PW vs Cyber synce vs JRX's

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Archive 2009 · PW vs Cyber synce vs JRX's

maczilla
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p.2 #1 · PW vs Cyber synce vs JRX's

Dear Friends

I bought my PocketWizard Plus transceiver and receiver back in 2004. I wasn't impressed with the build quality, especially after I left the receiver on after a shoot and killed the unit by doing so. PocketWizard repaired it under warranty, but do you know how I found out the unit was dead? I went to a location shoot, set up, and it wouldn't work.

I was terribly embarrassed by my lack of preparedness and professionalism. I had to leave the shoot and go home to fetch a sync cord, and traffic was just awful. By the time I arrived back at the shoot, I was a nervous wreck.

With Paul's remotes, don't worry about turning them off. You can't. They take care of themselves. And the tiny CyberSync transmitter makes my PocketWizard Plus look like a cinder block.

PocketWizard's new MiniTT1 looks like a huge improvement over the Plus, but to control each light, if my understanding is correct, you need a US$220 FlexTT5 for each light. Paul's comparable receivers cost US$90 for current strobes and, unless pricing has changed, will cost US$30 for future models of his lights.

--Jaddie

Edited on Sep 29, 2009 at 12:33 AM · View previous versions

Sep 28, 2009 at 11:19 PM

Paul Buff
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p.2 #2 · PW vs Cyber synce vs JRX's

Jaddie,

Correct.

Sep 28, 2009 at 11:34 PM

lafashionphoto
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p.2 #3 · PW vs Cyber synce vs JRX's

I just got recently started using Pauls cyber sync recievers. Love them soo much. Simple, easy to use, no mis-fires. I had used pocket wizards..then the skyports...had 3 skyport transmitters go bad (there is a design flaw) And now I have Paul's products and I love love love em. Good price point, excellent product.

Sep 29, 2009 at 04:38 AM

ishootsports3
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p.2 #4 · PW vs Cyber synce vs JRX's

I think im leaning to the Cyber sync's due to size and proven effectiveness
but i have a month to think about it as i am being loaned a set of pw for a while...

Sep 30, 2009 at 05:34 AM

bobbyz
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p.2 #5 · PW vs Cyber synce vs JRX's

Happy CyberSync user here. Waiting for the new CC otherwise I will probably move to Jrx.

I agree old PW are the gold standard. Nice thing is one can rent them if you need more units or a replacement. And offer lot more features like already mentioned.

Sep 30, 2009 at 03:02 PM

Future Man
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p.2 #6 · PW vs Cyber synce vs JRX's

pcunite wrote:
Future Man wrote:
Curious why most in here have gone with the CyberSyncs over the JRX? Looks like a CST+CSRB is $130, while the JRX Studio kit is $140 with the ability to remotely control power level. $10 for that feature seems like it's worth it over the CyberSyncs. Any thoughts?

Because remote controlling your power levels, while sounding nice on a product sheet, is not that helpful in certain situations. Before I went with CyberSync I was used to using five 580EX II units and could easily change the power level from the master flash. The problem is that without an elaborate master interface and somehow identifying slaves you forget real quick which flash is which. Also you will want to meter the flash output most of the time anyway after a change which means walking over to the flash anyway.

Point taken, but spend $10 more and you get the ability to control power right from the camera if you ever need it. I haven't read any complaints about reliability issues w/ RP. I have read some concerns over the batteries used in the RPs, what do CyberSyncs use?

Pay day was today, and I'm about to start my journey into wireless radio triggering. Don't see much of a reason not to go w/ Radio Popper.

Sep 30, 2009 at 04:05 PM

pcunite
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p.2 #7 · PW vs Cyber synce vs JRX's

Future Man wrote:

Point taken, but spend $10 more and you get the ability to control power right from the camera if you ever need it. I haven't read any complaints about reliability issues w/ RP. I have read some concerns over the batteries used in the RPs, what do CyberSyncs use?

Pay day was today, and I'm about to start my journey into wireless radio triggering. Don't see much of a reason not to go w/ Radio Popper.

CyberSyncs use AA which I have a ton of anyway (Sanyo Eneloop). I really did not want to mess with the RP battery (CR123A) which are not rechargeable unless you buy a charger and storing it and all that jazz.

