Customer Reviews

PocketWizard MiniTT1 Radio Transmitter for Nikon TTL Flashes and Digital SLR Cameras

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Bottom line - Cream of the Crop

I've been using this miniTT1 and FlexTT5s with my D90 and D200 for several months now. To say that they are perfect would be an overstatement. To say they work every bit as well as if they were hard-cabled is pretty much dead on. And with these things you don't have the challenges of tripping over or getting twisted in long wire runs.

As a simple example, I can set my flash (Nikon SB-800 AF Speedlight for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras - Old Version) with a Gary Fong Lightsphere Universal System Cloud attached on a stand in the middle of a large room. I have my camera (Nikon D200 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)) set to manual exposure, 1/30 @ f5.6. Pictures I take anywhere in the room are perfectly exposed.

They also work perfectly, albeit without the TTL functions, with the original PocketWizard Plus II Transceiver 801-125 Relay Radio Slave Transmitter Receiver 2-piece w/ PockeWizard Case for 2 in the mix.

There were some issues with the Canon version of these controllers and that was attributed to both the Mini/Flex and Canon "natively" using radio signals to control things. Nikon took a different approach, using light instead of RF signals for their Creative Lighting System (CLS) commands As a result there is no interference with the latest equipment from PocketWizard.

There are a flood of flash controllers available these days. Some cost a fraction of what these do and if you are only needing them to go short distances and can tolerate the occasional failure they're OK. PocketWizard, with the miniTT1 and FlexTT5, along with their continued support for the other equipment in their product line, caters to a more demanding user with far greater performance and reliability requirements. For me, anyway, it didn't make sense to take a chance on reliability or performance, or give up the capabilities provided here, just to save some on a one-time expense.

BTW, I feel that honest, effective reviews can take the place of first-hand experiences that are lacking in online shopping. I've always appreciated the help I've received from other reviewers and work hard to return the favor as best as I can. I hope you found this review helpful and if there was anything you thought was lacking or unclear leave a comment and I'll do what I can to fix it.

I'll start the review by noting that this is for the bundle of a Mini (for your camera) and two flexes (for external flashes). I would recommend checking the individual prices of these products first since the bundle seems to be at about the same price if the pieces were bought individually. Since the Mini is ONLY a transmitter (the Flex is a transceiver: it transmits and receives), and because it uses coin batteries and not AAs like the Flex, quit a few people prefer to have all Flexes and not buy the Mini at all. As such, you may want to buy a set of Flexes instead. My personal opinion is that I love the low profile and low weight of the Mini on my camera (though I keep leaving the thing on and draining the coin batteries, which can be annoying to replace).

Also, note that these are (as described in the title and description) for NIKON equipment only. To make the most use of them, you will need a Nikon camera body and a set of Nikon flashes.

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Overview

Right off the bat, I LOVE the design improvements over their predecessors, the PW Plus IIs. And these do appear to be much more reliable than their Canon Flex/Mini counterparts. The extra time that Pocket Wizard put into developing the Nikon version appears to have paid off. However, several beta testers I know and quite a few users have noted some limitations in these first versions. But each software upgrade (that you can download from the Pocket Wizard website) greatly fixes and enhances the units. As with the Canon versions, I expect them to get better and better over time with each upgrade.

Both the Mini (a receiver that is tiny and fits on your camera's hot shoe) and the Flex (can be both a receiver or transceiver) are flat and sleek - they do not stand up or poke out annoyingly like the Plus IIs did. Even better, by incorporating hot shoes and shoe feet directly onto the units, you no longer have to worry about cords or velcro. This is wonderful - no more cords falling out or units falling off the flash. I don't have to listen to the pocket wizard dangling off a light stand as I move it around. The flash sits directly on the Flex:

If you want to see a video of the new units and how small and easy they are, the PW people have a video on their site - check it out if you want to see these in use.

