Why are PocketWizard Plus III so much $$$$?

andrewhenders
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Why are PocketWizard Plus III so much $$$$?

I've recently picked up a few more PocketWizard Plus III units to replace broken remotes and to have some extras in my bag. I even set up a saved search on eBay to catch any new listings.

I've seen prices like $338 for a set of 2, $180 for one, and $220 for a yellow one, among others. You get the idea. In the meantime, a good friend gifted me a few of them.

Why are these PocketWizard Plus III units selling for such high prices? Is there another use for them? I'm more curious than anything.

May 25, 2024 at 06:57 AM

sjms
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Why are PocketWizard Plus III so much $$$$?

are there other equivalent products available and are they "less expensive" with the same functionality?

May 26, 2024 at 07:34 AM

Norm Shapiro
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Why are PocketWizard Plus III so much $$$$?

Probably priced high as they are no longer made? I prefered the model II, much simpler for me. I didn’t need all the bells and whistles the III had.

May 27, 2024 at 03:30 PM

ChicagoJeff
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Why are PocketWizard Plus III so much $$$$?

I don't know which flash units you're triggering but the Yongnuo YN-E3-RT II Wireless Speedlite Transmitter has worked well for me. I think I paid around $70 at the time.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/802963833-USE/yongnuo_yn_e3_rt_ii_wireless_speedlite.html/?smpm=bu_ull

May 28, 2024 at 12:37 PM

lsquare
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Why are PocketWizard Plus III so much $$$$?

Norm Shapiro wrote:
Probably priced high as they are no longer made? I prefered the model II, much simpler for me. I didn’t need all the bells and whistles the III had.

Did they exit the market?

May 29, 2024 at 02:33 AM

ilkka_nissila
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Why are PocketWizard Plus III so much $$$$?

I believe the classical Pocketwizard all-manual triggers (Plus III etc.) have reserved frequencies for each unit so that it is reasonably guaranteed to work in a electromagnetically busy environment without being affected by the interference. The reservation of frequencies costs money but it gives some confidence of reliability.

I think it is all too common that people assume that cheap and expensive products are basically equivalent and that the manufacturer of the expensive version is just making a huge profit or is inefficient in manufacturing, but often there is a legitimate reason for the difference in price. A lot of radio triggers are very unreliable in use, and can be affected by things such as concrete walls or radiofrequency interference from various other systems, or they have weak power, they might not work with all cameras or require firmware updates to work on specific models etc.

May 29, 2024 at 04:12 AM

MRomine
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Why are PocketWizard Plus III so much $$$$?

sjms wrote:
are there other equivalent products available and are they "less expensive" with the same functionality?

Yes, Godox and their triggering system is built into their flash heads.

May 29, 2024 at 07:19 AM

sjms
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Why are PocketWizard Plus III so much $$$$?

Not an independent system.

May 29, 2024 at 08:24 AM

MRomine
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Why are PocketWizard Plus III so much $$$$?

sjms wrote:
Not an independent system.

Correct, the trigger and receiver are built into each flash not a separate piece of hardware. Extremely reliable with a range of about 300 ft.

There are several third party flash makers that have
similar systems that work very well.

I’m surprised that Pocket Wizard is still in business. Their system is rather antiquated and expensive. Any photographer that I personally knew that was using Pocket Wizards moved away from them years ago when companies like Yongnuo, Godox and others started hitting the market . Their systems were less fiddly and more reliable and significantly less expensive. The Godox brand even works cross platform. At one time I was mixing Sony and Nikon together.

Edited on May 30, 2024 at 06:08 AM · View previous versions

May 29, 2024 at 09:26 AM

sjms
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Why are PocketWizard Plus III so much $$$$?

choices to be made.

May 29, 2024 at 01:24 PM

JBPhotog
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Why are PocketWizard Plus III so much $$$$?

FWIW, I have never in 20+ years had a Pocket Wizard fail to function, I can't say the same for my Godox units.

I decided to keep my Plus II's as backup, with sync cords of course, should my Godox units give me grief. The Flashpoint R2Pro II for Nikon was a dismal failure, plenty of misfires, ditched it. The X2T has been solid but the interface is not great so I have recently added an Godox XPro II, I have had a couple of misfires before the firmware upgrade.

Jun 01, 2024 at 02:30 PM


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