Why PocketWizard?

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Does this sound familiar? You need something and when you go to buy it, you are presented with many options from unknown brands that are much cheaper than the brand you know and trust. This is a common occurrence seen in nearly every market segment but especially common in the electronics industry. We have certainly seen this with radio triggers! You may have discovered options for off camera flash (OCF) radio triggers that are cheaper than PocketWizard.

What Radio Trigger Should you Buy?

You may want to know – is PocketWizard worth the extra money? How many times have you bought a cheap alternative only to find out that it doesn’t meet your expectations? If only you had bought the best one the first time! How many times have you said “They just don’t make them like they used to”?

Made Just Like they Used To

PocketWizard is different. Our radios are made just like we used to. We’ve been in business for 27+ years in Burlington, Vermont. Most of our products are manufactured close to home, either here in Vermont or New Hampshire or upstate New York.

Many of us are photographers in our free time, so we know that sometimes you don’t get a second chance for a perfect shot. We know our triggers must work right the first time. We do all we can to ensure that you won’t miss a shot. We pride ourselves on the quality and reliability of our products.

But What If?

But what if something goes wrong or what if you have a question? To help you, we have a support team right here in Burlington. Our products have a three-year warranty and are designed for a photographer’s lifestyle. That means they are tough. They are also thoughtfully designed and repairable.

The PocketWizard Service Team

When you email info@pocketwizard.com during the week, you’ll hear back from our service team shown below: Seth, Heather and Lenny. Usually you’ll hear back within 24 hours. But, if you email us on the weekend, we’ll most likely get back to you on Monday. Recharging on the weekends is important to us!

Happy PocketWizard Customers

We thought we’d share some feedback we’ve heard from some happy customers:

“Hi, I just wanted to pass along how helpful Seth was during my interest in PocketWizard. He was patient while answering all my questions and educated me on the best route for my scenario as a wedding photographer. It’s employees like Seth that will make me come back to this company. Thanks again and I hope he is recognized for the great work!”

“I have many awesome photos made over the years due to the amazing PocketWizards!”

“Your lightning-fast shipping department sent me a replacement Plus III hot shoe in record time. Using the PocketWizard online video, I was able to install it in five minutes flat. Thanks to your amazing team, I now have a like-new Plus III with minimal down time.”

What’s your Story?

We’d love to hear from you – why did you choose PocketWizard? Hashtag your story with #whypocketwizard.

PocketWizard Plus IV

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Why should you add a Plus IV to your photography kit?

We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 reasons you need a PocketWizard Plus IV. The PocketWizard line of radios are well known for their quality construction and their reliability. We offer many choices of radios depending on your needs for a radio trigger. Whether you shoot portraits, weddings, sports, or just for fun, PocketWizard gives you a competitive edge and opens the door to many creative opportunities.

Top 10 Features and Benefits of the PocketWizard Plus IV

  1. Put your flashes wherever you want: Use a radio on your camera and one for each remote light to easily trigger off-camera flashes for the most pleasing light. Use speedlights or strobes – or both!
  2. Trigger a remote camera: Get creative using remote cameras for unique perspectives. You will need one radio to use as a transmitter (on your main camera or in your hand to manually trigger) and one radio with the correct remote camera cable for each remote camera. Add another PocketWizard and flash and you can trigger a remote camera in sync with that flash using relay mode.
  3. Reliability: By using our reliable 344 MHz frequency in the US (433 MHz in Europe), you can avoid the noisy and crowded 2.4 GHz spectrum.
  4. Top hot shoe with on-camera TTL: This makes it the ideal trigger for photographing events such as weddings because you can have a fill flash on your camera and still have the ability to trigger an off-camera flash. For your remote flashes, the built-in top shoe of the Plus IV makes a great stand for your speedlight – no sync cable required.
  5. Trigger multiple lights from many different brands: If you have a third-party TTL light that has its own trigger, you can mount the transmitter in the Plus IV hot shoe.
  6. Dual purpose: The low profile Plus IV radios are transceivers that be used either a transmitter or receiver.
  7. 32 Channels: 16 Standard plus 16 Quad-Zone Triggering Channels are available to ensure no overlap with other photographers. Learn more about channels here.
  8. Quad-Zone Triggering: activate or deactivate your lights in 4 separate Zones (A, B, C, or D) directly from your camera’s position.
  9. Simple user interface: All Channels, Zones, and Modes can be easily engaged via a keypad located just above your viewfinder of your camera.
  10. Use with any PocketWizard: all PocketWizard radios are cross-compatible so that you can use a Plus IV in conjunction with any other PocketWizard radio of the same frequency. (Learn more about our frequency here.)

PocketWizard Plus IV Video

Check out this video showcasing the features of the PocketWizard Plus IV.

#WhyPocketWizard

Share your reasons why you like the Plus IV and use the hashtag #WhyPocketWizard. We can’t wait to see your photos!

Remote Cameras

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PocketWizard radios not only enable you to remotely trigger a flash, they also enable you to remotely trigger a camera. You don’t even have to be within view of your camera. With the right set-up, you could even be hundreds of feet away from your camera in any direction. And it works with all PocketWizard radios on every camera we’ve tested. The photo of our camera tree is our fun demonstration of this versatility!

The Possibilities are Endless!!

Here are a few ways photographers are using remote cameras:

  • Unique vantage points: Capture images from a dangerous or tight location – like racing events, behind soccer or in hockey nets.
  • Ultra-low perspective: This is great for sports photography to make athletes look even more powerful.
  • High perspectives. We have lots of users that are mounting their cameras in the rafters at sports arenas. You can also put your camera on a super high tripod or mount on a pole.
  • Wildlife photos: Put your camera in an inconspicuous location and stay safe by manually triggering from a distance.
  • Epic selfie: Got an amazing shot? Put yourself in it!
  • Photographing Children: Get out from behind the camera and engage with your playful subjects! Use a manual trigger and your subject will forget about the camera.
  • Street photography: Get out from behind your camera for some candid street photos.
  • Your own family photos: Easily put yourself in the family photo. No more hitting the button and running.
  • Capturing multiple perspectives with a single click. This one is BIG! Put one PocketWizard radio on your main camera and one on your remote. Every time you take a photo with your main camera, the remote camera is also taking a photo. It’s like having a second shooter without paying for one. Not only can you tell a more complete story with multiple perspectives, you can actually make more money. Here are some specific examples:
    • Finish Line: At a race finish line, have one camera with a wide angle capturing a wide view and have your main camera outfitted with a zoom to capture the details. Each time you click, your remote captures the wide view at the same time.
    • Wedding: Tuck a small mirrorless camera on silent mode hidden up front during the ceremony. Now you can stand out of the way and not invade the moment. Your remote will trigger and capture the critical moments from a different perspective in sync with your main camera.
    • Architecture Photos: That golden or blue hour window is short. Set up a remote camera to capture a different angle and get multiple perspectives with the same light.
    • Sports: You can capture that amazing play from different angles getting all the action and emotion you are looking for.

Tips for Remote Photography

 

You will need two PocketWizard radios. One PocketWizard radio to use as a transmitter (attached to your main camera or to hold in your hand to manually trigger) and one PocketWizard radio with the correct remote camera cable for each remote camera. Yes, you can have multiple remotes all linked to a single transmitter.

You will need a cable. The remote camera needs to connect to a PocketWizard radio with a remote camera cable. While we engineer our cables to be the best, accidents can happen! You may want to have a back up! Find your remote camera cables here.

Make sure your internal camera clocks are in sync on all your cameras. When you import into your editing application of choice, your images can sort by time.

Safety is first! Make sure your remote camera is secure and isn’t going to injure anybody or isn’t going to get damaged itself. You may need to ask permission before you set up. There are many tutorials on the web on how to secure your equipment to minimize accidents.

Video Tutorial

Watch this quick video on how to set up a remote camera.

 

How do You Use Remote Cameras?

Share your examples of photos using a remote camera and tag us! #PocketWizard #RemoteCamera