The problem is even more complicated now that SLR lenses are being used on video cameras and video lenses on SLRs cameras. People want to know things like “is Super 35mm format equivalent to a crop sensor or full-frame?” Other people, trying to sell their 16mm film lenses with adapters for 4/3 cameras fail to mention how much smaller 16mm film was than 4/3 sensors. Not to mention the marketers, always ready to make things as confusing as possible, are doing things like calling a 1/1.7” sensor “large” (it is compared to a cell phone camera chip, I guess).

Anyway, since I haven’t been able to find a single source to answer all these sensor format questions, I thought I’d put it all together here. The table below shows the dimensions, in millimeters, of the various sensor (or film) sizes. Please note that the dimensions may vary slightly from camera to camera. For example, Canon’s APS-C sensor is slightly smaller than Nikon’s, but slightly larger than Sigma’s. The aspect ratio of the sensor (4:3, 3:2, 16:9) will cause some variation, too. For example, the 35mm Cinema, Super 35mm, and APS-C crop sensor formats are nearly the same size (look at the sensor area) but of slightly different rectangular proportions.

First, About those inch (“) sensors

Commonly used sensor abbreviations make absolutely no sense. (Get it, “sense”, “sensor” – I have to have at least one pun per article. It’s in my contract). Larger sensors are measured in millimeters: full-frame, Super 35mm, APS-C, etc. The 4/3 marketing people probably thought “half as big as full frame” wasn’t a good way to present things, so 4/3 it was. But it’s easy to find how big a 4/3 sensor is in mm.

But then we get into all of these fractional-inch-type-measurements for the smaller sensors. That measurement system originated in ancient times (the 1950s to 1980s) when vacuum tubes were used instead of CCD or CMOS sensors in video and television cameras. The image sensor was, in those days, referred to in terms of the outside diameter of the vacuum tube that contained it.

A video camera tube (courtesy Wikepedia Commons)

Why do manufacturers keep using such an archaic measurement? Because it helps them lie to you, of course. If you do the math 1/2.7 equals 0.37 inches, which equals 9.39 mm. But if you look at the chart above you’ll see that a 1/2.7″ sensor actually has a diagonal of 6.7 mm. Why? Because, of course, a thick glass tube used to surround the sensors. So they calculate the sensor size as if the glass tube was still included. Makes perfect sense to a marketing person who wants to make their sensor seem larger than it is. What sounds better: 1/2.7″ or ‘less than 10% the size of a full frame sensor’?

Calculating the Crop Factor from the Sensor Diagonal

It surprises me how many people do not really understand what the “crop factor” is, and technical explanations seem to make it worse for newcomers. But in simplest terms if I set up several cameras with different size sensors at point A, put the same 100mm lens on each of them and took a picture the picture taken with the smaller sensors would seem more magnified than the pictures taken with the larger sensors. The picture taken with the APS-C size sensor would appear magnified 1.5X compared to the full-frame picture. Or put another way, a picture taken with a 150mm lens on the full-frame camera would frame exactly the same area as one taken with a 100mm lens on the APS-C sensor camera. Hence the term “1.5 crop factor”.

OK, that’s pretty easy. But what if you are shooting video with a 50mm lens on an APS-C size camera, and want to frame the shot identically on a camcorder with a 2/3″ sensor? Well you could probably convert back and forth from APS-C to full frame and then to 2/3″ sensor using the handy table I made for you above. But you might have noticed in that table that the diagonal measurement of the sensor size is proportional to the crop factor. For example, 43.3mm (full frame sensor diagonal)  / 22.4mm (4/3 sensor diagonal) = 2, etc.

So, to make that conversion from 4/3 sensor to 2/3″ sensor we can just divide the diagonal measurements of the sensors (27.3mm diagonal for the APS-C sensor, 11mm diagonal for the 2/3 sensor). The result is about 2.5, so we’d need a 20mm lens on our 2/3″ sensor video camera to frame the shot the same way.

Really, really look at the sensor area

The numbers for crop factor and diagonal measurement of the sensors minimizes the actual differences in sensor sizes. If you want to really understand how much larger one sensor is than another, look at the column for the surface area of the sensor. The diagonal measurement and crop factor of a full-frame 35mm sensor is only 1.5 times longer than an APS-C camera, and twice the size of a 4/3 sensor. But the area of the full frame sensor is more than double that of a crop sensor, and almost 4 times that of a 4/3 sensor.

If the resolution of the cameras are the same, larger sensors mean larger pixels resulting in better ISO performance. (You can compare pixel sizes for a 12 Mp Nikon D700 and a 12 Mpix 4/3 camera by just pretending the above sensor size diagram is pixel size – no wonder there’s a difference in high ISO perforamance). Or, instead of bigger pixels on the sensor, the manufacturer may put more pixels, which gives the camera higher resolution. Or some of each. Most full frame cameras have both more pixels and bigger pixels than most 4/3 cameras.

There are other factors involved, of course. Newer sensors have better microlenses and newer cameras better computer chips, both of which can make a big difference in high ISO performance. Underexpose the picture two stops and ISO performance doesn’t matter either – you can’t differentiate black from black. Put a crappy lens in front of the camera and the sensor’s resolution doesn’t matter – the camera can’t photograph what the lens doesn’t resolve. If you’re just putting web-sized jpgs up none of it matters much. If you’re making large prints every bit of it matters a lot.

But the area of the sensors explains why so many video people are abandoning their old camcorders and picking up AG-AF100s, Sony F3s, and video capable SLR cameras in droves. As an example, consider that a few years ago a very good $15,000 camcorder came with 2/3″ sensors (58 square mm in area). Today, about the same amount of money will get you a Sony F3 with a Super 35 sized sensor (339 square mm in area, nearly 6 times larger), or 5 or 6 crop sensor SLRs with roughly the same size sensor.

