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Pocket wizard vs Canon ST-E2

CLB1941
Contributor

Are both of these devices wireless controllers for firing the flash off camera? If not , then what is the difference? Would I need both of them or just one and if one then which one. Also I see that Pocket Wizard  makes a number of models. Which model would be best  for firing the flash off camera?

3 REPLIES 3

Skirball
Authority

YEs, that's what they're both for, but they do so quite differently.

 

The ST-E2 uses near-visible light to trigger (only upper end newer Canon) flashes.  Pocket wizards use radio frequency and can trigger most hotshoe flashes (within spec’d trigger voltage) regardless of brand.

 

Since the ST-E2 uses a near-visible light signal it only works in line of sight (i.e. if your flash is behind an umbrella it may not work).  Radio triggers like the Pocket Wizard can work around objects, into another room, and often up to 100 meters away.

 

There’s no comparison in my mind, especially with cheaper 3rd alternatives to the Pocket Wizard. Yongnuo recently released the RF-622, which is currently about $80 a pair on Amazon and offers full eTTL for Canon.  And will work eTTL with non Canon flashes if they are compatible.  I also own a fleet of the Yongnuo RF-602s, which are about $25 a set and although they only allow manual control of flashes, they are great little triggers.    The downside to the Yongnuo is that they don’t offer much control (if any) through the camera’s menu.

 

The Pocket Wizards are the gold standard, but they’re not cheap.  Other third party options exist, such as the Phottix Odin that offer LED readouts and controls on the transmitter, but the cost is closer to the Pocket Wizard than the Yongnuo.

Skirball
Authority

@CLB1941 wrote:

 Also I see that Pocket Wizard  makes a number of models. Which model would be best  for firing the flash off camera?


That depends entirely on your needs.  If you're just learning I would suggest starting with the extremely simple and cheap RF-602s.  At $25, even if you decide you want off-camera eTTL triggering, you still have a nice radio trigger for your shutter.

TCampbell
Elite
Elite

Pocket Wizard makes several radio triggered remote units, but control is basic.

 

The Plus X is their most basic... you buy a pair of these (one for the camera, and another for the remote flash).  The flash can only be used in 'manual' mode (no E-TTL / E-TTL II).  You cannot remotely control the flash... if you need to dial power up or down you have to walk over to it.  But as it is 'radio' triggered, it does not require line-of-sight.

 

The Plus III is their more advanced 'manual' trigger.  It's much like the simpler Plus X except you can have multiple zones (for more complex flash setups) and it has the ability to operate at longer distances by increasing radio power ... or dialing back the radio power for short distances (excessive power creates garbled communication and errors if the receiver is too close to the transmitter.)

 

They also have units that do support TTL.  They support Canon and Nikon TTL systems (E-TTL for Canon and i-TTL for Nikon) but (and here's the catch) NOT in the same unit.  In other words, since you own Canon, you have to buy the system designed specifically for Canon.  The FlexTT5 is a TTL transceiver (so it can either go on the camera and act as the transmitter or it can go on the remote and be the receiver).  To save a tiny bit of space, they make a smaller transmit-only unit called the MiniTT1.    They're not inexpensive.

 

The Pocket Wizard TTL systems are not as reliable as the more basic Pocket Wizard models.  In particular, they've had some trouble working correctly with the Canon 580EX II speedlights.  Apparently the pre-flash that fires as part of the E-TTL system also creates a brief bit of of radio frequency interference and this really wreaks havoc with the Pocket Wizard.  There are numerous "fixes" including RF shielding (with varying degrees of success) and even a service that will modify the 580EX II flash (no doubt voiding the warranty in the process -- they do open the flash and solder in some extra circuitry.)

 

Canon makes both optically fired systems as well as their new radio-based system (the Canon radio-based system is extremely nice -- much more full featured than any of the alternatives.)

 

The ST-E2 is an optically-based commander.  It mounts on your camera and triggers the slaves and supports manual or full E-TTL II.  Note that the remote flash needs to be capable of operating as a slave... not all Canon speedlites support this, but most do.

 

On the front of a Canon speedlite lower body you'll find a dark tinted window (many flashes have two).  One of these is the optical receiver for remote firing (the other is usually the focus-assist beam emitter which allows the camera to focus in the dark.)

 

Although the optical system does require line-of-sight, it is actually extremely reliable.  Syl Arena (author of the Speedlighter's Handbook and a pro on flash photography using speedlights) says that as long as you know how to set up the speedlights, they never fail to trigger -- even in bright sunlight.  And here's the trick... keep in mind that most mid-level speedlights and higher have heads which both tilt and pan.  The base of the flash needs to be pointed AT YOUR COMMANDER so that it can clearly see the firing commands.  If you face it forward, it "might" fire if it gets a nice reflection off a wall... or it might not.  But if you turn the base to face your camera, it WILL fire.  Rotate the head of the flash to face in the direction you want... but keep the base pointed at the commander.

 

BTW, some Canon flashes can act as commanders as well and if you have one of these then you wouldn't need the ST-E2.  For example... the 430EX II can only be a "slave", but the 580EX II can be a commander or a slave.  Several other units can also be commanders.  

 

The new Canon system is the radio trigger.  You can spot these models in Canon's flash lineup because they'll have the letters "RT" in the name (I presume it's "Radio Trigger" or "Radio Technology" though I've never seen Canon specifically spell out what "RT" stands for.)  The ST-E3-RT commander is the radio commander.  The 600EX-RT is the new flagship flash.  The 600EX-RT can be a radio commander or slave and can also be an OPTICAL commander or slave (so it's compatible with every Canon remote flash system.)

 

The Canon system is extremely full-featured (much more full-featured than the Pocket Wizard system.)  It's extremely easy to link a pair of 600's and once they're linked, you can control everything without having to walk over to the remote speedlite.  It even tells you when the remote speedlite has recycled and is ready to fire again.

 

I bought a pair of 600's and was a bit apprehensive at first, but once I got to learn the system I was _very_ glad I invested in them.  Canon has a whole set of tutorials on how to use the new system:  http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/galleries/galleries/tutorials/syl_arena_speedlite_600exrt_seminar.sht...

 

It seems unlikely that Canon would make just the one radio-based flash... so there's speculation that as they continue to come out with new models, they'll have a variety of radio triggered systems.  There have been no specific announcements and I'm sure those who are "in the know" aren't talking... but it makes sense to me that they'd come out with a mid-level flash with a radio system to complement the flagship radio-based flash.

 

Tim Campbell
5D III, 5D IV, 60Da
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