By having both a shoe and foot on each Flex or Mini, you have the option of using them with other items that also require a hot shoe - such as a Commander unit, AC3, or another flash. By using it with a Nikon Commander, AC3, or another flash, you are given the further option of being able to adjust your Flash Exposure Compensation (FEC) at the camera rather than having to walk to a flash. If I were to give my one complaint about the new PWs, it's that they don't have that ability built right in to the Flex or Mini units (which I believe the Radio Popper Jr.s do - although the Jr.s cannot do ETTL, only manual like the Plus IIs). But you do NOT need to have ANY extras to use these: the Pocket Wizards work right out of the box with only one flash on a stand. This is a huge plus over the Radio Poppers, which require the extra expense of two flashes or an commander unit before they will do ETTL.

The other huge plus about the new Pocket Wizards (and why I feel they are far superior to any other trigger on the market) is that they are a 'black box' - they have a brain that can be constantly updated. This means that new features can be downloaded for free as they become available. People are already finding new and interesting ways to use the Flex and Mini and configure them. And as new cameras are added to the Nikon lineup, you don't have to worry about them not working. It really is the reason to buy these and not any other brand, cheaper or otherwise. These are smart machines and they get smarter each and every upgrade.

The Flex and Mini also have a SUPER new feature unique to them alone - Hypersynch. Hypersynch allows you to configure the Flex or Mini to synch beyond the camera's synch speed - at speeds of 400 or faster. But this isn't just for Nikon flashes - this is ALSO for ALIEN BEES! I know a lot of people bought the Radio Poppers after it was announced that they could do ETTL with the Alien Bees - but that turned out to not be true. The Radio Poppers could synch with a random Alien Bee now and then but it turned out that very few could actually do that. In contrast, the Pocket Wizards DO provide higher speed synching - though not through the full range of shutter speeds. Another huge advantage of Hypersynch is that it does not wear down batteries like ETTL does when synching at high shutter speeds. This gives you twice or even three times the battery life of your speedlight/flash - which is important. Because of that, you can actually set your Flex and Mini to do hypersynching up to a certain shutter speed - and when that limit is reached, it will automatically use high speed synch. SMART!

Another really great feature is that my speedlight attaches directly to the Flex - which has a hotshoe on top and a screw thread in the bottom to put directly onto lightstands or tripods! It's a fabulous design!! No more cords to fall out and no more velcro on my speedlight. All I need is the Flex. It's also very flat and doesn't stick up annoyingly. No more tall Pocket Wizard Plus II banging against my flash stand or misfiring due to cords falling out. I've broken 5-6 Plus IIs in the past because they stick out so much on top of the camera and get knocked off - breaking the foot.

The Mini is very small - I can put my camera into my bag and leave the Mini on there. It's just a bit longer than a quarter and a bit fatter. But I will note that there have been MANY times I've left the Mini on without realizing it - and drained the coin battery. There have been times when I have not been able to find a store that sells the coin battery. I've ended up buying several and keeping them in my camera bag (they are certainly lighter and easier to carry than AAs. So the lightweight battery is both a plus and a minus. Now that I've drained a battery several times, I've trained myself not to do that any more. All the same, I wish the blinking light that says the Mini (and Flex too!) is still powered on.

I really like that the Flex and Mini are updatable and you can change settings with a USB cable. It means that as their software is improved, I can just update them with a quick download from the website. This is really important to me since I want them to be continually compatible as I upgrade new camera bodies in the future.

The Pocket Wizard people developed their own ETTL - they don't use Nikon's proprietary ETTL. This Control-TL, as they call it, has a nifty little extra feature - hypersynch. Hypersynch allows you to synch at speeds up to 600, depending on your camera. Hypersynch does NOT use High Speed Synching - and therefore it does not drain your batteries as fast and nastily as HSS does. You'll get 5x the amount of battery life by using hypersynch over HSS. You can configure your Flex or Mini to use hypersynch up to a certain speed and then HSS after that (e.g., hypersynch up to a shutter speed of 400 for the 5D before it tells the camera to use HSS instead).

What I really found surprising is that I liked using the ETTL and was more consistent with it on exposure than with manual. Huge surprise since I thought Manual just gave me more control for that drama. I used the ETTL as it was intended: fill light and not main light. But they can be used as a main light as well.

