Pocket Wizards - Best Price - DPChallenge Forums

07/19/2008 11:08:15 PM · #1

Hey guys...I am needing to buy 3 Pocket wizards (1 x Transmitter - Camera, 2 x Receivers - 580EXII Flashes). Where is the best deal? The links I have found for Australia range from $299-00 plus P&H to $460-00 plus P&H....these prices are for single wizards...I haven't found a kit with two units.

Also, I found this notation on one Australian site and wondered if this is true or just a ploy to sell!

NB: Our PocketWizards use the 433mhz frequency which is NOT the same as the US spec PocketWizard which uses 344.04mhz. In Australia the maximum output power in the 344mhz frequency is limited to 10 "microwatt". PocketWizards output at 1 "milliwatt" which renders US spec PocketWizards legally inoperable in Australia. Each PocketWizard is a single unit that acts as either a transmitter or receiver. Two or more PocketWizards are required to trigger off-camera flash units or other cameras. - Quoted from Digital Camera Warehouse.

07/19/2008 11:59:43 PM · #2

It's true that the Oz versions are not the same freq as the US ones - it's not just a ploy to sell. The are not compatible, so even if you buy from the US initially, you are stuck doing that for any others you need. The US ones are technically illegal - but only in 1/100-ish seconds at a time :-)

Edit: I assume you saw the Paul Buff ones that are out... I suspect they would be legal but again not the range of PW's and still only a US source.

Message edited by author 2008-07-20 00:11:12.

07/20/2008 12:10:07 AM · #3

Thanks Robs. Are you familiar with any good sites to buy them from....preferrably in kits of two!

07/20/2008 12:17:21 AM · #4

Best price I saw was mpex.com under the strobist area - you have to add them to the cart but were @$180USD each -> @ $20 oz dollars the ways it's been recently :-( [I am going to dust off my Oz credit card soon]. Have a look, they might have a pair price but not sure. Only catch is that I see some issues with their non-US shipping vs. somewhere like B&H -> they still plead the small business buried with strobist directed volume - pretty lame after 18months (although personally, what I have ordered is easy since I am local).

07/20/2008 12:22:39 AM · #5

Originally posted by robs:

But those products would be in USA which means I would have issues with that notation I quoted. Am I right?

07/20/2008 12:34:17 AM · #6

Originally posted by Judi:

But those products would be in USA which means I would have issues with that notation I quoted. Am I right?

Yeah - sorry, I swap locations in mid sentence if you don't watch it.... I cannot help with Oz sources, just too out of touch. Thought you were after US sources.

07/20/2008 12:35:46 AM · #7

Originally posted by robs:

Originally posted by Judi:
But those products would be in USA which means I would have issues with that notation I quoted. Am I right?

Yeah - sorry, I swap locations in mid sentence if you don't watch it.... I cannot help with Oz sources, just too out of touch. Thought you were after US sources.

No worries....thanks anyway. Hopefully some Aussies might have some more info!

Olympus 7-14mm f/4.0 Zuiko Digital Zoom

07/20/2008 05:15:33 AM · #8

ump...hoping for some help from the Aussies maybe?

Prof_Fate

07/20/2008 09:43:28 AM · #9

You need 3 of the Plus2 models - each unit can send/receive w/ no buttons to use or worry about. The MultiMax units are awesome but very pricey, relatively speaking.

Sorry I can't help you with a source. I am about to buy another one here in the US if that makes you feel any better - The 'you are not alone' thing and all.

one2one

Olympus E-5

07/20/2008 12:30:06 PM · #10

Judi, I check Ebay almost ever day. I want 3 but will not drop 800 dollars on them. That's what they sell for up here in Canadaland where we have no roads nor electricity and that's why they need to be dropped by parachute from satellites using the space shuttle. hence their price. grrr

I found a pair for 160USD once and .....um I forgot to rebid and lost. (tear rolls down cheek) :(

Good luck in finding them. Let us know if you've found a place that gives em away for cheap. ;\

Message edited by author 2008-07-20 12:30:44.

