What’s That For, PocketWizard? Plus III Half-Press Function

Hi, this is Patrick.  I’m the PocketWizard Tech Support Manager and I’ve been with the company a long time … longer than anyone, actually, but I’m the only one counting.    When asked to write an article for the PocketWizard Blog which would be featured in the Newsletter, I thought, “Suh-weet!  The eyes of millions will ogle my every proclamation!  I’ll wear swanky shirts!  I’ll be even more famous!  Maybe even go on a date!”  But then I was told that I’m not actually famous, my $6 T-shirts are not swanky, and I’d get an article near the bottom if there were 8 or 9 pixels left over on the internet somewhere.  “Meh.  It could be worse,” I thought, “I could be fixing the plumbing again.”  No mention was made about dating, so call me, maybe?

Click for larger – look for blue circle

Lots of folk know that the Plus III can trigger remote cameras.   What they don’t know is that the TEST button on the Plus III is two-stage, just like a camera!  With the right cable (I’ll explain that in a moment) you can half-press the remote camera before the exposure just like you would when using the camera in your hands.   Wake up that grumpy camera, get the sleepy seeds out of its eyes, and let it focus and meter before it takes the shot. This feature works on Channels 17 and higher.  It’s mentioned briefly on Page 7 of the Plus III Quick Guide, but novels could be written on this subject (budding novelist = date-worthy!).

Some remote camera aficionados will say, “Manual all the way, baby!  Fix that focus and tape that lens!”  That works for some scenarios, especially indoor sports with a sweet spot, but lots of event photography is more dynamic than that.  Maybe you want beaucoups bokeh so auto-focus for wide apertures is critical.  Maybe the lighting is changing a lot and you need the camera to manage the exposure.  Maybe you want more control for self-portraits.  Or maybe you simply want to impress your date with remote techno-wizardry!  Just like hand-held photography, you can see the moment approaching and you choose when to half-press the shutter release, making sure the camera’s little robot brain has enough time to do its thing.

Now most remote cameras will still get the metering right, and possibly achieve autofocus, without this cool half-press feature.  But it just doesn’t feel the same, and our photographer brains appreciate the half-press familiarity.

Tip: Jump to 32 minutes the above webinar for a video demonstration or click here!

To pull this off, you need a certain kind of remote camera cable for your Plus III: you need an –ACC cable.  I apologize for this bizarro cable naming scheme – there is a long and boring explanation, and it’s mostly my fault, but that’s not important right now.  Our Cable Finder will help you find the correct –ACC shutter release cable for your camera.  They have a stereo miniphone connection on them, like a headphone plug for your Walkman, not a mono plug like your great-grandfather’s chest-pack hearing aid  (hipster talk = guaranteed date?)

Click on image to visit our easy-to-use Cable Finder

While you are picking up one of these cables, get two!  With one on your remote camera and one on the camera in your hands, the remote camera will follow along with you.  As you press the button on your camera half-way, the remote camera will do the same thing.  When you press all the way, both cameras will trigger.  It’s like that moment on a first date when you both reach for the check.  So cute!

Watch the Mark Wallace video and you’ll get it.  Visit our wiki for a detailed list of instructions.  Connect with us if you need more help.  Friend me on Facebook if you want to hang out or something.

Patrick Clow,
Technical Support Manager

The Plus III Takes Home a Pop Award!

popphoto.com

Popular Photography has released their list of the best gear from 2012 and we’re happy to say that the our newest transceiver, the PocketWizard Plus® III, has earned a spot on it.

They write:

“All year, we put photo gear through its paces: we test it, use it, manhandle it. When we’re through, we make a list of the top items we’ve tried and tested. Then we cross off most of the list. The remaining items receive top honors: The POP Award for Photography’s Outstanding Products.”

Check out the list on Pop Photo to see the Plus III rubbing shoulders with other distinguished photo gear from lenses to backpacks and everything in between.

All images and quotes in this post are used with permission and ©Pop Photo, all rights reserved; story is ©PocketWizard. Please respect and support photographers’ rights. Feel free to link to this blog post, but please do not replicate or repost elsewhere without written permission.

Scott Markewitz Captures a Double Backflip

We’ve profiled action sports photograph Scott Markewitz before. We’re happy to see he’s still getting amazing shots. While shooting for Red Bull, he documented a mountain biking first. Here’s Paul’s own report of the event, along with some of his photos.

Paul Basagoitia Double Back Flip 02.04.2012 ©Scott Markewitz

Recently I was on a shoot in southern Utah with a Red Bull crew, there to capture Paul Basagoitia’s attempt at the first-ever double back flip on a mountain bike in natural terrain. I’ve worked with Paul many times and was excited to be there to photograph his attempt. If anyone could pull it off, it was Paul.

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VIDEO: Kevin Kubota and the Plus III

A new PocketWizard video shot on location in Las Vegas has been released. Featuring photographer and educator Kevin Kubota, this session with a model was done on a rooftop with speedlights fired by the new PocketWizard Plus III radio triggers.

With an octagon softbox housing two speedlights, Kubota used a total of three Plus III transceivers to light the entire shoot. During this shoot, his first one using the Plus III, he covers zone control, ease of use, and reliability.