It’s also interesting to look at some new mirrorless and fixed-lens camera systems in terms of sensor size. Nikon chose to create the CX sensor size for it’s new J1/V1 cameras. The reason is obvious: there was a large gap between the smallest SLR sensor (4/3) and the largest video (2/3″) and point and shoot (1/1.7″) sensors. The CX sensor fills that gap nicely. The CX sensor should be better than any point and shoot, but not so good that it takes business away from their SLR cameras. (There’s an old saying that if you don’t eat your own lunch, somebody else will. But apparently Nikon doesn’t believe in that.) The Fuji X10 is using the very largest non-SLR sensor, the 2/3″, which until now has only been used in video cameras. Canon, on the other hand, is releasing their G1X with a sensor slightly larger than the 4/3 sensors, although still smaller than their APS-C cameras.

There’s a lot more to a camera than its sensor size, of course. Lenses come to mind. (Yes, Sony, I’m talking to you. Other companies are getting rich selling decent lenses and adapters to shoot on your mirrorless cameras.) It will be interesting, though, to see how the choice of sensor size affects the image quality of these new cameras. Software algorithms, electronics, and better microlenses all make a difference, but small pixels are still small pixels.

But we’ll discuss the effects of sensor and pixel size more in the next article.

Addendum:

Patrick’s comment made me consider that while I unconsciously group sensors into categories, I didn’t really present that in the article. So maybe it will help if I do it here:

Joey's Frankenphoto system

It was kind of overcast and gray and there’s not a lot of scenery behind our building (this is the view shot at 35mm). Joey’s telephoto test target is the cell phone tower on the right, the smaller one.

The scenic view from Lensrentals loading dock.

To avoid getting you too disoriented, this is the top of the cell phone tower, shot with a 600mm f4 VR on a Nikon D3x.

The cell phone tower we use as a telephoto test target, shot at 600mm

The white pole in the center is where we focus (it’s kind of lost in the gray sky, but if you look down from the top antenna you’ll see a black bird sitting on top of it. And here’s the view with the V1 at 3250mm.

The V1 with 600mm, 2x converter (3250mm effective view)

Of course, the image above is compressed down to 800 pixels wide to fit in this blog post. Below is a crop at 100% of the area along the green wire, lower right 1/3 of the image.

Yeah, it’s a little grainy and noisy, that small sensor is no D700. But scroll back up to the first image, the one shot at 35mm. It’s a rather impressive bit of magnification, isn’t it?

For another example (because we believe anything worth doing is worth doing to excess), here’s the view looking the other way from the loading dock, again a 35mm image on a full frame camera. Notice the two doors above the metal stairs in the center of the image.

Zoom in with a 600mm lens on a regular camera and you can tell the door number. Oooh-aaah.

But slap the V1-2X-600mm combination on there and you can read the alarm company’s phone number. All of you would-be Paparazzi should be thinking “cellulite-celebrity-on-the-beach-pictures from half a mile away”.

Of course, we could get nearly as much magnification by cropping the images from a D3X shot at 1200mm. But this was way more fun.

What are they?

Strobe triggers are a path to wireless freedom.  Using the various types that are out there, you are able to sync the flash-source you’re using with your camera, all without the 15ft sync cord stretched across the floor.  Not only does this eliminate the dreaded “My Assistant Just Tripped Over the Sync Cord and $15,000 Met Mr. Ground”, but you also stand to gain quite a few features, depending on the technology you go with.

What they are not!

While some triggers do provide nearly automated lighting, they still need to be set up correctly.  I’ll go ahead and let those unfamiliar with lighting know, you can’t just plug them in and they do everything for you.  You’ll still need to understand how your light works and what each setting adjustment does.

How they work and when to use them?

Our various strobe triggers are based upon two types of triggering signal, infrared-signal and radio-signal.  While each has their advantages and disadvantages, they both give the photographer the freedom from being tied to their light source.  The first thing to understand is what are the key differences between the two types.

• Infrared-signal triggers are primarily used for close-range triggering.  They are commonly referred to as “Commanders/Transmitters”, as they are used for triggering/controlling hotshoe flashes.  They provide TTL/E-TTL control of their compatible speedlites, as well as manual setting control, all from the camera itself.  They have the flexibility of only needing a single commander that sits on the camera’s hotshoe, as the flashes that they communicate with already have the correct technology inside them.  Their biggest disadvantage is their working range.  They only work within line-of-sight, which means if you can’t read the brand name on the front of the flash, it may be too far away.  There are a lot of factors that can affect their effective range such as other shooters, bright daylight, direction the flash is facing, placement of flash, etc.

• Radio-signal triggers are useful for long-range triggering.  Radio triggers are becoming more and more popular, and for good reason.  They generally work very reliably and have a much longer range than infrared triggers.  Depending on which type you choose, they can be used with both hotshoe flashes as well as studio lighting.  While all of them allow shooting in manual modes, there are some that allow for TTL/E-TTL triggering, as well as a few that actually allow full control of lights from the on-camera trigger itself.  With nearly all of the types we carry, you do need a commander for the camera and a receiver for each light.  This makes the initial cost of radio triggers more than infrared triggers, but the gain in range, reliability, and flexibility could make up for that, depending on what you’re shooting.

A Note About Our Comparison

Before anyone jumps to the end of the article to comment on how their brand’s trigger is better than everyone else’s triggers are, I just want to stress that this is meant as a comparison of the various models we carry and how they are useful.  We know there are many more brands out there than what I write about here, but these are the models we carry and have experience with.

For each model, I’m going to address these same 12 points: compatibility, range, reliability, control, sync speed, flexibility, technology, battery used, ease of use, cost, ideal setup, and ability to update.  Where it is applicable, I will give the manufacturers’ provided specs that fall into these points vs. what we’ve actually experienced.  This is not meant to “call out” the manufacturer, but to provide the working photographer, in working conditions, with how the product performs.  With that said, on to the comparisons!

Canon ST-E2 Speedlite Transmitter
Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander
Pocketwizard Plus II Transceiver
Pocketwizard FlexTT5-Canon
Pocketwizard FlexTT5-Nikon
Pocketwizard PowerMC2 (triggerd by PW FlexTT5)
RadioPopper PX System – Canon Kit
RadioPopper PX System – Nikon Kit
RadioPopper JRX System – Canon Kit
RadioPopper JRX System – Nikon Kit
CyberSync Radio Kit for Einstein E640
Profoto Air Remote Transceiver

Canon ST-E2 Speedlite Transmitter:

The ST-E2 is Canon’s version of an infrared-signal trigger.  It is compatible with Canon cameras ranging from the G-series point-and-shoots and entry-level DSLR cameras all the way up to the Pro-Level DSLRs.  From a light-compatibility standpoint, it does not work with studio lighting.  It is designed for use with the following Canon Speedlites:  270EX II, 320EX, 420EX, 430EX, 430EX II, 550EX, 580EX, and 580EX II.  It is said that the ST-E2 will work with some wireless E-TTL compatible third-party flashes, but we cannot comment on this as we’ve never tried them.

Range:

It requires line-of-sight to trigger the compatible flashes.  If there are other Canon users around who are also using wireless flashes, you may run in to some problems.  According to the official specs, its working range is 39.4 – 49.2′ indoors and 26.2-32.8′ outdoors.  I’m not saying these distances are not possible in absolutely ideal conditions, but we haven’t seen reliable results at these distances.  A specific range is difficult to pinpoint as the conditions you’re in and how you’re using the flashes can affect distances quite a bit.  I would say in an indoor setting with low ceilings, lower light, no light modifiers, and the flashes pointed at the camera straight ahead, you can get close to the range its rated at.  Doesn’t really sound like your typical shooting conditions does it?

If you want reliable results while moving around, I’d give it a range of 15-20ft indoors and 8-10ft outdoors if using modifiers such as softboxes or umbrellas.  I know this is going to get a ton of people all riled up, but keep in mind I’m referring working range with lots of variables and still getting consistent results.  I’m not saying it can’t be better, but this is the range you can expect when you’re focusing on your subject and not perfect placement of all the variables.

Control:

From a control standpoint, the ST-E2 is great.  You can set an unlimited number of Speedlites to two different groups (A and B) with the ability to do quick ratio adjustments from 1:8 to 8:1.  Oh yeah, all of this is while using E-TTL!  You can adjust E-TTL output through FEC (flash exposure compensation) on your DSLR.  If close range and line-of-sight isn’t an issue for you, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a trigger that gives more control of Canon Speedlites.  You do have the ability to use Canon’s High-Sync Speed mode with compatible flashes.  However, the ST-E2 itself does not increase the actual sync speed in normal flash situation.

Size:

The ST-E2 sits on your camera’s hotshoe and adds very little weight.  It’s not too large in size, but that varies in relation to the camera you’re using it with.  On a Canon G12, it’s pretty big and cumbersome. While on a 1D IV, it’s no problem.  It doesn’t have the latest and greatest full color LCD touch screen, in fact, it doesn’t even have a screen!  Its basically got a few buttons and some LED’s.  Nevertheless, it gets the job done.  One extra feature this little guy gives you is an AF assist beam that aids in low-light AF.  You won’t see that with radio triggers.  It takes a 6v 2CR5 lithium battery (included in our rental), which is fairly easy to find at pretty much any store that carries a variety of batteries.

Ease of Use:

Okay, the big question is how easy is it to use.  If you’re familiar with your Canon Speedlite, the ST-E2 will be pretty simple.  If you’re jumping in to both the Canon Speedlites and the ST-E2 at the same time, you will probably get confused.  That’s what manuals are for.  The biggest thing you need to understand when using the ST-E2 is E-TTL.  Look in to that, and you’ll be able to work this transmitter pretty well.  Cost-wise, the ST-E2 is much easier to jump into than radio triggers, if you’re just working with Speedlites.  If you start talking studio lights as well, just save yourself some money and get a system that works with both.  The ideal setup is pretty simple, the ST-E2 and whatever compatible Speedlites you have.  You don’t need anything else to make them work together!  The transmitter itself doesn’t have firmware to upgrade.  However, your camera may require the latest firmware in order to function with the ST-E2.  You can check the Canon site to ensure you’re working with the latest firmware, which you should already be doing!

Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander

The SU-800 is Nikon’s version of an infrared-signal trigger.  It is compatible with Nikon cameras that support the Nikon’s Creative Light System (all the Nikon cameras we rent are compatible).  Just like the Canon infrared trigger, the Nikon Su-800 is designed for use with the following Nikon Speedlights: SB-R200, SB-600, SB-700 SB-800, SB-900 and SB-910.  Again, like the Canon counterpart, there are third-party flashes out there that will also work with the SU-800, but we do not have any experience with them.

Range:

The SU-800 performs in a very similar way to the Canon ST-E2.  It requires line-of-sight to trigger the compatible flashes, but does include the option to change channels in case other Nikon users are around.  Nikon specs list its range at 66′, but it’s going to depend on the same variables as the Canon ST-E2.  Since I listed all of these in the ST-E2 section, I won’t list them out again.  This isn’t meant to say one is better than the other,  I just don’t want to list them again when the same thing affects them both.

Control:

As far as controls go, the Nikon SU-800 definitely offers the most for infrared triggers.  An unlimited number of Speedlights and be set to three different groups, as well as complete power output control of each group.  What’s this mean?  Once you place the Speedlight where you want it, set it to remote mode and that’s it.  All power adjustments, whether using i-TTL or manual, can be adjusted from the SU-800.  Yep, even ratios!  Throw in a close-up mode for macro shooting with the SB-R200 and compatibility with Nikon FP High-Speed Sync, and you’ve got a pretty well-rounded piece of equipment.

Size:

Is it big and obtrusive?  Not so much.  It’s taller than the ST-E2, but it doesn’t take up quite the footprint.  One big thumbs up is the LCD panel on the back.  This makes controlling everything that the SU-800 does easier.  You have the built-in AF assist for low-light situations, which radio trigger users can be jealous of at times.  It’s all powered by a 3v 123A Lithium battery (included in rental) that’s found at most stores in the battery section.

Ease of Use:

So does it take a degree in Nikon CLS-ology to figure this out?  Not really.  Again, if you’re familiar with you Nikon Speedlight, you’ll feel pretty much at home.  Just get to know your flash and i-TTL and you should be good to go.  Not to keep repeating this, but much like the Canon ST-E2, all you need for the ideal setup is the SU-800 and your Speedlights.  And your camera, you do need a camera.  Nikon doesn’t have firmware for the SU-800 itself, but their cameras as well as their newer flashes do.  So double check their website to ensure you’re up-to-date on your shots, I mean firmware.

Pocketwizard Plus II Transceiver

First off, I’m going to let you guys know from here on, Pocketwizard will be referred to as PW.  Now that you know the code, I shall continue. The PW Plus II is the basic radio-signal trigger made by PW.  It’s compatible with just about every camera with a standard hotshoe or PC sync.  This excludes Sony users who don’t have a PC sync port from the party for now (I’ll address Sony users at the end of the blog post).  It can trigger pretty much any studio light and works with a wide variety of hotshoe flashes that have a PC sync.  Please take note of that last statement!  If your flash doesn’t have a PC sync (I’m talking to you Canon 430EX II and Nikon SB-600/700 users), this PW is a no go.  PW also made the Plus II compatible with all of their older radio triggers, as well as able to function as a receiver with newer models.  If you have a studio lighting kit that has a built-in PW, that’s compatible with the Plus II too!

Range:

The Plus II uses radio-signal technology to trigger your strobes.  This means you’re not limited by line-of-sight or close distances.  In fact, PW rates the range at 1600ft!  Just like everything else, conditions may affect the actual range limit, so don’t try shooting portraits with an 800mm lens across a large field of power lines (I might have to try this, just to say I have).  Lighting modifiers aren’t going to affect the triggering, so go ahead and use that beauty dish, it creates beauty!  You have a total of four 16-bit coded channels to choose from in case there’s anyone else within 1600ft using PWs.  As far as reliability, you don’t get much more reliable than the Plus II.  If you’ve got them attached right, which is pretty obvious, and the channels set to the same, they just work.  If you want something that works every time, you don’t get a much better choice than the Plus II.

Control:

So far the PW Plus II seems like it does everything you could ask for.  How about lighting control you ask?  As long as you’re looking to shoot in manual, you’ll get everything you were expecting.  That’s right, you don’t have any control of lighting output with the Plus II.  It’s all manual, all the time.  What’s that saying about cake and eating it?  Sorry!  As for sync speeds, the Plus II tops out at 1/250th-second for focal-plane shutters and 1/500th-second for leaf-shutters.  It can fire up to 12fps, which is great for those water-drop captures we all play around with.

Size:

It can either sit on your camera’s hotshoe or connect via PC sync cord for transmitting, and uses a 1/8″ mini to whatever you need to connect to your light for receiving.  While the Plus II body itself is 4″ tall plus a non-removable 2.4″ antenna, it adds hardly any weight.  You don’t have any fancy bells and whistles like an LCD with this little guy either.  It’s 3 switches and that’s it.  You know those alkaline AA batteries you had to buy in a pinch when you couldn’t find any lithium batteries?  The Plus II would be happy to use them.  In fact, use the same 2 for a while.  It only sips power!

Ease of Use:

Okay, now I’m not knocking any of the other triggers by saying this, but why can’t they all be this easy?  You have a transceiver that both transmits and receives, hence the name.  Step one, put it on your camera’s hotshoe.  Step two, plug the needed sync cord, which unfortunately is a seperate item, in to your light.  Step three, set the channel and forget about it.  That’s it!  Ideally you would want one Plus II for the camera and one Plus II for each light that takes a sync cord, but some people do use a single PW on one light and let the other lights slave.  I would suggest using one for each light, but you’re free to do as you please.

When you rent the Plus II from us, we include one 1/8″ mini to PC cord per PW.  This is the cord used to connect the PW to either a camera’s PC sync or a flash’s PC sync.  If you need a cord for studio lights, PW makes nearly every cord you could think of, many of which we carry.  For those interested, you can also use the Plus II as a camera remote via accessory cord, but we do not keep stock of these.  The Plus II does not have firmware upgrades, so there is nothing you really have to keep up with other than batteries.

Pocketwizard FlexTT5-Canon

The PW FlexTT5 is the most advanced radio-signal trigger made by PW, allowing the transmission of E-TTL information to your lights .  This version is Canon-specific, therefore it only works with Canon DSLR’s compatible with E-TTL II (you can check here to make sure your camera is compatible).  It works with studio lights (in manual mode, not e-TTL), most Canon Speedlites (all current generation and many previous generation, you can check the same link as above if you have an older flash in question), and some third-party speedlite flashes.  The FlexTT5 is compatible with all versions of PWs as a transmitter and can be used as a transceiver with another TT5 or TT1.  Just like the PW Plus II, the Flex TT5 can also be used to trigger studio lighting with a built-in PW.

Range:

The TT5 is based on radio-signal technology, giving you the freedom to move around and not worry about line-of-sight.   However, its range is a bit finicky depending on your settings.  Specs from PW are as follows: If used to trigger flashes via E-TTL, in ideal conditions, can trigger flashes up to 800ft.  If you are doing basic triggering no with E-TTL, in ideal conditions, the range increases to a max of 1200ft.  But, and this is a BIG but, if you’re triggering a Canon 580EX II, 580EX or 430EX your working range is reduced dramatically due to emitted RF noise from the flash.  How dramatically you ask?  In some instances, you could have misfires or no fires at more than 30ft.  Yeah, 30ft!

There are workarounds that can improve your range found on PW’s website, but be aware that this issue does exist.  If you need absolutley reliable long-range triggering, the Plus II would be the way to go.  As far as interference goes, the FlexTT5 has 20 ControlTL channels for E-TTL triggering and 32 standard channels that can either autoset or be manually adjusted via the free Pocketwizard Utility software from your computer.  This means working with other PW users near won’t be a problem.  How about reliability?  Well, that part is debatable.  For one, there is the RF noise issue you must consider.  Then you have the fairly involved setup, which could be more user error than a reliability issue.  I have mixed feelings myself about the device, but if you need what it offers, then you find a way to make it work.

Control:

And now to the selling point of the FlexTT5; the control it offers.  Let’s see, you got E-TTL transmission for compatible Canon Speedlites, as well as some studio lights via accessory.  It doesn’t stop there, ’cause you can also transmit using Canon’s High-Speed Sync which can allow ultra-fast sync speeds to be close to your camera’s max shutter speed.  You don’t get all the power out of your flash in this mode, so working from a distance is limited, but it’s still very cool!  If you do find yourself needing more power while using a high sync speed, the TT5 features PW’s HyperSync mode which allows you to use your flash at full power to get sync speeds higher than your camera’s max x-sync.  This does have various limits, with your camera model and flash used having the most impact.  With Speedlites, you can usually get at least an extra 1/3 shutter speed, sometimes more.  Hypersync is also compatible studio lights, but the increase in shutter speed will greatly depend on the strobe duration and settings used.  All of the various control settings can be set using the Pocketwizard Utility software linked to above.  Oh yeah, did I mention the ability to shoot 8fps with E-TTL or manual triggering?

Size:

The TT5 sits on your camera’s hotshoe as it has a hotshoe itself to allow use of an on-camera flash.  It does have 2 sync ports, one for cameras and one for flashes (for use with studio lights).  It sits just 3.6″ x2.9″ x1.4″, so it’s not intrusive.  It has a positionable antenna so you can always keep it facing up, which you do need to keep an eye on.  While the unit itself doesn’t have any visible bells and whistles, it’s packed full of features and has a very advanced utility software.  It’s powered by 2 AA batteries, so no crazy goose hunts through the battery section are needed.

Ease of Use:

Oh boy, easy of use is an oxymoron with this trigger.  I don’t want to scare you away, but damn!  I’ve been working with all of the lighting we carry for a few years, but this PW has always been somewhat difficult.  If you know your equipment and how it works, you’re still going to be sitting in front of your computer reading the TT5 manual and tutorials if you want to use all of its features.  A lot of it is trial-and-error, so give yourself a good bit of time to learn its features.  If you want simple, the TT5 isn’t it.  The PW Plus II would be a better choice for that.  But if you want crazy fast sync speeds with E-TTL, then the TT5 is worth learning.  Ideal setup for E-TTL is one TT5 transceiver on the camera and one for each flash.  For manual triggering, you can use a TT5 on camera and a Plus II on your lights to save a bit of money.  The TT5 itself has a firmware that is updated regularly to improve compatibility and add new features.  The firmware is updated via the PW Utility Software.

Pocketwizard FlexTT5-Nikon

This is essentially the same product as above, but for use with the Nikon system.  Therefore, this overview will read the same except where the two differ. The PW FlexTT5 is the most advanced radio-signal trigger made by PW, allowing the transmission of i-TTL information to your lights .  This version is Nikon-specific, therefore it only works with Nikon DSLR’s compatible with i-TTL  (you can check here to make sure your camera is compatible).  It works with studio lights (in manual mode, not i-TTL), most Nikon Speedlites (SB-910 compatibility will come in a future firmware update, you can check the same link as above if you have an older flash in question), and some third-party speedlite flashes.  The FlexTT5 is compatible with all versions of PWs as a transmitter and can be used as a transceiver with another TT5 or TT1.  Just like the PW Plus II, the Flex TT5 can also be used to trigger studio lighting with a built-in PW.

Range:

The TT5 is based on radio-signal technology, giving you the freedom to move around and not worry about line-of-sight.   However, its range is dependent on your settings.  Specs from PW are as follows: If used to trigger flashes via i-TTL, in ideal conditions, the range is up to 800ft.  If you are doing basic triggering with i-TTL, in ideal conditions, the range increases to a max of 1200ft.  Unlike the Canon setup, the FlexTT5 for Nikon is not subject to RF interference from compatible Nikon Speedlights.  As far as interference goes, the FlexTT5 has 20 ControlTL channels for i-TTL triggering and 32 standard channels that can either autoset or be manually adjusted via the free Pocketwizard Utility software from your computer.  This means working with other PW users near won’t be a problem.

How about reliability?  Well, Nikon users fair better than Canon users with the lack of RF interference.  However, you still have the fairly involved setup, which could be more user error than a reliability issue.  Despite the increase in reliability with this version, my mixed feelings myself about the device do not change.

Control:

And now to the selling point of the FlexTT5; the control it offers.  Let’s see, you got i-TTL transmission for compatible Nikon Speedlites, as well as some studio lights via accessory.  It doesn’t stop there, cause you can also transmit using Nikon’s HSS/FP which can allow ultra-fast sync speeds as high as your camera’s max shutter speed.  You don’t get all the power out of your flash in this mode, so working from a distance is limited, but it’s still very cool!  If you do find yourself needing more power while using a high sync speed, the TT5 features PW’s HyperSync mode which allows you to use your flash at full power to get sync speeds higher than your camera’s max x-sync.  This does have various limits, with your camera model and flash used having the most impact.  With Speedlites, you can usually get at least an extra 1/3 shutter speed, sometimes more.  Hypersync is also compatible studio lights, but the increase in shutter speed will greatly depend on the strobe duration and settings used.  All of the various control settings can be set using the Pocketwizard Utility software linked to above.  With the Nikon version, you can shoot within 1FPS of the camera’s max when transmitting i-TTL, or max out at the camera’s FPS when transmitting in basic trigger mode (manual flash settings).

Size:

The TT5 sits on your camera’s hotshoe as it has a hotshoe itself to allow use of an on-camera flash.  It does have 2 sync ports, one for cameras and one for flashes (for use with studio lights).  It sits just 3.6″ x2.9″ x1.4″, so it’s not intrusive.  It has a positionable antenna so you can always keep it facing up, which you do need to keep an eye on.  While the unit itself doesn’t have any visible bells and whistles, it’s packed full of features and has a very advanced utility software.  It’s powered by 2 AA batteries, so no crazy goose hunts through the battery section are needed.

Ease of Use:

Oh boy, easy of use is an oxymoron with this trigger.  I don’t want to scare you away, but damn!  I’ve been working with all of the lighting we carry for a few years, but this PW has always been somewhat difficult.  If you know your equipment and how it works, you’re still going to be sitting in front of your computer reading the TT5 manual and tutorials if you want to use all of its features.  A lot of it is trial-and-error, so give yourself a good bit of time to learn its features.  If you want simple, the TT5 isn’t it.  The PW Plus II would be a better choice for that.  But if you want crazy fast sync speeds with i-TTL, then the TT5 is worth learning.

Ideal setup for i-TTL is one TT5 transceiver on the camera and one for each flash.  For manual triggering, you can use a TT5 on camera and a Plus II on your lights to save a bit of money.  The TT5 itself has a firmware that is updated regularly to improve compatibility and add new features.  The firmware is updated via the PW Utility Software.

Pocketwizard PowerMC2 (triggered by PW FlexTT5)

All of the details about the FlexTT5 are above, so I’ll only address how the two work together. The PowerMC2 is a radio-signal PW module that plugs directly into the Einstein E640 strobe unit.  It only works with the Einstein, so speedlight and other strobes need not apply.  It can be triggered by any PW, but you will get the most control using a FlexTT5.

Range:

Being a radio trigger, walls and other obstacles are of no worry.  Go ahead, walk around.  Be free!  The MC2 itself doesn’t have a listed range, as it’s just the receiver.  The range will be based on your transmitting PW’s range, so you can look above for the listed range depending on the PW used.  For those flash mob sessions, there are 20 ControlTL channels and 32 standard channels that can be selected on the Einstein itself.  The MC2 itself is a very reliable tool, but keep in mind it’s just the receiver.  If using a complicated PW as a transmitter, you may have slightly different results. Even if using the PW FlexTT5, without the Speedlite interferrence to contend with, it should perform quite well.  Just make sure to set it up correctly and all will be well.

Control:

As for control, this will be based on using the FlexTT5 as your transmitter.  With this combo, you will have full control of the Einstein’s power using PW’s ControlTL system.  Do keep in mind there are several different modes that all work a bit differently.  So you may not have all the controls at once, but you do have the  ability to change the various settings through the Pocketwizard Utility while connected to your computer.  The ControlTL system essentially functions in a similar way to your camera’s E-TTL/i-TTL.  You have the flexibility of power adjustments being controlled by the camera’s Exposure Compensation/Flash Exposure Compensation (FEC).

Then, there’s the PowerTracking mode, which does have multiple variables to set.  But once you’ve done so, you can change any exposure-related setting on you camera and the light will adjust accordingly.  Next, you have Hypersync mode, which takes advantage of the Einstein’s amazingly-fast flash duration.  You set the Einstein to full power, and depending on your camera model, it nearly reaches its max shutter speed.  Yea, no more 1/250 second sync, hello 1/4000 second sync!  There are some limitations, so you’ll need to visit the Pocketwizard PowerMC2 Wiki page.

Size:

The PowerMC2 is a tiny receiver unit.  Once it’s plugged in to the Einstein, you’ll not even notice it’s there (other than the antenna protruding).  It has a single LED status light on top and a mini-B USB port for connecting to a computer.  All its technology is not visible, but it is inside.  Its a very smart trigger!  No battery required, as it pulls a minuscule amount from the Einstein.

Ease of Use:

Okay, I’m going to be entirely honest with you.  This isn’t the easiest setup in the world if wanting to utilize all of the different features.  This is largely in part to the difficulty of the FlexTT5 that you would need.  It will involve multiple trips from computer to light, so be patient.  The best things in life don’t come easy!  If you are comfortable with the FlexTT5 and Pocketwizard Utility Software, then you’ll have a good head start, but it’ll still take some work.  We will be working on a setup tutorial for the FlexTT5 and PowerMC2, so check back for that.  For those who want just a simple trigger system without elaborate controls with their Einstein, you could go the PW Plus II route.  You’ll have a rock-solid system that is arguably the most reliable possible, all while being relatively inexpensive.  Ideal setup is one MC2 per Einstein strobe unit.

Just one more reminder, the PowerMC2 is only a receiver, so you must have some sort of PW transmitter.  It’s backwards-compatible, meaning any pocketwizard transmitter/transceiver will work with it.  It does have firmware updates that you’ll need to keep an eye on.  But so far, the updates have been to add a slew of great features, which makes the hassle well worth it!

RadioPopper PX Kit for Canon

The PX System kit is an advanced radio transmitter and receiver kit that allows E-TTL  triggering.  We have our kits separated for Canon and Nikon, and this is the Canon kit.  The PX system takes a different approach than the other radio kits we carry, in that it works as an extension of the Canon E-TTL wireless flash system.  Basically, the PX system piggybacks on the Canon wireless flash system.  This means you’ll need either an ST-E2 or Master Speedlite on-camera to attach the PX transmitter to.  The receiver then attaches to your E-TTL compatible Speedlite via included bracket.  RadioPopper provides a compatibility guide here.  Our PX system kit only works with Speedlites, so if using studio lights, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

Range:

Despite the fact the PX system acts as an extension of  the Canon infrared signal, the PX triggers communicate to each other via radio signal.  This allows an extended range of up to 1500ft and no line-of-sight restrictions, according to the manufacturer.  Like every other product, crazy shooting conditions may affect your range, so do consider this.   The PX system has 16 user-selected channels, in addition to the 4 channels your Canon flash system has, which allows for an effective 64 channels.

Each PX device must be set itself, but the receiver offers a unique auto channel scanning feature that scans for the clearest channel.  Then just input that channel to the transmitter and you’re set for interference-free shooting!  As for reliability, the PX system is pretty solid.  I have experienced a misfire on occasion, but it’s more likely this was due to the flash not recycling as fast as I was shooting, which is a limitation of using Speedlites.  As long as you’ve got everything attached correctly and your channels set, you’ll have worry-free shooting.

Control:

And now to the fun part, the control you get.  As stated above, the PX system piggybacks on your Canon E-TTL wireless flash setup.  This means you have all the great features that Canon designed for their flash system, with a longer range and more reliable signal.  You can adjust groups and ratios from whichever master unit you’re using (ST-E2 or 580EX II) and tweak flash levels via FEC (Flash Exposure Compensation).  In regards to light adjustments, I do want to point out a limitation of the Canon system.  You can only adjust the overall flash output from the camera, so individual light adjustment still requires a trek to the light itself.  Since the PX system functions as an extension of the Canon wireless system, you’ll have the same limitation while using the PX triggers.

On a lighter note, you do have full access to Canon’s High-Speed Sync mode, which allows sync speeds of up to your camera’s max shutter speed.  This mode does reduce the output of the flash, so don’t try to light a group of people 50ft away in pitch black at 1/8000th second, cause it won’t work… unless you’ve got 20 Speedlites.  Hmmm, that sounds like another fun test.

Size:

The PX transmitter attaches to your ST-E2 or 580EX II master unit by way of velcro.  If you’ve always wondered why you see some flashes with velcro on the top, this is one of the reasons for it.  Once attached, it’s pretty resilient and isn’t going to fall off on its own.  The PX receiver comes with a flash mounting bracket that holds the receiver unit and the flash sits on.  This does add some bulkiness to the off-camera remote flash, so do keep this in mind if your planning on hiding the unit within the shot.  The bracket itself is pretty simple to assemble, but it is made of plastic, so try to minimize its exposure to high heat or physical abuse.  Considering you’ll also have an expensive flash attached to it, you’re probably already pretty cautious of this.  Both the transmitter and receiver units have an external antenna, with the receiver’s being angled and positionable.

They each have just two buttons, a power and menu button, which also serve as navigation and selection within the menu.  The menu is displayed on you average, run-of-the-mill LED display.  While it’s no full-color LCD, its basic layout is very easy to work with.  As for power, each unit takes 2 AAA batteries and has a battery level gauge.  This is good thing, as they are a tad power-hungry.  You’ll want to make sure you’ve got a few extra batteries handy and ensure you power them off when not in use.

Ease of Use:

With all of the features  the PX system allows, they’re only useful if the system is easy to use.  Well, it is indeed just that.  The bracket is really the only thing that takes assembly, which doubles as a flash stand, so it’s basically replacing one step with just a variation.  If you’re already familiar with the Canon wireless flash system, you’ll be right at home.  Set the channels on the PX triggers, attach them and you’re set.  Any adjustments past initial setup will be made on the Canon Master unit or camera itself, so other than physically being attached, the PX triggers perform as if they weren’t there at all.  There’s not any new terminology to decipher, and  you don’t have to connect anything to a computer to change a setting.  That’s right, no endless trips to the computer to change a setting!

Cost-wise, the PX system is at the top of the strobe-triggers’ totem pole, and this is by themselves.  You still need a Canon master unit as well as a remote flash.  However, if you already have these and you’re struggling with range and reliability, then the PX system is a no-brainer.  As an ideal setup, you’ll have your Master flash or commander attached to your camera, with the PX transmitter velcroed to the top.  Then, your off-camera flash will sit on the included flash bracket, which also holds the PX receiver.  That’s it!  No additional cords or accessories are needed, and your Canon wireless flash system works the same as it did before.   You don’t have the ability to upgrade firmware yourself, so future updates do require sending them back to RadioPoppers, but they do offer a free upgrade option.

RadioPopper PX Kit for Nikon

Just like the others above, this is the Nikon version of our kit, so much of the information is the same.  However, there are a few advantages the Nikon system holds over the Canon. The PX System kit is an advanced radio transmitter and receiver kit that allows i-TTL  triggering.  We have our kits separated for Canon and Nikon, and this is the Nikon kit.  The PX system takes a different approach than the other radio kits we carry, in that it works as an extension of the Nikon CLS wireless flash system.  Basically, the PX system piggybacks on the Nikon wireless flash system.  This means you’ll need either an SU-800 or Master Speedlight on-camera to attach the PX transmitter to.  If using a Nikon camera with a pop-up flash that can be set to commander mode, you can trigger the system this way as well.  The receiver then attaches to your compatible Speedlight via included bracket.  RadioPopper provides a compatibility guide here.  Our PX system kit only works with Speedlights, so if using studio lights, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

Range:

Despite the fact the PX system acts as an extension of  the Nikon infrared signal, the PX triggers communicate to each other via radio signal.  This allows an extended range of up to 1700ft and no line-of-sight restrictions, according to the manufacturer.  Like every other product, crazy shooting conditions may affect your range, so do consider this.   The PX system has 16 user-selected channels, in addition to the 4 channels your Nikon flash system has, which allows for an effective 64 channels.