Sam94720

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

07/20/2008 12:52:27 PM · #11

Do they have to be PocketWizards or would you also consider a different solution? A Skyport set from Elinchrom with one transmitter and two receivers costs about as much as one single Pocketwizard. I'm very happy with mine.

07/20/2008 03:02:24 PM · #12

Originally posted by Sam94720:

I have heard the range and quality of the PocketWizards are not be sneezed at. How do the other brands rate?

07/20/2008 04:52:49 PM · #13

My summary as I have been doing a fair bit of reading on all this recently (roughly in descending price):-

PW - Gold std and cost as much. Best seems to be the super dooper multimax but boy do you pay for that II's are better but still dearer IMO due to the lack of competition in the past.
Skyports (Universal) - Lots of people like them and they seem good - I personally hate internal rechargeable batteries but I like the form factor. They have a group setup with the trigger been able to fire a single channel or all - I love this idea as you could put each light on a different and test one at a time but fore all from camera. Range is less then PW's.
Skyports (Prop) Same as universal but if you have their lighting system gives you adjustability of settings e.t.c.
CyberSync - Looks great and price is selling point with middle ground range @300 feet reliably from the reviews [I am like to spring for a set of these once I see some more reviews but so far good. Advanced trigger in the future that is rumored to allow adjust settings on AB's, WL's. Rumor is @$200USD range for advanced xmitter - receivers I am not sure. Also can be used in relay and slight delay in sync so 2 receivers get you to same range as 1 PW.
Radio Popper p1/p? - Seems like a great idea to me if you want eTTL/CLS/pTTL but otherwise too expensive for a straight trigger in manual flash mode. It's basically what the manuf should have done in the first place :-)
Radio Popper Junior - Vapourware. Keeps getting delayed but supposed to be in the $30 range but reliable.
Gadget Infinity/Fleebay/Whatever - Will reduce your life by several months due to the crappy reliability... Mine have been both great and awful, sometimes in the same 10 minute period.
StrobIt - Build your own only. Cheap & range seems good but no good for most people.

Did I miss anything?? Hit google for those as they all have reviews out there (apart from RP-Jr and there is a lot of discussion about it been not an existing product).

Edit: Fixed bold on last one.

Message edited by author 2008-07-20 16:56:10.

07/20/2008 04:54:32 PM · #14

Thanks heaps Robs for that. I will look into it further when I return in a few days.

07/20/2008 05:15:58 PM · #15

Hey Judi... Do you have an alter ego over at fredmiranda? Just saw your question over there :-)

Prof_Fate

07/20/2008 06:55:20 PM · #16

PWs are the gold standard and can interface with a Sekonic meter for remote triggering. Yeah, they cost more but in the long run they're worth it. Reliability counts for a lot on location when there is money, and perhaps your reputation on the line.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED

07/24/2008 08:11:19 AM · #17

Originally posted by robs:

Hey Judi... Do you have an alter ego over at fredmiranda? Just saw your question over there :-)

LMAO!!! No...I am not even on that site...isn't that bizarre!!!!

justamistere

Nikon D3s

07/24/2008 11:13:22 AM · #18

I'd recommend that one of them be a "Pocket Wizard MultiMax II", they have more useful features.

I had a learning curve to use all the great features, the instruction manual is not good enough. If you find any web sources on using them with SB-800's and Sekonic as a trigger, please let me know.

Prof_Fate

07/24/2008 01:08:48 PM · #19

I'd like the zone triggering of the multimax units but they're pricy devils. And the don't truly interface with the Plus 2s - i was hoping to use a Multimax on my camera and set up Plus2s as 'zones' since they have 4 channels but PW won't work like that.

The sekonic has the modes (ambient, flash, radio, etc) and then it goes off into the PW channels - pick a channel and when you hit the trigger button whatever is on that channel will flash. It's easy to understand once you get the gist of it. Fortunately I got me meter the week before a PPA school so I just asked the instructor how to use the darned thing. If a picture is worth a 1000 words, an in person demonstration can be a book!