# Pocket Wizard X - Sub $100 transceiver



## Village Idiot (Mar 1, 2013)

A simple transceiver with a few goodies packed in for under $100. They're making it difficult to go with other brands.

Strobist: PocketWizard Plus X Remotes Break the $100 Barrier


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## Overread (Mar 1, 2013)

Sound plan - hook people on the cheap version and keep it compatible for as they expand and grow into the more expensive options that they have. It should eat into the ultra cheap market well and either force them to go cheaper or to add more functionality to their units to out-perform the Pocketwizard.


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## tirediron (Mar 1, 2013)

S**t hot!  I'm going to get me a bag of those!!!


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## Mach0 (Mar 1, 2013)

Awesome!!


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## ronlane (Mar 1, 2013)

I saw these this morning and looked them up. May have to hold off for a while getting more triggers.


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## Aloicious (Mar 1, 2013)

sweet!, the plus3 isn't much over $100 either, I've got one of the plus III's and its great.


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## Buckster (Mar 1, 2013)

Educate me.  What will these PWs do that I can't do with these YNs at 1/6th the price?

Amazon.com: Yongnuo RF-603 C3 2.4GHz Wireless Flash Trigger/Wireless Shutter Release Transceiver Kit for Canon 1D/5D/7D/50D/40D/30D/20D/10D Series: Camera & Photo


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## runnah (Mar 1, 2013)

Can I ask a dumb question? 

Do you get two in a box for $100 or is it just one for $100?


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## KmH (Mar 1, 2013)

Buckster said:


> Educate me.  What will these PWs do that I can't do with these YNs at 1/6th the price?


Help employee someone who is not Chinese? :lmao:

PocketWizard® - The PocketWizard Story


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## table1349 (Mar 1, 2013)

Buckster said:


> Educate me.  What will these PWs do that I can't do with these YNs at 1/6th the price?
> 
> Amazon.com: Yongnuo RF-603 C3 2.4GHz Wireless Flash Trigger/Wireless Shutter Release Transceiver Kit for Canon 1D/5D/7D/50D/40D/30D/20D/10D Series: Camera & Photo



Start here.  Reading Bear: free phonics & vocabulary...learn to read for free!

Once you have that mastered then go here.  Learn how to understand what you read with our Reading Comprehension Program!

Once you have mastered both then try this.  Strobist: PocketWizard Plus X Remotes Break the $100 Barrier

Good luck.:thumbup:


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## Buckster (Mar 1, 2013)

gryphonslair99 said:


> Buckster said:
> 
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> > Educate me.  What will these PWs do that I can't do with these YNs at 1/6th the price?
> ...


I read and comprehend just fine, thank you, and I've read the piece on Strobist, right after it was published.

It doesn't answer the question, and neither do you.

Do you have anything to contribute besides BS and failed attempts at putting me down?


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## tirediron (Mar 1, 2013)

runnah said:


> Can I ask a dumb question?
> 
> Do you get two in a box for $100 or is it just one for $100?


One.


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## tirediron (Mar 1, 2013)

Buckster said:


> Educate me.  What will these PWs do that I can't do with these YNs at 1/6th the price?


I've never used the Yongnuo version, so I can't say for sure.  Off-hand, I'd guess that *what *they do is probably identical.  _*How well *_they do it may differ. I've been using PWs for about ten years (I still have two of the old, brown "cigarette-pack" Version 1 units).  In that time, I've never had a flash failure attributable to the trigger.  They have excellent battery life and more range than I will ever need.  They are well built, and when I have questions, I get responses in well-written, coherent English.  To me, that's worth paying a little more for.  Your mileage may vary.


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## Buckster (Mar 1, 2013)

tirediron said:


> Buckster said:
> 
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> > Educate me.  What will these PWs do that I can't do with these YNs at 1/6th the price?
> ...


I can appreciate that.  

However, in comparison, I've never had a flash failure attributable to the YN triggers either.  They also have excellent battery life and more range than I have ever needed, or anticipate needing.  They seem well built, and I've never had any questions, as the operation of them is very straightforward.

Thus my question.

I'm not against shelling out $600 plus shipping to replace my current triggers, but I need a good reason; A reason beyond "status symbol".


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## rexbobcat (Mar 1, 2013)

Buckster said:


> I can appreciate that.
> 
> However, in comparison, I've never had a flash failure attributable to the YN triggers either.  They also have excellent battery life and more range than I have ever needed, or anticipate needing.  They seem well built, and I've never had any questions, as the operation of them is very straightforward.
> 
> ...



It will make you a real photographer.


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## Ballistics (Mar 1, 2013)

Buckster said:


> tirediron said:
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I have a very hard time ever disagreeing with you.