Issues/Problems/Rumors

So far, I am really happy with my Flex and Mini. Each upgrade fixes the more annoying bugs/dependability problems. Though these still do not have the range or dependability of the rock solid Plus IIs. One thing I do recommend is that if you don't mind the bit larger size of the Flex, it might be more useful to have two Flexes rather than a Flex and a Mini. There is only a $20 or so difference between the two and the Flex is more versatile since it is a transciever.

Choosing a Trigger - why Flex/Mini?

Do you need ETTL enough to pay the premium price of $200+ per trigger (you'll need 2 to do OCF)? It depends on how much you'll be using them. If you just want to dabble and go out and play with it now and then, then no, I don't think you need the Radio Popper or Pocket Wizards. Or, ideally, you can get two used Pocket Wizard Plus IIs for much less now that everyone is selling them off. The Plus IIs will give you full manual control and really teach you about light. If you shoot adults or teens, you'll love the ease of use and versatility of being able to use ETTL.

Also, for the price of a used Plus II, you can get the Paul C Buff triggers or the Elinchrom Skyports. Those will give you manual flash triggering but not the range of the PWs (though I doubt you're going to be using off camera flash from a distance of over 10 feet from the flash unless you do weddings).

I believe the Flex Mini is ideal for those who shoot action/events/sports and don't have time to set up the lighting on each shot. The Flex/Mini allow you to utilize the camera's own exposure and ETTL readings to give you a decent flash output the first time, every time.

Comparison of Flex and Mini to Radio Poppers:

Advantages of Pocket Wizard Flex and Mini:

- attaches securely to camera or flash - no cords, loose parts, velcro, or anything else.

- upgradable: constant updates make it better and better

- hypersynch allows you to maximize flash recycle time and batter power. You can set at what speed the PW goes from Hypersynch to High Speed Synch.

- hypersynch Alien Bees above your camera's synch speed.

- does not require additional purchase of a second flash or Commander. It's Control-TL is built in (though they can be bought and used with the PW if you want to do that)

Advantage of Radio Popper:

- Radio Popper Jrs can adjust the flash output on camera

- more reliable?

- Can be used on Nikon or Canon - not brand specific

Wish List:

- adjust FEC directly on the Flex or Mini unit

- a stronger light on the Flex or Mini that tells you they are awake/on

I purchased 3 of these things a couple of months ago. I'd been excited since they were first announced, and then dismayed at how quickly there were all of the problems reported by Canon shooters, and then the subsequent 2-year delay in getting the Nikon version to the market.

Never fear, I thought... PW MUST have tested the heck out of these things, and made ABSOLUTELY sure that there were NO problems whatsoever, since it took them so long to finally release the Nikon version, right? Uh, no.

Two of my units exhibit very strange behavior... they will not fire a flash when a remote signal comes in! If you hit the 'test' button on the unit itself, THAT flash alone will fire. The other unit will blink red, to indicate it received the signal, but the flash on the other will not fire. Same thing if I press the other one's button. That one's flash will fire, but not the first one. I use one of my old MultiMaxes to send a signal, and both indicators blink red, but no flash.

Frustrating is an understatement. Couple the above issues with the fact that one of the two also only powers up on 'C2', and it's even worse. I thought that one was completely DOA, and only while messing with them and trying to get them to work did I happen to figure out that C2 does actually power the thing on.

I've hooked them up to my PC, and updated the firmware, reset factory defaults, etc... no change.

The others' stellar reviews aside, I would be VERY wary before buying a set of these. SO far they're very expensive little paperweights, and I'm waiting for a response from PW's support department... the autoresponder e-mail said "We are experiencing an unusually high volume of support requests, so your response may be delayed...." Hmmm, I wonder why that might be. : /

I have been working with Nikon and multiple flashes - usually using the TTL system with the built in Master/Remote controls. Once pocketwizard came out with the Mini TT1 and Flex TT5 for Nikon. Right out of the box, after installing the included batteries, it shot like a champ.

I used this equipment with both a Nikon D3s and D700 bodies. The flashes I used are SB900 and SB800. I shoot with different modifiers including Lastolite EZBox, Umbrellas and HONL grids.

