Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

So, I have 4 Pocket Wizard Plus II's. They work GREAT. But they don't allow me to change the flash output of my Einsteins, or keep one or two of them from firing at will.

My questions after reading some of the myriad of issues people have had with using this system is, should I or shouldn't I? How good are they? What's the actual range? How easy are they to use? Is it simple to change the flash output on individual Einsteins with the Cyber Commander and the CSXCV, especially if they are mounted high up as a hair light or on boom with a big softbox attached? Will a CyberSync Receiver work on my speed lights? Or should I stick with the PW's and invest in a step ladder instead? :o And last, but not least, will the Cyber Commander work when not attached to the camera for ease of firing and changing settings while using another light meter to meter the exposure?

Thanks for the help.

yes
some people don't like the UI
stick a CST on top of the camera...the CC has probably 1/2 the range of your PW, but the CST is similar
yes as long as you get used to the UI (just use the left stick to change power and the right stick to fire)
yes but you need an adapter cable
no, it'll work fine
yes, I've done this...no point though since the CC is within .1 stop of the DR758

While metering with a different meter can be done, part of the design of Cyber Commander is to meter the light, then use that reading to dial up an down the power. The new meter reading is automatically displayed without the need to re-meter (unless there is a substantial amount of ambient light). This can be done on individual, group, and ALL light channel settings.


Some find the setup complicated, others don't. Set up with Einstein is easier than with the other lights. Once set up, basic power adjustment is fairly simple; the left hand joystick left/right selects the light(s), and left joystick up/down selects power.

Thank you kenyee and TS.

How often do you use your setup? I ask because the UI is not intuitive. I only use my lights every month or so, and I always have to spend 5 minutes figuring out how it works again.

Once you "get it," and as long as you "have it" the system is great. Once you "lose it" you've lost it and it's time to retrain.

I still wouldn't give it up, but I'd really like it to be easier.

Thank you. I hope I can figure them out since they were just delivered today. Need them for Saturday evening. Will be experimenting tomorrow. I certainly hope to use them at least once a week, or hope my memory holds out. :)

I find the interface easy to use. I admit I only use it to control the lights and not to set up lighting patterns. In terms of metering, setting power levels, controlling basic features, etc., it is very straightforward.

I do find that the metering runs a little "hot" but I can knock the power down from afar and get the image I want. (Yes, I know I can adjust the metering somewhere in the menus, but I can more easily adjust the power levels.)

While it may be easier to adjust power levels on the fly, you may still want to go to SETUP>FLASHMETER and check the upper right to ensure there is 0.0f under "CAL". If there is an offset dialed in, this could be why you readings are off. If there is no offset dialed in, you can do so here to match what the meter should tell you.