Very true...
It's not like they're Ebay junk though, ya know? I've heard tons of complaints about PWs, so I figured it couldn't hurt to ask if anyone had used both. I doubt Alien Bees would sell something miserably horrible.
After using PW's and CyberSyncs extensively, I went w/ CyberSync. You do get what you pay for. PW's have more channels, can sync to more things, and have a longer range. However, none of those things fall under my list of needs. As far as the money you pay for both, CyberSyncs are just as reliable as the PW's. It's really up to your budget, your needs, and your expectations - all I can say is the reliability is the same with both. The technicalities, however, will differ.
I would say for the average wedding photographer, cybersyncs are plenty.
Where PW's are favored are sports (long range, slightly faster sync, many channels for many shooters) and fashion/commercial (PW's integrated with Profoto, Dynalite, Norman, etc packs, many channels for many shooters in neighboring studios crammed into the NYC meatpacking district )
Resale value for my equipment is a high priority for me, so PWs take the cake in that regard. But, they are so well integrated with my equipment (Profoto, Sekonic) it's just icing on the cake.
Considering most of us have near $20k in equipment, $500 on PWs isn't that big of a deal.
PW's do have more range, channels, features, etc. But ask yourself, do I need the extras? I didn't.
I went with the CS's and haven't regretted it at all. I have no problem with misfires, etc., and I really like their small size. Also, Paul Buff has very good customer service, and hangs out in the Lighting forum to answer questions. He also offers credits by turning in your old units for upgrades. I, personally, have no complaints about the CS's, and would go with them again, based on my needs.
I think Paul C. Buff has proven himself in the industry as an alternative source for solid working equipment at a fraction of the cost of other producers. Unless you have existing lighting, with built in PW, the CS system is a solid purchase.
I've used a Quantum Radio Slave 4 for more than 15 years. It has never failed. This is simply not new technology. I have a very difficult time justifying the costs of the units by either Quantum or PW. At this point in it's technological time line, it is safe to seek the lowest price from a proven supplier.
cybersync for me-you can get a transmitter and two receivers for barely more than the price of one PW-i trust my cybersyncs (they're very dependable) and don't need the range, either-nothing against PWs, they're work horses but cybersyncs are a great deal without losing the core features i need-can't go wrong either way, really
What also should be noted about those advising cybersync's is that PW is far and away the most popular system. If you were to shoot for another photographer, chances are they use PW's as well. Good to have a system that will work in link with other shooter. Tony Hoff is shooting with me over the weekend and he obviously won't be bringing his own lights, umbrellas etc. All he needs are his PW's and he's locked in with me.
Saad Syed wrote:
I was so happy when they released Call of Duty 4 for Mac... I don't have to switch to Vista anymore! lol.
Hehe... yeah, but I can play anything... anytime... and who brought that curse word of an OS into the convo? =o) I'm an XP man myself, and Windows 7 should be pretty good.
I'm really torn honestly... I happen to think that based on reviews alone, the Cybersyncs are actually more reliable, but there are some advantages to the PW.
I have the PW's and I would recommend you buy the cybersyncs. The PW's are much too expensive for the cheesy and cheap build quality they have. If you think PW's are well build you're wrong. They feel like cheap plastic toys and they certainly don't feel like they are worth the money they cost. They work very well.......but.......so do the cybersyncs.
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