“I love the fact they’re so easy to use I didn’t have to get out the manual to figure it out. The controls are great,” he says. “They’re lightweight and really affordable, so it’s a great option if you’re just getting started, or if you’ve been doing it awhile like me, this simplifies your life.”

You can learn more about Kevin Kubota at his blog and his image tools site.

Kevin Kubota’s Bio
American Photo Magazine named Kevin Kubota one of the “Top 10 Wedding Photographers in the World.” His photos have been featured on the covers and within the pages of many popular magazines and photography books. Kevin has been a featured presenter for Nikon and Adobe, and his work with the Nikon digital camera earned him a spot as a Nikon “Legend Behind the Lens.” Kevin is also a PPA Photographic Craftsman.

Kubota is an internationally recognized speaker, having presented for every major photographic convention in the USA. He created the popular “Digital Photography Bootcamp®” workshop which has been running successfully since 2002. He authored the book under the same name, now in it’s second edition, published by Amherst Media. Kevin shares over two decades of lighting experience in his latest book, The Lighting Notebook, published by Wiley. Kubota Image Tools products have won multiple Hot One Awards as well as the Readers’ Choice Award. Kevin was personally awarded the 2009 Monte Zucker Memorial Humanitarian Award for social service through photography.

Strobist Working Out with Plus III Radio Triggers

Flashmaster David Hobby over at Strobist has published Part 1 and Part 2 on his wildly-popular blog detailing a portrait session he did for mezzo soprano Alexandra Rodrick.

Hobby used a Profoto Acute2 1200 60 feet away as a fill light and an Acute2 2400 120 feet away as a rim. It was keyed with speedlights in a Japanese silk lantern. PocketWizard Plus III units were used to trigger the lights furthest from the subject.

His camera was a Mamiya 645DF with Phase One P25+ digital back. His lens was a Mamiya Sekor AF 80mm f/2.8 D.

Hobby explains he wanted to “push against the boundaries a little more, both creatively and technically.” He educates readers about the relationship between lighting distance and depth of field, and how he wanted the light to disperse evenly throughout the scene. The text of these posts are as enlightening as the photo is beautiful. Don’t miss both full texts on Strobist.

Pictureline’s First Look at the PocketWizard Plus III

Pictureline has put together a first look at the PocketWizard Plus III which neatly summarizes many of the new features. Dave, who hosts the video, points out what separates this new radio trigger from the Plus II, and the rest of the PocketWizard lineup.

Shot in the retail space of Pictureline, the video is well-produced, and the store looks like a clean, well-lighted place. Stop in the next time you’re in Utah.

Hopefully we’ll see more videos from Pictureline. They do a great job. Until then, the Plus III video is also available on Vimeo.

The Buzz about the PocketWizard Plus III

Here’s a great compendium of coverage the PocketWizard Plus® III has recently been getting. From hands-on reviews by such notables as David Hobby at Strobist, Joe McNally, Rob Galbraith, and the gang at FStoppers, to a long list of other photography resources online, this single page of the Plus III micro site is a great place to get a huge overview of what the entire photographic industry is buzzing about.

Be sure to check it out if you’d like to see just some of what everyone has been talking about since the announcement at WPPI 2012.

PocketWizard Plus III Webinar

Take Control of Off-Camera Flash

Studio Portrait Lighting featuring the new PocketWizard Plus® III

Date: March 20, 2012
Time: 1pm Eastern, 12pm Central, 11am Mountain, 10am Pacific

Join host Joe Brady for this seminar on controlling studio portrait lighting with the new PocketWizard Plus III radio. Learn the benefits of shooting with your flashes on full manual power. During our live shoot, we’ll use both speedlights and studio monolights. But more important than just discussing photography gear, we’re going to explore how and why to use this equipment to capture the image you’re after.

We all know that photography is about light. The new PocketWizard Plus III radio triggers we’re going to put to use will allow us to direct light where we need it and make it easy to control, right from the top of the camera.

We’re going to take full control of our lights for studio shoots. That means full manual control – no TTL flash. No more guessing, no constant exposure adjustments, no hours at the computer fixing your images. If you are after consistent, professional results in controlled settings, learn how manual control is the way to go!

The eBlast announcement for this Webinar can be found here.
This Webinar has been archived here.

5 Reasons Why Everyone Will Want the Plus III

Photographysilo.com has posted a list of five reasons “why every photographer will WANT the PocketWizard Plus® III.” Written by Lawrence Atienza, the post also includes a video of an interview he conducted with PocketWizard’s own Dave Schmidt at WPPI 2012.

You can see the video entitled “PocketWizard is Not a Toy” on YouTube.

Do you have your own list of things you love about the new PocketWizard Plus III? Share them with us and we may publish the best ones.

PocketWizard at 2012 WPPI

Here’s a Los Angeles Times video featuring Dave Schmidt of PocketWizard at the 2012 WPPI show. In this brief video, Dave touches upon the top features of the new PocketWizard Plus® III radio trigger.

The video is part of a Los Angeles Times article on WPPI. You can also watch the video on YouTube.