123 — Entry Level Camera Trigger Showdown — PocketWizard versus Cactus

Photography.ca

Pho­tog­ra­phy pod­cast #123 compares 2 entry level triggering devices for your camera. A ‘trigger’ is simply a device that allows your camera to fire nearly any portable flash, monolight or studio flash while it is OFF-camera. The ability to fire a flash or other light source while OFF-camera allows you to modify the direction and the quality of the light(s) to produce much more creative and professional looking photography versus direct on-camera flash. The 2 units tested are the PocketWizard Plus X and the Cactus V5 Duo.

The PocketWizard Plus X transceiver (sold as a single unit for $99.00) and the Cactus V5 Duo (2 transceivers for $99.00 or sold individiually at $59.00)

Thanks to The Camera Store (The largest camera store in Calgary, Alberta, Canada) for sponsoring the Photography.ca podcast and for loaning me the test equipment for this week’s podcast!

Both these units do the identical job with identical (100%) reliability in both my indoor and outdoor tests. The top photo shows how the Cactus transceiver attaches to both the camera and to an off-camera flash. The bottom photo shows how the PocketWizard Plus X transceiver attaches to both the camera and to an off-camera flash. The main difference is that the PocketWizard is missing the extra hot shoe so it attaches to the off camera flash with (an included) sync-wire.

The build quality of the PocketWizard is slightly more robust than the Cactus V5 and its legendary reliability (PocketWizards have been around for decades) and the fact that they work with every other PocketWizard ever made are its main advantages.

Where the Cactus V5 duo really shines is with the addition of the extra hot shoe on the unit. Here the flash will act as an on axis-fill flash to fill in shadows created by another light, and it fits snugly into the hot shoe on top of the Cactus V5. At left is the PocketWizard attempting the same task but because it has no extra hot shoe it must be attached to the camera’s flash via an included sync-wire

Both these units will do the identical job, but the Cactus’s design (at right) is more elegant, easier to attach and the Cactus V5 Duo is half the price of the PocketWizard Plus X. Unfortunately the Cactus V5 will NOT work with PocketWizards or even different Cactus models.

Links /resources mentioned in this podcast:

The PocketWizard Plus X at The Camera Store
The Cactus V5 Duo at The Camera Store
Illuminight — Photography exhibition by Marko Kulik

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