Testing PocketWizard™ Flex Radios

Morton Visuals Commercial Photography Shoots, TipsTesting PocketWizard™ Flex Radios
0 Comments

As part of my research for a writing position with the fine folks at LPA Design, Inc., I had an opportunity to test the new PocketWizard™ Flex radios for Nikon – the diminutive MiniTT1 and the FlexTT5 transceiver. Without a doubt, these units are game-changers!

For my first test I enlisted the aid of fitness model Stephen Harvey. (Great model – very focused and relentless energy!) I had an idea to test a shot with my Nikon Speedlights in bright sun, so we headed off to the San Diego Convention Center and set up a shot with Stephen running up the stairs and leaping over the camera. (See images below)  I mounted two SB-800 flashes on FlexTT5 transceivers, both set to full power and facing the model head-on as he leapt over the top step. I set the D3 to Aperture Priority mode at f/4, positioned the camera on the ground, and shot up in to the afternoon sun. Without Speedlights I would be expecting a near total silhouette. What I got was eye-opening — the PocketWizard™ units fired with my D3 all the way up to 1/6400 second!

PocketWizard setup

PocketWizard Setup

Fitness model Stephen Harvey leaps up the stairs

1/2500 sec

Next we set up for some running shots before the sun set. Our positioning for these shots didn’t require as high of a shutter speed even at f/2.8, but I’m accustomed to seeing a big black bar when I exceed the 1/250 sync speed of my D3. Here I was synching with the PocketWizard radios at 1/640 sec without the black banding!

PocketWizard FlexTT5 setup

PocketWizard Setup

1/640 sec

So that brings up a valid point about Speedlights. The Nikon CLS system is capable of doing high-speed sync up to 1/8000 with their infrared signals. Two problems arise though. The IR does not function well at all in bright sunlight, as the receiving sensor can’t detect the signal when it’s overwhelmed with sunlight. When it does work, the remote Speedlight must be pretty close to the transmitting Speedlight. Secondly, when CLS needs to sync at faster shutter speeds (where the shutter is never fully open, but rather an open “slit” passes over the camera’s sensor), the Speedlight must fire a series of “mini-pulses” to illuminate each area of the sensor as the shutter exposes it. This uses the lower power “tail” of the flash pulse — resulting in a greatly reduced effective range.

In my first series you see a shot taken at 1/2500 second. This was accomplished using the High Speed Sync feature of the PocketWizard™ radios. Yes, power was reduced and the Speedlights used the pulsed technique — but for the first time I was able to sync this action with my camera in bright sunlight by using the radio signal rather than the invisible IR signal!

In my second series you see a shot taken at 1/640 second. This took advantage of the Hypersync™ feature of the PocketWizard™ radios. With Hypersync™ the MiniTT1 signals the FlexTT5 to start firing the flash just before the shutter opens. The happy result is a full power flash even at a faster shutter speed. This is huge, as it negates the problem previously mentioned with having to rely on the low-power “tail” of the flash pulse.

I tested this by taking a (very unexciting) image of the wall above my desk. I noted that there was a little bit of light falloff or unevenness when I exceeded 1/250 second, but surprisingly my full power flashes showed no black band until a whopping 1/1000 second with the D3. (Other camera models will perform slightly differently.) There was a faint edge of shadowing at 1/800 second, but that would likely not impact a typical image.

Can you think of photographic opportunities to shoot with flash in bright sunlight at f/2.8? I can! And I will be doing more of it soon, now that I don’t have the burdensome 1/250 X-sync limitation. Stay tuned!

What are your thoughts?

pro makeup artist at work on a model to prepare for headshots 10 Tips To Prepare For Headshots Like a Pro
Everyone wants to look their best in their headshot. This article describes how to prepare
Jesse Castaneda - FAQ videos are short form videos to engage customers Why Less Is More: The Benefits of Using Short Form Videos to Engage Your Audience and Drive Sales
In today’s fast-paced world, capturing attention and keeping it is more challenging than ever before.
video interview in the studio 5 Benefits of Adding Business Video to Your Website in 2023
By adding business video to your website, you can quickly and easily engage customers in
Dallas Executive Headshots : Save Time and Money in 2023
One thing we've learned over the years is that executives are busy people, and their
Jesse Castaneda answers from Frequently Asked Questions from his State Farm Insurance customers FAQ Videos Benefit Your Business
FAQ videos, a short video version of a frequently-asked question and answer, are growing in
real estate photography - interior - master bathroom vanity Real Estate Photography in North Idaho
Although I'm not a real estate photographer, I did try my hand at some architectural
The Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina at twilight at Christmas Merry Christmas from Morton Visuals!
Coming from San Diego CA this year, we would like to wish all a very
conference headshots by Morton Visuals Conference Headshots – A Popular Event Trend in 2023
Conference headshots are an increasingly popular benefit for event attendees. Morton Visuals can provide a
Corporate lifestyle portrait 4 Signs That Your Website Images Are Stale
In the age of social media, when new images are posted on Instagram and Facebook
customer testimonial video by Morton Visuals Incorporate New Video in Your Marketing Plan – 3 Reasons It Will Benefit Your Business
In an article published by Business 2 Community, they explored why businesses don’t embrace new
corporate training class 3 Benefits of Video for New Hires into Your Onboarding Processes
Video has become a vital part of every company’s marketing strategy. However, corporate video doesn’t
%d bloggers like this: