Product Description

The FlexTT5 transceiver shares the MiniTT1 transmitter’s(ordered sepretaly) features and adds the advanced auto-sensing and relay modes introduced with the PocketWizard Plus II, as well as camera and flash ports for PocketWizard cable connection to any camera or flash system. Used as a transmitter, the FlexTT5 can provide TTL auto flash at distances of up to 800 feet* and conventional triggering up to 1200 feet* with the aid of a flip-up antenna.The unit feature a two-position channel selector that is factory programmed to the PocketWizard classic channel one and two. Using the included software and USB port, you can program either channel to any of the PocketWizard system’s 32 digitally encoded channels and four zones. A special Learning Mode enables simple, in-the-field programming of all channels. Compatible with the following: Canon DSLR Cameras: 1Ds MKIII, MKII; 1D MKIII; MKII; 1DMKII N; 5D, 5D MKII; 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D; Rebel XT/350D, Rebel XTi/400D, Rebel XS/1000D, Rebel XSi/450D Canon Flash Units: 580EX, 580EXII, 430EX, and 430EXII

Product Details

• Brand: Pocket Wizard
• Model: FlexTT5 For Canon
• Dimensions: 2.80" h x 3.60" w x 1.40" l, .34 pounds

Features

• Full ETTL II /iTTL Autoflash and Ratio flash and exposure tracking
• FP/High speed flash synch up to 1/800th sec.
• Autoflash sequences up to 8 frames per second
• Triggers flash or cameras
• Works with all Pocket Wizard 32 channels and zones

Customer Reviews

MUCH improved (was: Not ready for Prime Time)
UPDATE: I have had the opportunity to test both the Flex TT5 and Mini TT1 remotes again, with the latest firmware updates and using the Canon 430EX II flash. The results using the 430EX II flash are SIGNIFICANTLY better than using my original 430EX flash. In fact, I would say that shooting indoors using the 430EX II yielded a 99% success rate. And, when using my 430EX flash I did achieve MUCH better results after the latest firmware updates-- probably a 95%+ success rate. Outdoors the success rate dropped a bit for both flashes-- I am hopeful that the forthcoming AC-7 product will get these units back to peak performance. Long story short, I am now 95% convinced that these PWs are capable of performing quite well, 100% if you have the less-noisy Canon strobes. I don't seem to be able to update my star rating, but if I could I would bump it to 4 stars.

One other note... Recently, I have had the opportunity to work with the folks in customer service at PocketWizard, and want to report that they are top notch. So many companies don't "get" customer service-- these folks definitely do. They have been very receptive to the issues that I have been encountering and have gone above and beyond to help me resolve them. It is very obvious that they really care about their products and their customers as well. I knew that PocketWizard had a great reputation from their products (which is why I was so disappointed with my initial experience), but, from my experience, their customer service is the best there is. I'd rate that experience 5-stars.

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UPDATE: I have contacted the manufacturer and they have informed me that they are working on a fix to get the 403EX to perform better with their devices. Perhaps that was included in the firmware update earlier this week. However, they also told me that they would contact me when they thought that they had a workable solution to the 430EX inconsistencies, but that has not happened yet. When and if that does, I will update my review further.

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When the Pocket Wizard Flex TT5 was first announced, I was *very* excited. I quickly found reviews by several gentlemen whom I greatly respect who gave these babies very high marks based on their early testing of the product. So, I put my order in and anxiously awaited for my units to arrive.

Unfortunately, I did not get the same performance from my units that these other reviewers seemed to get. I own a Canon 30D and the 430EX flash. Admittedly, the product documentation does say that the 430EX flash is likely to encounter the most problems with the Pocket Wizards, due to RF interference from the flash. However, according to the docs, the range using this flash should be about 30 feet. My experience was much worse.

I bought 2 of these units. One as a transmitter placed on the hot shoe of my camera, one as the receiver with my flash attached. I tested in a few different scenarios: holding the remote flash in one hand while taking the picture with the other and setting up the remote flash ~10 feet away and shooting. I would estimate that the flash fired successfully about 50% of the time. For a series of shots taken 4-5 seconds apart, it would work a few times, then stop working. Sometimes it would start working again, sometimes it never started working again until everything was powered down and back up again. I got this behavior shooting both manually and in ETTL mode. I set my flash to not sleep, I tried replacing all the batteries, setting the TT5's to factory defaults, etc., but nothing improved the situation. Nor was I shooting in an environment where there was much (if any) RF interference (in my house and at a local botanical garden in the middle of the country). Also, for much of the shooting that I was doing, I had the flash set to 1/64th power, so flash charge time was an absolute minimum.

I am very disappointed, as I very much wanted these units to work flawlessly. I have just a single flash, so the ability to get wireless production without having to buy a second (more expensive) "master" flash is very appealing to me. However, my units are now on their way back to the manufacturer for a refund. Perhaps I will check out the remote flash trigger product from Gadget Infinity. There are also complaints about their reliability, but for the price (about 1/10 of the price for a transmitter & receiver as compared to the PWs), that lack of reliability is much more tolerable. Of course, the devices by Gadget do not support ETTL, so they are also much less feature-rich.

I have read that the PWs do have more problems with Canon flashes than they do with Nikons, given the frequency range used for each. I would expect that when these units are released for Nikon, the performance will hopefully be much better.

I have contacted Pocket Wizard to inform them of the difficulties that I have encountered. I expect that I am one of the first customers who have put these to use and hopefully they can use my experience to work out the kinks. Perhaps future updates to these devices will cure the unreliability issues for the Canon models. However, until some better, real world, experiences are posted using the same equipment that I have, I will save my money for something else.

not ready for prime time
they work great.. when they work. max range when coupled with the mini tt1 i've experienced is about 25 feet. they still work with the old pw's though. the design is awesome, they just need to solve the radio interference problem with the 580exII. the ability to synch all the way through the shutter range is incredible though, now I can do some stuff that I could never dream of - like shoot outdoors wide open at low ISO and get nice blurry backgrounds w/ off camera flash in direct sun! sweet!

please please please fix the interference and reliability issues PW!!!

needs work
The Pros , ETTL works ,flash compensation works from the camera(1DIII & 1DsIII)I am assuming the 5D II as well. There is no need to have a 580exII on top of the flexTT5 for this funtion to work.This is great for those of us who have not yet mastered full manual yet !
The Cons , I could only get my units to fire at 30 feet , seems that infrared output from 580exII prevent radio signals from reaching unit. Pocket Wizard shows you (website) how to overcome (somwhat)this with the use of unit seperating ideas . They explain how to use a longer arm to seperate the 580exII and the flexTT5 and how to connect the two with a cable and the use of a shield over the cable(Speedlite side). I don't know about you but I don't want to carry and put together anymore "stuff" than I have to.The flexTT5 looks and feels like a toy (cheap) , be VERY carefull with it ! On my first shoot , I placed the unit on a Manfrotto 5001b stand , the placed the 580exII on top of it (where its supposed to go). The flexTT5 became "unglued" at the shoe between Speedlite and flexTT5. Pocket wizard said they had heard of this happening and would replace it at no cost to me . I actually spoke with a real person when I called the company , and that alone makes for good customer service !

Conclusion , I know that when you have an idea , you test it first before you have it manufactured . Pocket Wizard plans to market a "shield" that keeps I.R. signals from affecting the TT5 , we will just have to see about this one . I purchased four units before any of this info was available and now wish maybe I should have waited for the reviews !