All worked great with the TTL system.

I added the AC3 and I can modify power from the camera! Fantastic.

I was able to get this working to trigger the camera (Auto-Relay) but I think Pocketwizard is still working out some kinks. It works great. However, there is a 5 second delay between remote shots. You can work around this - but lose TTL - so you either have the 5 second delay or you lose TTL and must go full manual. That's the reason this is 4 stars instead of 5 stars.

I'm so happy with these units from Pocketwizard. I've got cheap Yongnuo RF-602's (fairly reliable for something basic) for my speedlights (Nikon SB-600 and Yongnuo YN-560), but you lose the ability to adjust the flash at all from the camera position, one of the strengths of Nikon's CLS system. Sticking with optical CLS however (and using the popup flash on my D90 as a control), triggering is iffy: it usually works indoors, or outdoors with a limited range, *IF* the receiving flash is somewhere between you and the subject (forget it if it's behind you). No more worries with these newest pocketwizards. TTL and camera-adjustability is maintained (manual, if desired), as well as a potent radio signal with far more range than I'll ever need, without worrying about whether my flashes can see the optical signal from my camera. Now I can relax and just expect things to work, without limitation (I still need to adjust my Yongnuo flash manually, but will be getting another Nikon unit eventually).

I don't yet have the AC3 control unit, which I think would be handy, and it's nice to know about the PowerMC2, should I end up purchasing an Einstein. But in the meantime, I've found the perfect control solution for triggering my off-camera lighting, and it's these.

Note: this particular bundle includes one mini transmitter, and two larger flex transceivers. There's not much savings by buying this particular bundle, so search out the products individually if you don't need this exact combination.

**EDIT: The bottom of the Flex transceiver (the shoe where it mounts onto a stand or camera) is plastic, not metal. Mine broke on the 2nd shoot I used it on. We'll see how good Pocketwizard's service is when I call to get it returned. In the meantime, this drops my review from 5 stars to 4. Great units in terms of functionality, but even my $30 Yongnuo has a metal attachment shoe. The durability of this one sucks by comparison.

**EDIT (again): So, apparently it's an advantage to have a [replaceable] plastic shoe rather than a metal one (still trying to accept this fact): With a plastic shoe, it'll be the weak spot, and will break before causing any damage to the flash or the pocketwizard itself. The shoe is intentionally and easily replaced. Basically, you remove four screws, detach a thin cable, pop the old one out, put a new one in (obtainable from the pocketwizard parts department for 20 bucks plus 3 shipping), and reattach everything. Takes about 5 minutes. Be prepared to do this once or twice if you buy these things... awesome product, but not indestructible. I'll stick with the four-star rating.

As my review title suggests, if you care about off-camera TTL flash for Nikon and want radio control rather than the light pulses that come from Nikon speedlights then the Pocket Wizard Mini TT1 and Flex TT5 kit is exactly what you need. I am an experienced photographer who spent several years earning a living with photography and I've used a variety of off-camera wired and wireless flash/strobe trigger methods. PocketWizard is THE brand to buy in this category and the latest Flex TT5 and Mini TT1 continue this legacy of excellence.

Previously PocketWizard only offered the TT1 and TT5 for Canon cameras, and I ended up buying some cheap Canon gear (even though I don't like Canon) just to use the PocketWizard Flex TT5 and Mini TT1 ... they are that good. Thankfully, PocketWizard now makes the TT1 and TT5 for Nikon so I got rid of the Canon gear that I didn't enjoy using.

Whether I'm shooting indoors or outdoors this PocketWizard combo works perfectly for controlling off-camera lights. It's easy to switch from one lighting setup to another, so if you find yourself working on location and need to switch from a single-light setup to a multi-light setup then you can do it in a matter of seconds. The only thing I hate about these triggers is that they require regular firmware updates to work with the latest Nikon gear. Although Pocket Wizard is a respected brand, it takes a while for Pocket Wizard engineers to figure out how to make everything work with new Nikon gear since Nikon doesn't share proprietary flash information with other companies.

