Quick question:

in terms of reliability, I meant which manufacturer worked well for Canon?

pixel king didn't work at all. The odins worked great though the inability to use the transmitter as a trigger in manual mode for flash readings is somewhat annoying.

I've heard lots of complaints about the PW

Odins all the way. Sold my PW Flex's and never looked back. The PW's weren't terribly by any means but I find the Odin's much more reliable and the TCU makes it so easy to change any setting you want right from the camera.

jzucker wrote:
pixel king didn't work at all. The odins worked great though the inability to use the transmitter as a trigger in manual mode for flash readings is somewhat annoying.

I've heard lots of complaints about the PW

Pixel King did'nt work at all? That's not what I've read out there. I just ordered pixel kings based on what I read here.

Pixel Kings are manual only with Canon.

I just sold my entire kit of Pocket Wizard TT5s, AC3 controller, and AC9 for Alien Bees. If the Flex system actually worked consistently, I'd never have gotten rid of them. They are the most advanced radios out there.

The Flex system with 580EX IIs is simply not reliable. I had all of my 580EX IIs upgraded with the RF interference internal coating and all of the IGBTs replaced by LPA (Pocket Wizard). Still, I get far to many inconsistent exposures, misfires, black frames, no fires, and etc. I was just completely over it after two years of working with Pocket Wizard on the issues. Great folks at PW, but the Flex system just isn't reliable with the Canon 580EX II flash guns.

My Phottix Odins should be here in two days. I have found zero reliability issues on the internet as of today. I didn't know how stressed out I really was about location shooting all due to the Flex system until I unloaded them. Now I can focus--FINALLY--on shooting and not technical issues.

Pixel Kings are manual only with Canon.

I just sold my entire kit of Pocket Wizard TT5s, AC3 controller, and AC9 for Alien Bees. If the Flex system actually worked consistently, I'd never have gotten rid of them. They are the most advanced radios out there.

The Flex system with 580EX IIs is simply not reliable. I had all of my 580EX IIs upgraded with the RF interference internal coating and all of the IGBTs replaced by LPA (Pocket Wizard). Still, I get far to many inconsistent exposures, misfires, black frames, no fires, and etc. I was just completely over it after two years of working with Pocket Wizard on the issues. Great folks at PW, but the Flex system just isn't reliable with the Canon 580EX II flash guns.

My Phottix Odins should be here in two days. I have found zero reliability issues on the internet as of today. I didn't know how stressed about location shooting, due to the Flex system, until I unloaded them. Now I can focus--FINALLY--on shooting and not technical issues.

I'm a PW Flex system user and I've had no problems. When they first came to market I did (like everyone else). I sold them and waited. I ended up buying into them again.

My satisfaction with them is mainly because I use the older 550EX for off camera lighting. I never understood the reasoning for using OCF units as expensive as 580EXII. The power of the old 550EX is pretty much the same as the 580EXII, uses the same battery packs, and is much less expensive. From the beginning it was more practical to use older capable flashes off camera. On camera I can see the benefits of the 580EXII to control the OCF if you don't use a Zone Controller.

I have to say that I am pleased with PW Flex System. My only complaint is the need for a computer to change channels if I see a need to. But I have never run into a need to change channels so it's no big deal.

I have the odins and they are the real deal....simple to use. adjusting the output for your flash from camera is a dream and they made it simple they just had a firmware update and things were made a little more simple. Worth the investment.

dwdallam wrote:
Pixel Kings are manual only with Canon.

Absoluely not so. The Pixel King for Canon is a dream to use in ETTL or Manual flash. But they must be used as designed.

Thanks guys I will give the Odins a try... will let you know.

I have a Phottix Odin setup and so far have been tremendously impressed. Used them yesterday in driving rain and the range, reliability and resistance to the crap weather was superb. As others have said, they're the real deal and ridiculously easy to use!

SeedyBee wrote:
Absoluely not so. The Pixel King for Canon is a dream to use in ETTL or Manual flash. But they must be used as designed.

SeedyBee - could you explain "... they must be used as designed" further? I'm looking at getting Pixel King (latest ones I've seen claim to support Canon E-TTL and EOS E-TTL II & a ridiculous sync speed?) for my 5d mkII & would be interested in any limitations?

Hi, Brentnz - A poster above has spent much time in various threads expressing frustrations as he tried a variety of non-user-guide situations. He would have been better to master what the Kings do, before spreading out. It's no use complaining that something does not work outside its design parameters.

The Kings are designed to provide a radio interface between Canon cameras (2005 on) and off-camera flashes. They do a great but incomplete job. One limit from the design is that if the camera does not do something, the King cannot either.

"Used as designed" = "know your tools". Don't use an axe to extract a screw.

You may find helpful links at:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/pixelking/discuss/72157629499653782/

E-TTL/II and 1/8000th HSS are all working, and have been for the first-generation Knights as well. 5DII compatibility is a recent addition.

Happy PW Flex/Mini user here. I use 430EX II for off camera flash and my 580EX II for on camera/master. No issues at all.

I'm not a Canon user, but I have tried a few different radio trigger systems and have had success with all tried. They all have their quirks.
I really like Phottix as a company and with what they are doing. That said, I decided on Pocket Wizard. The TT1/TT5 system flat works on my Nikons with nary a hiccup. But the strength with PW is the "system" of triggers. I use the CTL system and use the PW III together to work my hot shoe flashes using iTTL or manual and can work my Acute2 pack plus any monolights in use too. Many have a built in PW receivers and if they don't a TT5 or PW III enables it.
The PW III Quad zones and AC3 on a PW CTL trigger play very well together. I can mix hot shoe manual flash with studio flash triggering. I can use TTL mode and then trigger a non TTL flash for effect with a PW III. This flexibility is what makes things work. And in June Sekonic says they will offer a module for my L-358 meter that will trigger ANY PW enabled device CTL included. Its a system and that means a lot overall, to me.
It was a tough choice because Phottix is making a Nikon Odin and I thought long and hard about which way to go. But the magic of the whole system working together is what sold me.
I've heard horror stories about PW CTL and Canon, I think they will get it right if its not already there. They have to. Canon is the biggest seller, they have a huge market share and I don't think that knowledge will be wasted on iffy product by Pocket Wizard.

SeedyBee wrote:
...
One limit from the design is that if the camera does not do something, the King cannot either.
...


Well, that may be true in a general sense, but the Pixel Kings enabled my Canon 7D to use my old Sigma 500 DG Super (EO) flash unit (the Canon-compatible variety) as an ETTL flash, where it would not work directly in the 7D hotshoe, even though it works fine in a 1D3 hotshoe.

That sounds great. The problem with the flash is almost certainly due to engineering clearances and variations in the accessory shoes and feet.

I've used my Pixel Kings for a couple of shoots, and I'd agree with SeedyBee: It does the job intended. And for $200 with two receivers, I've no serious complaints. I will say that I've had an occasional overexposure where the flash ends up firing at full strength, but that may be more a mistake in my mounting the 580s I have to the receivers.

I considered the PW FlexTT5s and even though they're probably way better, I had to settle for Pixel King. 1 Transmitter and 2 Receivers. I tested them for an hour yesterday and an hour this morning - both indoors, and with not much distance between the transmitter and the receivers. They fired without fail every single time so far. I have a shoot with a friend this weekend, when I'll be actually able to use it outdoors. I'm using two Nikon SB-700 units.