flexible and alot more reliable.. Wouldn't go to a track without them

 

[zilly]

I have the flex system and they are great but 18 months on I still don't have a clue what half of the utility functions are, the help file is poor at best. And some times (rarly) they just stop working, one shot they will trigger, a quick chimp a few adjustments and then they refuse to fire for the next couple of attempts.