Love My Pocket Wizards

IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
edited September 26, 2012 in Accessories
A few months ago I took the plunge and bought a Mini TT1, AC3, and four Flex TT5s. It did not take me long to fall completely in love with the system. :lust Here's a shot I took yesterday for one of my designer clients. Kind of a bread & butter shot, but made so much easier with the instant controllability the PW system gives me. Once I got the outside/inside exposures pretty much balanced, I could play separately with the outputs of the three speedlights to get just the effect I wanted in the room. Sure, I could have done it without the PWs but it would have taken so much longer and I would probably have settled for "close enough" after dropping and raising lightstands a dozen times. And before you ask, no, this is not an HDR composite.

And yes, I wish there'd been a fire in the hearth, but it was a gas set, and you just couldn't see the wimpy flames.

i-b4kcn74-XL.jpg
John :
Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.

Comments

  • SamSam Registered Users Posts: 7,419 Major grins
    edited September 22, 2012
    And yes, I wish there'd been a fire in the hearth, but it was a gas set, and you just couldn't see it.

    Move the camera to the right, move the sofa back and or angle it, light fire, maybe reduce exposure.

    Otherwise nice clean image.

    Sam
    www.samlinvillephotography.com
  • IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited September 22, 2012
    Sam wrote: »
    Move the camera to the right, move the sofa back and or angle it, light fire, maybe reduce exposure.
    Sam

    Nope. Just a wimpy gas log set. (Original post edited) I've been known to light off crumpled up newspaper, but couldn't do it here.
    John :
    Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
    D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
  • Bryce WilsonBryce Wilson Registered Users Posts: 1,586 Major grins
    edited September 23, 2012
    Really nice balance between outdoor and indoor light. Looks like I need to find a few jobs that will justify shelling out the bucks for that new pocket wizzard system. I'm guessing yours set you back a little north of 700.00?

    I'm most impressed that although the shot looks to be taken with a wideish lens, 24mm? 35mm? the vertical lines are perfectly straight and no distortion. I see why you have a design client!
  • IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited September 23, 2012
    Bryce Wilson wrote: »
    . . . new pocket wizzard system. I'm guessing yours set you back a little north of 700.00?

    I'm most impressed that although the shot looks to be taken with a wideish lens, 24mm? 35mm? the vertical lines are perfectly straight and no distortion. I see why you have a design client!

    More like $1050 for the four speedlight set. I decided the proven reliability and FP HSS capabilities were worth it, and chose to go PW instead of a less pricey system like the Pixel Kings. YMMV.

    And thanks for noticing the rectification. That's a pretty fundemental requirement for architectural photography. And "Lens Profile Corrections" are your friend.
    John :
    Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
    D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
  • perronefordperroneford Registered Users Posts: 550 Major grins
    edited September 23, 2012
    Agree 100% on the PW system. Love mine.
    www.ptfphoto.com
    perroneford@ptfphoto.com
  • Molotov EverythingMolotov Everything Registered Users Posts: 211 Major grins
    edited September 23, 2012
    I was chatting with another photographer last night who has the mini/flex system. She said that when you first set everything up there's a specific sequence of connecting things and powering things on you have to do or they won't synch up and you have to turn everything off and try again. Is that true and is it a pain in the ass or not a big deal?
    http://www.quickdrawphoto.com
  • perronefordperroneford Registered Users Posts: 550 Major grins
    edited September 23, 2012
    Molotov Everything wrote: »
    I was chatting with another photographer last night who has the mini/flex system. She said that when you first set everything up there's a specific sequence of connecting things and powering things on you have to do or they won't synch up and you have to turn everything off and try again. Is that true and is it a pain in the ass or not a big deal?

    True and not a big deal in the least. Receiver, light, transmitter, camera. Takes once and you're golden. I don't use the mini, rather another TT5 to transmit, but the procedure is the same.
    www.ptfphoto.com
    perroneford@ptfphoto.com
  • NagoC50NagoC50 Registered Users Posts: 50 Big grins
    edited September 23, 2012
    perroneford wrote: »
    True and not a big deal in the least. Receiver, light, transmitter, camera. Takes once and you're golden. I don't use the mini, rather another TT5 to transmit, but the procedure is the same.


    And I don't know if it's that big of a deal. I just turn on "top down" from light, TT5 and Mini (on camera) and then the camera. No problems.