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## Overread (Mar 2, 2013)

I think what these provide is a cheaper and more affordable way to buy into the Pocket Wizard brand itself. Short term and for just wanting to pop the flash whilst its off-camera the Yongo or other  brand options might well be just as good if not better investments from a cost perspective. Quality is always a bit of a debate, I think that the 3rd party options can be marred a little as some people call them lower quality without ever actually using them (just because its "3rd party") whilst others might have used older and less reliable versions. 

Longer term I think if one were wanting to buy into the PW brand or only had a more limited need for their higher end and more featured triggers these provide a cheap way to add more flashes to their setup and get into the system without having to suddenly up and change their whole setup at a later date.


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## irfan.in.tx (Mar 2, 2013)

Buckster said:


> Educate me.  What will these PWs do that I can't do with these YNs at 1/6th the price?
> 
> Amazon.com: Yongnuo RF-603 C3 2.4GHz Wireless Flash Trigger/Wireless Shutter Release Transceiver Kit for Canon 1D/5D/7D/50D/40D/30D/20D/10D Series: Camera & Photo



The only advantages, if you can call them that, appear to be: 
1. AA batteries 
2. Capable of being locked on to the shoe.

I've used the Yongnuo triggers for occasional use, and they've held up well. PW's products appear to be more rugged, and probably are more durable.


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## Buckster (Mar 3, 2013)

irfan.in.tx said:


> Buckster said:
> 
> 
> > Educate me.  What will these PWs do that I can't do with these YNs at 1/6th the price?
> ...


The YNs use AAA batteries, so it's not like it's an oddball size battery to try to find in a pinch, and I use the Eneloop rechargeables for that.  So, not seeing the advantage of AA here.



irfan.in.tx said:


> 2. Capable of being locked on to the shoe.


Hasn't been an issue so far, but it it ever becomes one, for 1/6th the price, I'll put a bit of gaffer's tape on it temporarily.



irfan.in.tx said:


> I've used the Yongnuo triggers for occasional use, and they've held up well. PW's products appear to be more rugged, and probably are more durable.


I don't see how.  The shoe on the YNs is metal.  Is the plastic housing on the PW made of a thicker plastic or something?  I'm not kind to my gear, and they seem to be holding up just fine here.  And at 1/6th the price, I could replace them 5 times before it's an issue.


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## HughGuessWho (Mar 3, 2013)

Buckster said:


> Educate me.  What will these PWs do that I can't do with these YNs at 1/6th the price?
> 
> Amazon.com: Yongnuo RF-603 C3 2.4GHz Wireless Flash Trigger/Wireless Shutter Release Transceiver Kit for Canon 1D/5D/7D/50D/40D/30D/20D/10D Series: Camera & Photo



I use the YN's all the time and love them. The only thing I dont like about them, is that there is no locking mechanism on the hot shoe side. Nothing that a small piece of gaffers tape wont fix.


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## Village Idiot (Mar 4, 2013)

Buckster said:


> tirediron said:
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You cheapies won't work with the built in triggers with my Dynalites packs and Seckonic meter.

These are a base model, but they work with all PW's. I have the miniTT setup so that when I shoot with my 5D mkII, I can use a shutter speed of up to about 1/500 without getting much banding at all in the frame compared to using a normal trigger. With camera that have a better actuating shutter, you can achieve even better results. You can also purchase a unit that has a ton of features including a introvalometer. All PWs will also trigger a camera. I got lazy one night and had my camera on the tripod with a PW in hand, one on camera, and one on each of the flash I had set up. All I had to do was press a button to fire everything at one, from the couch. You don't need to have a full set of the most expensive PWs unless you absolutely need those features. You can buy the ones you need then the cheap ones for triggers. Also, they have backwards compatibility through all their products. Will those Yongnuos work with the ones they made 10 years ago.


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## Buckster (Mar 4, 2013)

Village Idiot said:


> Buckster said:
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> > tirediron said:
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A fair point for those who use Dynalites packs, I suppose.  I don't actually know what that value is or if there's another solution that would enable cheaper triggers to work, since I don't have or use Dynalites packs.  I suspect that if there's an input for a sync cable, my triggers would work just fine.



Village Idiot said:


> and Seckonic meter.


Though my Sekonic L-558R has the capability of using PW sync, I've never missed it over the years.  Firing from a remote or firing from the meter itself really doesn't matter to me, as long as I can get the reading.



Village Idiot said:


> These are a base model, but they work with all PW's.


Fair enough, for those who already have PWs they want to work with.  I don't.



Village Idiot said:


> I have the miniTT setup so that when I shoot with my 5D mkII, I can use a shutter speed of up to about 1/500 without getting much banding at all in the frame compared to using a normal trigger. With camera that have a better actuating shutter, you can achieve even better results.


These aren't the miniTT units though.  Do they have the same capability?  Remember, we're comparing these $99 PWs to the YNs, not the more advanced PWs to the YNs.