Sep 30, 2009 at 04:29 PM

robstein
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p.2 #8 · PW vs Cyber synce vs JRX's

K_Strecker wrote:
<snip>
The PlusII, being a transceiver, can also auto-relay when used to fire a remote camera . . . no other trigger on the market can do this with 1 unit on the remote camera.
<snip>
No one else offers remote-pre-release control for remote camera firing either.
<snip>
Cybers do have a relay mode on the receivers and you can use cybers or most other radio triggers for that matter to fire a camera with a pre-rel cable.

To the orig point... I got cybers a long time ago... today - I MIGHT buy the jr's but it would be hard because I was looking for the extra features of the cyber commander with a mix of speed lights and AB's (the commander is supposed to have more features then just adjust power)..... If I just was using speedlights it would be an easier call for sure.

I wish both companies would pull their finger out and release the damn products already instead of talking about them.

Both have their various excuses.

Oct 01, 2009 at 12:43 PM

amplexis
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p.2 #9 · PW vs Cyber synce vs JRX's

so can i use a cyber commander on top of a miniTT1 to make use of the bag of PWs that i have and get the cybersync control of my alienbees?

Oct 01, 2009 at 01:27 PM

bobbyz
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p.2 #10 · PW vs Cyber synce vs JRX's

I wish both companies would pull their finger out and release the damn products already instead of talking about them.

Both have their various excuses.

+1

Oct 01, 2009 at 01:47 PM

Future Man
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p.2 #11 · PW vs Cyber synce vs JRX's

I have a newb studio lighting question.

I have a Nikon SB28. What does setting the ISO and F-stop on the unit do exactly? I understand zoom and (obviously) power level, but how does setting the ISO and F-stop effect the flash output?

Oct 01, 2009 at 02:12 PM

robstein
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p.2 #12 · PW vs Cyber synce vs JRX's

amplexis wrote:
so can i use a cyber commander on top of a miniTT1 to make use of the bag of PWs that i have and get the cybersync control of my alienbees?

Dunno as the commander does not exist in the wild yet... Interesting question. Some WAG's... I assume you could control the PCB lights with the commander while it's not attached to the camera (put it in your pocket and adjust then fire with a PW on the camera...... The question is can you stuff both a PCB plus receiver and a basic sync trigger for the PW into a PCB light so they BOTH operate (or is that sync plug disabeled if the phone plug is attached)..... I just don't know. It MIGHT be possible to rig it with the plus receiver attached to the light (and therefore the commander could control the power) and a PW stuffed into the pc port on the plus receiver (there is one there and I am guessing it would fire from a signal from the PW but that is a real WAG). You would need both a PW and plus receiver on the PCB lights IF it did work and just the PW on the rest......

Edit: I assume that would add a little delay with them piggybacked like that but probably not enough to hurt in a studio setting....

Oct 01, 2009 at 02:44 PM

K_Strecker
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p.2 #13 · PW vs Cyber synce vs JRX's

robstein wrote:
K_Strecker wrote:
<snip>
The PlusII, being a transceiver, can also auto-relay when used to fire a remote camera . . . no other trigger on the market can do this with 1 unit on the remote camera.
<snip>
No one else offers remote-pre-release control for remote camera firing either.
<snip>
Cybers do have a relay mode on the receivers and you can use cybers or most other radio triggers for that matter to fire a camera with a pre-rel cable.

The cyber syncs have an auto-repeater function to extend range, but not auto-relay as it exists in PWs. The receiver receives the fire command, triggers the camera, switches instantly to transmit, waits to be triggered by the hotshoe of the camera it just fired, and trigger the remote flash in time with the remote camera. Or at least, that ability isn't talked about in their manual, only their range-extending repeater capability.

Sure they can all fire the camera, but that same transceiver can't fire a remote flash in sync with that camera automatically.

amplexis wrote:
so can i use a cyber commander on top of a miniTT1 to make use of the bag of PWs that i have and get the cybersync control of my alienbees?

people are doing this with skyports, so it'll work on the pocket wizard end . . . but as mentioned above it would depend on how the AB behaves.

Edited on Oct 01, 2009 at 03:59 PM · View previous versions

Oct 01, 2009 at 03:54 PM

K_Strecker
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p.2 #14 · PW vs Cyber synce vs JRX's

dbl post

Oct 01, 2009 at 03:55 PM

robstein
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p.2 #15 · PW vs Cyber synce vs JRX's

K_Strecker wrote:
Sure they can all fire the camera, but that same transceiver can't fire a remote flash in sync with that camera automatically.

