1) the CyberCommander is Larger than an Elinchrom Skyport, Profoto Air, or Microsync, but smaller ( thinner ) than a Pocketwizard MultiMAX or Plus II. Roughly the size of the original 16 channel Pocketwizard "Classic".
2) I like the tilting hot shoe mount: you can stand the unit straight up, lay it flat or set to several angles in between.
3) The interface is a little daunting at first: lots of options on different menus so you have a small learning curve figuring out how to navigate through the menus using the mini-joystick controls.
4) The menus themselves are very well laid out and navigation is a breeze. Not Apple iPhone / iPod easy but close.
5) Didn't quite get the range I thought I might working in my house last night but for right now I am attributing that to the construction of my house and possibly the batteries. Will try with fresh batteries today.
6) All functions and controls work reliably.
7) Once you get the hang of reading the bar graph type display it is very easy to see how you've got your lights arrayed in different groups and for the compatible Paul C. Buff lights, at what power levels and how your modeling lights (if you choose this option) track with your power settings.
From habit I tend to leave my modeling lights at full power -- useful if you ar using different light modifiers on multiple heads , and I want to see my subject not use the mdeling lights brightness levels to guess at the real lighting effect.
8) I haven't tried the light meter.
9) I haven't tried the system (Cyber Commander and CRSB+ receivers) with non P. C. Buff lights yet.
This isn't a review. It is a list of my impressions. Some people pass off their first impressions off as a review but if you are honest, and I try to be as honest as a human can be when reviewing gear, you need to take the gear out and beat on it for awhile --find what works , what doesn't work and how it works. That takes time
Paul,
I was just guesstimating about all but the thinness of the CC compared to the Pocketwizard Plus Ii and MultiMAX units, and didn't include the fixed antenna height of those model Pw's in my guess. And those Pw's can't lay down flat against the camera like the CC can .
Is it too fiddly (takes too long to press buttons, hard to read in sunlight, etc.) to use on location shoots?
I agree w/ you about what it takes to do a review...my radiopopper "review" is more a rolling journal of my experiences w/ it...please keep updates coming.