    I will add that I shoot Canon and this is the one time mwink.gifwhen I am envious of the Nikon guys. The 580II's sometimes don't play nice with the Mini/Flex deal because of the RF interference deal. Get that sorted out and they work great.

    That's a really nice image, Icebear. Amazing what some speedlights can let you do.
  • IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited September 23, 2012
    Molotov Everything wrote: »
    I was chatting with another photographer last night who has the mini/flex system. She said that when you first set everything up there's a specific sequence of connecting things and powering things on you have to do or they won't synch up and you have to turn everything off and try again. Is that true and is it a pain in the ass or not a big deal?

    It becomes second nature very quickly, but I've also found it not to be a big issue if you step out of line on occasion. They still work. For instance, "the recommended" order of powering up is:
    1. Speedlight
    2. Flex TT5
    3. Mini TT1
    4. Camera
    This is really intuitive and I usually try to follow the guidance, BUT . . .
    many times I've powered off a speedlight to change batteries forgetting to power down (reverse order) the whole system, and everything worked fine when I powered up the speedlight again.

    So, IMO, "not a big deal."
    John :
    Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
    D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
  • IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited September 23, 2012
    NagoC50 wrote: »
    That's a really nice image, Icebear. Amazing what some speedlights can let you do.
    Thank you. Isn't that the truth.
    John :
    Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
    D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
  • adbsgicomadbsgicom Registered Users Posts: 3,615 Major grins
    edited September 23, 2012
    Be careful on the turn-on sequence. I did find that doing it wrong can mess off 100% off-camera TTL metering. TT1 on the camera (don't know why I got a TT1, should have just had extra TT5's, but that's another thread), TT5 running TTL SB-900. Shot gets wildly over-exposed (about 1.3 stops). If I do FE-L, the preflash properly meters and than the shot is correct. If I shut down and turn on flash/tt5/tt1/camera, it all works fine. Problem was repeatable across a couple of days. If I put a SB900 on top of the TT1, then things worked fine.
    - Andrew

    Who is wise? He who learns from everyone.
    My SmugMug Site
  • photogreenphotogreen Registered Users Posts: 180 Major grins
    edited September 24, 2012
    i get about 5-10% of the images blown out when I use TT5s... anyone is having the same issue?
  • perronefordperroneford Registered Users Posts: 550 Major grins
    edited September 24, 2012
    photogreen wrote: »
    i get about 5-10% of the images blown out when I use TT5s... anyone is having the same issue?

    Nope. Did 100 frames 2 weekends ago. All TT5 with multiple strobes, and on two bodies. All dead perfect exposures.
    www.ptfphoto.com
    perroneford@ptfphoto.com
  • IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited September 24, 2012
    photogreen wrote: »
    i get about 5-10% of the images blown out when I use TT5s... anyone is having the same issue?

    This can happen if you don't have the speedlight set to TTL.
    John :
    Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
    D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
  • SteveFSteveF Registered Users Posts: 466 Major grins
    edited September 25, 2012
    I use the tt5's for wildlife with Nikon. Having the higher sync speeds alone would be worth the pw's to me.

    Get job on the shot - but agree that the fireplace is the weak spot. PS one in I guess.....
    Steve
    www.finesart.com
  • Bryce WilsonBryce Wilson Registered Users Posts: 1,586 Major grins
    edited September 25, 2012
    SteveF wrote: »
    Get job on the shot - but agree that the fireplace is the weak spot. PS one in I guess.....

    I disagree. Then again, I am a disagreeable old cuss.

    Look at the weather and time of year outside. Would it make sense to have a fire going at this time of year? Air conditioning would be more believable.
  • IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited September 26, 2012
    Bryce Wilson wrote: »
    I disagree. Then again, I am a disagreeable old cuss.

    Look at the weather and time of year outside. Would it make sense to have a fire going at this time of year? Air conditioning would be more believable.

    Architectural shots often don't "make sense." If you look closely at many advertisements in magazines, you'll wonder "how can anyone live in that space?" The furniture is often crammed together, etc. It's all about creating an instant visual impression. Marketing. Bryce is right, a fire would be seasonally dumb, but I still wish I had one going. Besides, how the hell do I photoshop A/C anyway???
    John :
    Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
    D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
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