PocketWizard PWP-TR 801-125 PLUS II Transceiver - Black
by Pocket Wizard
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List Price: Our Price: $169.00 You Save: $51.00 (23%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $143.00 (click here) Category: Digital Camera See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of PocketWizard PWP-TR 801-125 PLUS II Transceiver - Black
Customer Review: great product
Summary: 4 Stars
i have been using quantum 4i r/s for the past 6 years and on my last job when they just kept tripping my flash repeatedly. this was nothing new and it was the last straw.
pocket wizard enjoys a great reputation. i have seen many other photographers from high end all the way down the chain use these same r/s. so it was time to put them to the test.
i had a big shoot coming up and i needed instant reliability and not a sometime, cross-your-fingers thing. i picked up 4 of these babies for the job (brought the quantums just in case).
they worked. and worked. and worked. it was a heavy urban area near hotels and restaurants where the q4is usually have poor performance.
finally, i can do my job without worrying about some cranky piece of equipment. highly recommended if you want to just get the job done.
there is one thing other reviewers have right: the build quality seems just a little dicey. the main body of the unit is fine for me. i don't care if something's made of plastic. how about pelican cases, huh?
but my big three beefs are: 1) the antenna is flimsy feeling and would definitely break with anything other than gentle handling of it. i might reinforce them myself. i purchased a pelican case just to prevent them from breaking in transport. 2) the battery door is rickety - destined to break at some point. (one aside: the batteries are a real pain to get back out, too). 3) the hot shoe mount is weak plastic.
folks! only professionals and serious amateurs want to use this kind of equipment. when are you gonna get the picture that any major point of contact needs to be stronger, not weaker than normal, because you *know* the thing will get more rigorous usage than any consumer piece of equipment. i would definitely pay an extra $15 per unit if they seriously addressed these issues to everyone's satisfaction.
Customer Review: Way way overpriced for cheap build
Summary: 2 Stars
Warning: the hotshoe breaks easily! As a matter of fact, the entire unit is extremely poor quality plastic. The way it sticks out on top of your camera: if you bump into it while mounted, the cheap plastic shoe will crack or break. Then you will have to gaff tape it to your camera and connect it with a sync cable. Take it from someone with experience. Try looking like a professional with that.
On the plus side, it does work well. Fires every time and a no brainer to use. Works with any studio lighting system with the right sync cable to the receiver. The only reason they can get away with charging such an exorbitant price is because there are almost no choices in wireless transmitters out there. Little to no competition. We need it, therefore must pay whatever it costs.
If there are any radio signal electronics manufactures out there reading this: PLEASE make one. We need more choices. There is a huge demand for them, not just in the pro business market. Then maybe Pocket Wizard will price them more competitively or at least start making them up to the quality for what we are paying.
UPDATE: Looks like my prayers have been answered. Ironically after posting this review I've found "Interfit" is coming out with a low profile wireless transmitter set for around $60. 'Bout time! Up to 150ft range. But won't be out until the beginning of January. You can bet I will be one of the first to get one and review!
NEW UPDATE: I settled on microsync. Awesome metal build quality. Tiny, low profile. 100 ft range. Batteries last years. Your needs may vary. Perfect for me.
Customer Review: Couldn't live without it
Summary: 5 Stars
I've worked with a lot of other photographers at weddings or other events and they all used the Pocket Wizard. These things work without failure. The radio signal is more reliable than an optical slave. With a range of like 1600 feet, you are pretty much covered in any situation you would find yourself in as a photographer.
They are essential in my studio work too. I use different combinations of lights, even different brands. Alien Bees, Speedotron, and even a shoe mount light as a hair light. The Pocket Wizard makes them all work together, which gives me a lot more flexibility in terms of what I can do for creative lighting.
You might have to pick up a special adapter for some lights. For instance, I had to pick up a "mini to household" cable to get the pocket wizard to sync with my Speedotron Brown line lights. I also picked up a "Hot shoe to mini" adapter so that I could use it with my SB-800 speedlight mounted on a light stand. But it comes with a mini-to-mini cable that works with Alien Bees, Studio Max, and other popular lights right out of the box.
It would be nice if they were a little cheaper but I can't really complain about the price because they have been so useful to me.
Customer Review: Pocket Wizard Plus II : The size works in its favor.
Summary: 5 Stars
I really don't have much to add in relationship to the PWII performance, which is excellent. What I do feel I can add about the PWII is the fact that it's size works in its favor in several ways:
1) It's size allows it to be handled much better than its smaller size competitors. This means you're less likely to drop, step on, or misplace it. Some thing to think about when you're out in the field doing a photoshoot.
2) It's size allows the switches to be larger and easier to work than its smaller size competitors.
3) It's size allows the use of AA size batteries unlike its smaller size competitors. This is actually rather important and not many take this into consideration.
When you add this up with it's superb perfomance, it's a winning combination. Of course, there is the BIG minus of each unit being rather expensive, or not having a screw-in antenna to make it more compact to store, but it more than balances out in its favor when you add up the various factors.
By the way, don't forget to get a "mini to mini" sync chord when purchasing it because it's not included and most studio flash units use minis, as well as the caddy. The caddy is worth its weight in gold.
Customer Review: Does Its Job, Cheap Construction and Lack of Nikon TTL are Drawbacks
Summary: 4 Stars
If you're okay with setting your flashes in manual mode, then these radio units perform very well and offer better signal triggering than the infrared SU-800 or master mode flash. As a wedding and portrait photographer I will often use these for formal portraits, the dance floor or in portrait situations where unique lighting is called for.
The downsides: lack of TTL support (at least for Nikon users, not sure what, if anything, is different for Canon) and the construction feels a bit "cheap." I dropped my camera (not PocketWizard's fault, I know) and the plastic hotshoe mount snapped off (fortunately I am still able to use hanging from a remote flash, but can no longer mount on camera.)
On the one hand they are light (a plus when you already have 8 lbs hanging from your neck) but on the other I would like to see a more durable construction. Fortunately the antennae seem quite flexible.
Having said that, I still find them very useful and would recommend them.