The cost of these transmitters/transceivers isn't anything to brush off (they are probably too expensive for a photography enthusiast who is just learning about off-camera lighting), but if you are a working photographer and add up all the time these PocketWizards save you in terms of setup time, switching lighting, and correcting trigger failures with cheaper wireless triggers, then these PocketWizards eventually pay for themselves.

Not 100% there yet but I'm really glad Canon was the test dummy on this one as I read through the "1 star" reviews from the Canon version. Most of the concerns addressed there was not evident in my unit at all. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because out of the 100 shots or so that I've used it, it probably mis-triggered 3-5. Not bad though but I'm comparing them to the original pocket wizards which are perfect.

I'm happy with it. I bought 3 transceivers and ditched the transmitter. Transmitter's nice but I don't like to use small sized batteries. These uses AA and I have AA's all the time.

People complain about how expensive they are. I agree they are pricey but what other company out there has put in extensive R&D in making something like this? I'm sure if another compnay takes on PW, then I'm sure there will be price competition.

This works and it's simply WOW for ease of use and versatility........alongside the AC3 zone controller this answers the limitations of SU800 controller being much dependent on Infrared light...and requiring line of sight. I love this!! It also works with my SU800 so this is really a cool flash accessory!

Photography is often so confusing, especially when getting into off-camera lighting. These pocketwizards have really made it much easier.

If you're an amateur, you'll still find benefit with this setup. It's expensive, but you won't need to upgrade later on. There's two key benefits, even for amateurs:

1. TTL (Through The Lens) metering. In other words, the camera behaves just like you're using the built in or attached flash and figures out all the lighting settings for you. If you change your ISO, shutter speed, or aperture, you won't have to do any fiddling with the flash. Typically with off camera flash, you have to know how many f-stops your lighting is affected by those changes, then adjust the flash accordingly.

2. You can use most any flash. Using a Nikon brand flash makes #1 possible, but you can still use other brands in manual mode.

As your skills grow, you can expand into the other features like custom profiles, multiple lighting zones, etc. But some basic uses are readily available to you. For instance, with these, you could set up your flash on a stand or table out of the way in a room, theater or gym. The range of the Pocket Wizard will let you be pretty much anywhere and it'll still work perfectly. No longer do you have to have a flash mounted on the camera, nor do you have to be able to see your flash or have it on a stand in front of you, like you would with the Nikon CLS system. Additionally, you could place flashes on different sides of the court or stage and since the metering is ttl, you'll always get the right exposure.

The size is great, especially for the entry-level cameras like mine. The TT1 unit is way smaller and doesn't stick up like the old pocketwizards. You're less prone to breaking them, it weighs less, and looks nicer.

The only trouble I had was that the battery in the TT1 mysteriously died on me. I'd left the TT1 unit on accidentally and apparently it didn't enter the low-power mode when I took it off my camera and put it back in my bag. Be sure to get a couple spares. The TT5's take regular batteries, so it's not as hard to find those in a pinch.

I also wish the software would get some improvements. It's great that you can manage your PW's using it, but it doesn't intuitively show you the current firmware version of your attached unit and whether or not it needs an update. Instead, you have to manually check for updates, download them, then try to update the unit. Only then will it tell you if you're already on that version. I also found the layout and usability to be somewhat quirky. It works, it's just not refined.

On the upside, PW makes beta versions available, and it's extremely easy to load beta and production firmware.

The product works for firing flash not so well with contolling output levels (used sb900, sb800 and sb600). I've still got some testing so I may have to edit this review later. Range is good with zero problems inside any gym. I've placed them in stands and fired from the other side of the floor 100% fire. With that said I've done the same thing with $20 remote triggers (also purchased from Amazon). My problem is with their rebate systems. I don't mess with rebates too often, but this time I did. I mailed my rebate on Nov 29 and it was delivered on the Dec 6. However, it wasn't entered into their computer until Dec 15 and they say the processing time starts from date it was updated in the computer. The worst part is their emails are almost with an attitude like, We've got you, don't have to answer to you, do it when we want, just don't care.