AC5 for PW TT5 units

rwells

I FINALLY received my AC5 RF "socks" from PW. The package comes with a RF reducing shield/sock that has a string pull at the bottom, and Velcro at the top. Also included is a Pass-Through shoe filter.

I put the sock on my 580EXII, mounted the flash on the shoe filter, shoe filter on TT5, then secured the sock at the top of the flash head with the Velcro tightener and at the bottom with the pull string.

I put this on a light stand and marched it to the back of my yard. What was the result?

First, let me state that on average I can confidently get about 30' out of my 580EX/580EXII on a TT5 using another TT5 on camera. Yep, I've read all the info on their site showing how to orient everything to get the best distance. As stated, about 30' was it for me, with confidence.

Ok, now with the AC5 setup; Approx 30' with confidence. :scratch Does that sound familiar? Yeppers, same with or without the AC5 RF filter.

Well, I'm really grumbling about PW now...

A couple nights later, I'm looking at the packages still on my desk and decide to actually read the instructions. I mean REALLY READ the instructions! What I then noticed is at the bottom of the sheet, there IS a paragraph titled "IMPORTANT". Hmmm...

"IMPORTANT: Make sure the inside RF fabric connects to the metallic surface on the underside of the shoe filter when you cinch the cord."

Hmmm... Not sure I did that on my test. OK, I'll do it again, but this time EXACTLY as the instructions say.

March back out with the setup to the back of the yard ~ hmmm... I'm going to need more room for the test, and that's 150'!

I went out front and placed the light stand in my driveway and I walked down the street. I'll cut to the chase here: The unit fired with confidence in both landscape and portrait orientation (this is an issue with the PW TT5 units) consistently at 230'.

It looks like making sure that the inside RF fabric HAS to touch the metal part of the pass-through filter to work correctly. But there is really no way to secure that connection. It's just a fabric sock with a draw string at the bottom. The fabric could easily move out of contact with the metal part (which BTW is the underneath side) of the pass-through filter.


This distance goes a long way toward "usable" for me. It might still be short for shooting at arenas, but for most of my work, it might suffice.

Granted, this was a test in the street and back yard, but looked promising. I'll update as experience allows.




Personal thoughts: "Soap Box Warning"

Does this give PW a "pass" on releasing units that no way delivered on their marketing promises? For me NO!!!

They lay blame for the lack of performance on Canon's 580EX(xx) & 430EX flash units RF interference. Duh ~ Hey PW, you designed YOUR UNITS to work with their units. Not the other way around!!!

Then leave customers out in the cold for months, even though they/we were screaming about it. PW announced that they designed an AC7 hard shield that would resolve the issue for their units and customers. Guess what? They cheap-ed out again!!! Instead of giving the AC7 shields to customers so that their PW TT5 units would work sort-of as advertised, they cheap-ed out and come up with the AC5 socks to give to the "existing" customers. They want to sell the AC7 units ~ Unbelievable!!!

Anyway, the shields may in fact make the PW TT5 units workable even though cumbersome (it fully encloses your flash unit) and very unprofessional looking, but in my world, PW lost me as a loyal customer. You can't just throw your customers under the wagon, then expect them to get back on-board...

YMMV

Qarik

interesting. let's see how they do with the nikon version..which was initially promised back in summer of 2009.