Pocket Wizard
is known for being the industry standard in camera and flash triggering. The quality of their products over the years has led to a rock solid reputation. In recent years though the quality of budget flash/camera triggers has increased to a level where many people were beginning to see the PocketWizards as overkill and overpriced for general use and amateurs.
Today PocketWizard announced their new PlusX transceiver, a device obviously pointed at gaining a foothold in the entry level triggering market. It is a bold move by Pocket Wizard and the will no doubt face some tough competition from the likes of Yongnuo and other budget trigger manufacturers who have spent years building a following in the budget trigger market. A key to the new PlusX is its price tag, it is already available (on Amazon and at B&H) [simpleazon-link asin=”B00BBQ8IDS” locale=”us”]priced at $99[/simpleazon-link] – making it the cheapest PocketWizard ever and putting it on the higher end of the budget trigger market.
[Rewind: Gear Review: Why We Love the Pocket Wizard Plus III]
To learn more about the PlusX you can checkout a webinar hosted by Mark Wallace on March 5th.
My thoughts
In my own work I have used almost exclusively budget triggers that cost me less than $50. I have used PocketWizards in rental studios and group shoots, but in my own work I chose to invest in other camera equipment over the high price tag of the Pocket Wizards (which had more features than I needed). But this announcement intrigues me, I am not afraid to admit that I have always wanted a set of PocketWizards of my own. The reliability and product quality are second to none on the market, the only issue for me was the price vs my low budget and needs.
These new PlusX units change all of that. Now I can spend less than $100 and get some great quality triggers that will be compatible with other PocketWizards if I am able to upgrade in the future. This is a very attractive option for me, and I think that it will be for many others who have been in or are thinking about getting some budget flash triggers.
What do you guys think? Is Pocket Wizard delving into places that it should not go? Is the feature set of the new trigger too minimal? Leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts.
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I have a hard time understanding why anyone would buy these at $99 a piece when you can buy the Yongnuo 622s for $89 a pair which support TTL and HSS. I guess it could be a reliability issue, but I’ve read nothing but rave reviews about the Yongnuo triggers.
After using Radiopopper for few years, I bought the YN-622C and they are great! Great construction, all the features I need for a great price.
Nikon users, the YN-622N (for Nikon) is coming soon.
Pros:
– Looks very cool. Aerodynamic design. ;-)
– 500ft range
– Backward compatible with old models
– No misfires
– For some people Price: $99 each
Cons:
– Dumb manual trigger
– No TTL
– No High Speed Sync
– No Power control from your camera
– NO TTL Pass-thru. You cannot use on camera flash as fill when working with off-camera flash, unless you put a bar or taped into the camera
– For most people Price: $99 each.
Like so many companies that enjoyed market dominance, LPA sat back a little too long. Wasn’t this exactly the same sales push that came out with the PlusIII? Cheaper, entry level etc etc. $100 per trigger for less functionality than a SET of $25 Chinese copies just looks sad.
Everybody knows this stuff costs cents to make, factor in marketing, profits etc then a reasonable selling price for a dumb radio trigger without a hotshoe is $40. I never had any issues when I was using my RF-602’s and the 603’s are a good deal better, there are many other far higher spec’ed Chinese triggers for less than $100.