pocketwizards? are they worth it?

fallen_mathi

fallen_mathi

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carrying on from another thread... my flashes wont work with cheap ebay triggers... so im contemplating buying some better triggers?
do they really justify the money?
i would be very greatfull to anyone that has them, and can provide there experiances :)
 
Yes. :D

I know they are a lot of money but they are ultra reliable. I've seen them fire flashes outside the building to provide simulated window light.
 
fallen_mathi said:
carrying on from another thread... my flashes wont work with cheap ebay triggers... so im contemplating buying some better triggers?
do they really justify the money?
i would be very greatfull to anyone that has them, and can provide there experiances :)
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It really depends on your requirements really mate.

They are worth it if you need reliable triggers.

Have you also looked at Elinchrom Skyports and Bowens Pulsars?
 
There are plenty of alternatives to the very cheap, unreliable triggers that are much more affordable than PW but which are well made and reliable.

The PW is a VERY upmarket product range that offers features that others don't. IMO if you need those features they're a good buy, but not everyone does, so like most things in life there isn't a simple yes/no answer.
 
That depends on whether you can justify the expense - you'll need at least two, so you're looking at around £320 at the very least. If you want to add another light you need another transceiver (although you can trigger two lights from one receiver if they are close together) so that's another £160 or so.

Cherryrig will be along in a wee bit to recommend Skyports, so it might be worth having a look at those too, they're certainly much cheaper.....
 
I use PW's, they are ultra reliable. I got them as I can use them to fire a remote camera as well as lights. If I did not want the extra features I might have gone for skyports or cybercyncs. BTW you can get a pair of PW's for £270.
Mart.
 
thanks for the quick responses:) always that anyoing line between quality and cost... ive had a look at skyports, and they seem pretty good, (and less money), so seem to be a good comprimise:)
 
Marvin d martian said:
I use PW's, they are ultra reliable. I got them as I can use them to fire a remote camera as well as lights. If I did not want the extra features I might have gone for skyports or cybercyncs. BTW you can get a pair of PW's for £270.
Mart.
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Yes, you can (I quoted WeX's price), but for anyone considering buying from Ebay, make sure you get the CE marked versions, as alot of the "cheap" ones are US-spec and are actually illegal to use in the UK - although whether you'd actually get into trouble for using them is a different matter ;)
 
Marvin d martian said:
I use PW's, they are ultra reliable. I got them as I can use them to fire a remote camera as well as lights. If I did not want the extra features I might have gone for skyports or cybercyncs. BTW you can get a pair of PW's for £270.
Mart.
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Where?
 
Was there not sometime ago a debate on building your own. It seemed to have fizzled out and no more was heard about it. Having built a few electronic gizmo`s I was interested, but thought it a bit dodgy. Still you never know, it might come back.
 
classcams said:
Was there not sometime ago a debate on building your own. It seemed to have fizzled out and no more was heard about it. Having built a few electronic gizmo`s I was interested, but thought it a bit dodgy. Still you never know, it might come back.
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thats me, I found out I have a uni independant study summer project so I shelved the triggers so I can do them over the summer and actually get marks for them
 
still a bit new to the whole strobe stuff and didnt want to make a new thread
just wanted to ask whats so bad about the ebay ones specifically?
i just got them and they do what i want them to so far..?
 
fallen_mathi said:
carrying on from another thread... my flashes wont work with cheap ebay triggers... so im contemplating buying some better triggers?
do they really justify the money?
i would be very greatfull to anyone that has them, and can provide there experiances :)
Click to expand...


Yes :thumbs:
 
overthere said:
still a bit new to the whole strobe stuff and didnt want to make a new thread
just wanted to ask whats so bad about the ebay ones specifically?
i just got them and they do what i want them to so far..?
Click to expand...

Give it time.....just when you really need them they'll stop working :bang:
 
overthere said:
just wanted to ask whats so bad about the ebay ones specifically?
i just got them and they do what i want them to so far..?
Click to expand...

The first triggers I bought were Cactus V2s, they were fine at first until I took them out on a job to an ice rink to take a few skating teams groups portraits.
The rink staff's walkie talkies kept setting them off, it was a right pain.

As long as your not in an area with interference or in working with the receivers in very close proximity to each other then they should be fine :thumbs:
 
:(from what ive read... there not bad... but not good either, some people are lucky and some arnt...
....so as ive found out the hard way, investing in quality to start with is always a good idea if you can...
 
overthere said:
still a bit new to the whole strobe stuff and didnt want to make a new thread
just wanted to ask whats so bad about the ebay ones specifically?
i just got them and they do what i want them to so far..?
Click to expand...

eBay triggers is a vague term. There are many different models available cheaply.
I have the Yongnuo CTR-301's and for £20 for a transmitter and 2 recievers you can't fault them. Still no misfires after 6 months use. My only gripe is that i can't get 2nd curtain sync but thats a Canon problem not the triggers.
I heard the cactus v4's were pretty bad when they came out but later shipments have been better.
 
Flash In The Pan said:
Give it time.....just when you really need them they'll stop working :bang:
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LOL
wow



Mangelwurzel said:
eBay triggers is a vague term. There are many different models available cheaply.
I have the Yongnuo CTR-301's and for £20 for a transmitter and 2 recievers you can't fault them. Still no misfires after 6 months use. My only gripe is that i can't get 2nd curtain sync but thats a Canon problem not the triggers.
I heard the cactus v4's were pretty bad when they came out but later shipments have been better.
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hmm well i got the 'phoshot' trigger and reciever

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180358471271

which look exactly like the cactus ones (and all the other cheap-ish ones for that matter)
do they still differ at all?? they look the same, just rebranded?

am using it with a sigma ef-500 dg super if that matters at all (might also look into getting a sb-26 or something later on)
not sure what a misfire even is so don't think i've experienced it so far :shrug:
 
To clarify....I had 5 full sets of the V2s model and rarely could I get enough of them to work at one time to trigger more than two lights plus there was an issue with them and the SB-600 which meant they had a habit of going off on their own when they felt like it.

Don't get me wrong, for twenty quid it's a great intro to off-camera flash, but eventually they drive you to distraction.
 
Flash In The Pan said:
Don't get me wrong, for twenty quid it's a great intro to off-camera flash, but eventually they drive you to distraction.
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hmm fair enough
you get what you pay for
lets hope mine last as long as possible lol


Tomas Whitehouse said:
Issa whena you pusha de button ana nothinga happen! :lol:
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lol makes sense
I have actually experienced that, when I come to think of it, but I thought it was because I or something might have blocked the trigger to the receiver :thinking:, if i move or something and try again it works fine lol


but thanks for quick and helpful replies
and apologies for semi-hijacking the thread
 
I've picked up the Skyports and I think they're great. The smaller size is a bonus as I take them out mountain biking.
 
Pocket Wizards all the way for me, never had a miss-fire. I bought some cheap ebay triggers, tested them and found they were so unreliable it would look stupid infront of a client.

So I went with PWs and never looked back. If you see any fashion/catalog shoots or such like on tv (or in person!) have a look whats on top of their camera ;)
 
I have Pocket Wizards, and they are amazing. Never misfire, always reliable, it is imply the thing with them, they work, every time! It depends if you need to get the shot first time as to whether they are worth it for you, I shoot skating, and a misfire on the only time they land the trick does not go down well, so I needed them for that.

If you can afford them, get them. There is a reason why everyone uses them. I am going to invest in some versions soon, add to my collection.
 
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