Also worth mentioning, I think: I rarely need to shoot faster than my camera's normal sync speed, but when I do, I just use my Canon 580EXII speedlites on high-speed sync.



Village Idiot said:


> You can also purchase a unit that has a ton of features including a introvalometer.


Again, we're comparing these $99 PWs to the YN's, not the even higher priced PWs to the YNs.  Unless these have an intervalometer, it's irrelevant.

My intervalometer is built into a shutter trigger I have from Pixel that works great when I need that feature. I could also use the intervalometer built into my tablet app, DSLR Controller.  Neither of those solutions cost very much at all.



Village Idiot said:


> All PWs will also trigger a camera. I got lazy one night and had my camera on the tripod with a PW in hand, one on camera, and one on each of the flash I had set up. All I had to do was press a button to fire everything at one, from the couch.


The YNs do the same thing, and I use them that way pretty much all the time.



Village Idiot said:


> You don't need to have a full set of the most expensive PWs unless you absolutely need those features.


Especially since most of those features (all but the Dynalites and Sekonic syncs) are covered by much cheaper solutions, as noted above.



Village Idiot said:


> You can buy the ones you need then the cheap ones for triggers.


Or, just buy the cheap solutions mentioned above, nothing expensive, and still get it all done.



Village Idiot said:


> Also, they have backwards compatibility through all their products.


Again, a fair point if one is already using PWs and needs more, and these $99 units fill the bill.  If not though, it's kind of moot.



Village Idiot said:


> Will those Yongnuos work with the ones they made 10 years ago.


Probably, but at the price per unit, it doesn't even matter because you could replace them 5 times after the initial purchase (6 units total) before you get to the price of the single $99 PW, let alone the much more expensive PWs you keep bringing up.

Not to be argumentative just for the sake of it, but I'm still not personally seeing the advantage that justifies 6X the cost (or more, for those PWs with more features you brought up so many times in this post).


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## Village Idiot (Mar 4, 2013)

Buckster said:


> Village Idiot said:
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Or profotos or photogenics or normans. It's less gear I have to buy and carry.



Buckster said:


> Though my Sekonic L-558R has the capability of using PW sync, I've never missed it over the years.  Firing from a remote or firing from the meter itself really doesn't matter to me, as long as I can get the reading.



Again, less gear to carry.



Buckster said:


> Fair enough, for those who already have PWs they want to work with.  I don't.
> 
> These aren't the miniTT units though.  Do they have the same capability?  Remember, we're comparing these $99 PWs to the YNs, not the more advanced PWs to the YNs.



The point is that one miniTT allows me to do this with all other PWs. Or any of the Flex units for that matter. They act as a controller.



Buckster said:


> Also worth mentioning, I think: I rarely need to shoot faster than my camera's normal sync speed, but when I do, I just use my Canon 580EXII speedlites on high-speed sync.



A lot of other photographers make very good use of this. A 580exII on HSS is a battery killer and it's highly ineffecient, not to mention that you're going to be limited on the modifiers it can use. A 5' long strip box would not do well with such a small light.



Buckster said:


> Again, we're comparing these $99 PWs to the YN's, not the even higher priced PWs to the YNs.  Unless these have an intervalometer, it's irrelevant.



Again, you can use the cheaper units with any other PW that has that feature. Use the Cheapies with the multi max and you can set up sequential firing of lights. That's practically no down time while waiting on a unit to recycle. There's a ton of features you can get by mixing and matching units to do whatever you want. I'm not going to argue with you about it. You can google their web page and see what they have to offer instead of bashing them because your chinese slave work for you. That's cool, but there are other options out there for people that want the reassurance of a brand that has a very good reputation for not, not working. I'd like to see if those Yongnuos would work all the way across a basketball arena up in the rafters with all that metal that would play hell with the signal.


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## Village Idiot (Mar 4, 2013)

Buckster said:


> Village Idiot said:
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> > Will those Yongnuos work with the ones they made 10 years ago.
> ...



Trick question, Yongnuo hasn't been in the game for 10 years.


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## Buckster (Mar 4, 2013)

Village Idiot said:


> I'd like to see if those Yongnuos would work all the way across a basketball arena up in the rafters with all that metal that would play hell with the signal.


And if they do?

By the way, you obviously use them in that capacity, or why would you need that ability, right?  How many folks around here do you think need that ability?  I, for one, don't.  Ever.

Would love to see some of those shots you've made with that setup.  I bet they're awesome!!!


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## Buckster (Mar 4, 2013)

Village Idiot said:


> Buckster said:
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I made the assumption that you meant, "as far back as they go".  I also chose to ignore your spelling errors.  Shame on me for giving you a couple of passes...

Way to go on ignoring the real meat of the answer though.  That was awesome.


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