Yeah, Agreed... I think we are just using different words for the receiver echoing the fire signal back out to other listeners.

It's not going to help with the complex stuff as you describe....

Oct 01, 2009 at 05:05 PM

Paul Buff
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p.2 #16 · PW vs Cyber synce vs JRX's

bobbyz wrote:
I wish both companies would pull their finger out and release the damn products already instead of talking about them.

Both have their various excuses.

+1

You mean like Vista? We're doing the best we possibly can and won't release CC with bugs. There are only a couple of very minor ones left. I suppose we could ship you one with bugs and no return policy like other companies?

Oct 01, 2009 at 06:02 PM

Paul Buff
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p.2 #17 · PW vs Cyber synce vs JRX's

robstein wrote:
amplexis wrote:
so can i use a cyber commander on top of a miniTT1 to make use of the bag of PWs that i have and get the cybersync control of my alienbees?

Dunno as the commander does not exist in the wild yet... Interesting question. Some WAG's... I assume you could control the PCB lights with the commander while it's not attached to the camera (put it in your pocket and adjust then fire with a PW on the camera...... The question is can you stuff both a PCB plus receiver and a basic sync trigger for the PW into a PCB light so they BOTH operate (or is that sync plug disabeled if the phone plug is attached)..... I just don't know. It MIGHT be possible to rig it with the plus receiver attached to the light (and therefore the commander could control the power) and a PW stuffed into the pc port on the plus receiver (there is one there and I am guessing it would fire from a signal from the PW but that is a real WAG). You would need both a PW and plus receiver on the PCB lights IF it did work and just the PW on the rest......

Edit: I assume that would add a little delay with them piggybacked like that but probably not enough to hurt in a studio setting....

Why? You can carry the CC around and put a $59.95 CST on the camera to fire it. PW will not play nice with a CyberSync system and you would just have a ton of connections and extra hardware and operation perplexities.

Oct 01, 2009 at 06:05 PM

K_Strecker
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p.2 #18 · PW vs Cyber synce vs JRX's

Paul Buff wrote:

Why?

So you can keep using your other strobes with their pocket wizards, which you already own.

And buy 1 or 2 ab maxes to put up high on booms or inside softboxes. . . and control them remotely. Use your tried-and-true equipment for background lights or kickers or whatever else where remote power control won't be a big advantage.

And not have to re-invest from scratch.

in my above post, the 1 guy out of 100+ that I worked for who uses cybersyncs. He only bought 1 alien bee, to be used in just this fashion. he uses his dynalites for everything else. He has assistants to change the power of most of his equipment, but changing the power of a light that's dangling above the model still means pulling it down to make an adjustment. So being able to do that from-camera himself is the goal.

Doesn't mean he should abandon his dynalites though. So, a pocketwizard on camera to trigger everything, and a Commander in your pocket to adjust power is an elegant solution.

Putting the commander on top of a Mini sounds like a PITA, considering the commander's already formidable size. . . but hey, why not!

Oct 01, 2009 at 06:18 PM

Alphabug
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p.2 #19 · PW vs Cyber synce vs JRX's

Not forgetting that of the worlds 6.5 billion people, only the 300 million who live in America can buy CyberSyncs now that they have their "no international sales".

As a USA manufacturer that deals only direct-to-customer, our company is simply not prepared to navigate through the maze of International regulations, taxes, duties, documentation, monetary exchange and payment obstacles associated with direct sales globally.
When WE send stuff TO the USA all we do differently is fill in a small customs form with the senders and receivers name and address, package contents and value.
We **DO NOT * have to pay taxes or duties, and I'd be surprised is US companies exporting OUT of the USA have to pay customs duties ??

As AB takes credit cards they do not need to worry about "monetary exchange and payment obstacles", their site is in $US and they receive the same amount of $US from the credit card companies wherer the customer pays in GBP / EUR / AUD / or Mexican Pesos !!!

/End rant

Austen.

Oct 24, 2009 at 04:28 AM

sherijohnson
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p.2 #20 · PW vs Cyber synce vs JRX's

Someone asked about whether you can use cyber sync with Canon speed lites. I didn't see anyone answer the question. the answer is yes, you should have a PC connection, if not, you can get an adapter to make it work, best place for adapters is flashzebra.com

Oct 24, 2009 at 02:51 PM

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