Each PX device must be set itself, but the receiver offers a unique auto channel scanning feature that scans for the clearest channel.  Then just input that channel to the transmitter and you’re set for interference-free shooting!  As for reliability, the PX system is pretty solid.  I have experienced a misfire on occasion, but it’s more likely this was due to the flash not recycling as fast as I was shooting, which is a limitation of using Speedlights.  As long as you’ve got everything attached correctly and your channels set, you’ll have worry-free shooting.

Control:

And now to the fun part, the control you get.  As stated above, the PX system piggybacks on the Nikon CLS system.  This means you have all the great features that Nikon designed for their flash system, with a longer range and more reliable signal.  You can set and adjust groups from whichever master unit you’re using (see compatibility guide) and tweak flash levels via Exposure Compensation.  Nikon users definitely have the upper hand here, as individual flash levels can be adjustment from the master unit itself.  This means there’s no need to mess with the off-camera Speedlights except to physically move them (sorry, the PX system doesn’t have a flash levitation feature).

You also have full access to Nikon’s High-Speed Sync/ Focal Plane mode, which allows sync speeds of up to your camera’s max shutter speed.  This mode does reduce the output of the flash, so don’t try to light a group of people 50ft away in pitch black at 1/8000th second, cause it won’t work… unless you’ve got 20 Speedlites.  Hmmm, that sounds like another fun test.

Size:

The PX transmitter attaches to your master unit by way of velcro.  If you’ve always wondered why you see some flashes with velcro on the top, this is one of the reasons for it.  If you’re using the Pop-up flash Commander mode, we include the hotshoe bracket that holds the transmitter on-camera.  With either setup, once attached, they’re pretty resilient and won’t  fall off on their own.  The PX receiver comes with a flash mounting bracket that holds the receiver unit and the flash sits on.  This does add some bulkiness to the off-camera remote flash, so do keep this in mind if your planning on hiding the unit within the shot.  The bracket itself is pretty simple to assemble, but it is made of plastic, so try to minimize its exposure to high heat or physical abuse.  Considering you’ll also have an expensive flash attached to it, you’re probably already pretty cautious of this.  Both the transmitter and receiver units have an external antenna, with the receiver’s being angled and positionable.

They each have just two buttons, a power and menu button, which also serve as navigation and selection within the menu.  The menu is displayed on you average, run-of-the-mill LED display.  While its no full-color LCD, its basic layout is very easy to work with.  As for power, each unit takes 2 AAA batteries and has a battery level gauge.  This is good thing, as they are a tad power-hungry.  You’ll want to make sure you’ve got a few extra batteries handy and ensure you power them off when not in use.

Ease of Use:

With all of the features  the PX system allows, they’re only useful if the system is easy to use.  Well, it is indeed just that.  The bracket is really the only thing that takes assembly, which doubles as a flash stand, so it’s basically replacing one step with just a variation.  If you’re already familiar with the Nikon CLS, you’ll be right at home.  Set the channels on the PX triggers, attach them and you’re set.  Any adjustments past initial setup will be made on the Nikon Master unit or camera itself, so other than physically being attached, the PX triggers perform as if they weren’t there at all.  There’s not any new terminology to decipher, and  you don’t have to connect anything to a computer to change a setting.  That’s right, no endless trips to the computer to change a setting!

Cost-wise, the PX system is at the top of the strobe-triggers’ totem pole, and this is by themselves.  You still need a Nikon master unit as well as a remote flash.  However, if you already have these and you’re struggling with range and reliability, then the PX system is a no-brainer.  As an ideal setup, you’ll have your Master flash or commander attached to your camera, with the PX transmitter velcroed to the top.  If using the Pop-up flash as commander, slide the included bracket in the camera’s hotshoe and snap the transmitter in place.  Then, your off-camera flash will sit on the included flash bracket, which also holds the PX receiver.  That’s it!  No additional cords or accessories are needed, and your Nikon wireless flash system works the same as it did before.   You don’t have the ability to upgrade firmware yourself, so future updates do require sending them back to RadioPoppers, but they do offer a free upgrade option.

RadioPoppers JrX Kit for Canon

The JrX system is RadioPoppers’ base-level radio trigger option.  While technically the JrX triggers are universal, our kit includes the Canon-specific RPCube.  So, for our purposes, it’s for Canon.  With that said, the transmitter is compatible with Canon DSLR cameras with a standard hotshoe.  The receiver works with any strobe unit that accepts a 1/8″, 1/4″, or 2.5mm sub-mini sync cord.  The included RPCube adapter makes triggering TTL- compatible Canon Speedlites possible as well.

Range:

Like all the other radio-signal triggers, the JrX allows freedom to move around without any wires tying you down, as well as shooting from distances without line-of-sight.  According to the manufacturer, its maximum range is a whopping 1700ft, but various conditions can and will shorten its range.  If other photogs are near and happen to be plotting against you by using radio triggers, you’ve got 16 frequency channels to choose from to thwart their attempt.

Control:

From a control standpoint, the JrX is an interesting breed.  Because of their small size and basic appearance, many would overlook them as just any other plain-ole’ trigger.  But the JrX has a couple tricks up its sleeve.  If you’ve got an AlienBee, White Lightning, or Zeus strobe unit that has an RJ-11 remote jack, you can adjust power output from the transmitter itself.  With three control dials, you can control up to three different groups of lights, as well as enable/disable modeling light tracking from the transmitter.  This makes shooting without an assistant quite feasible.  However, it doesn’t stop there.  Using the included RPCube, can also adjust power output of TTL-compatible Canon Speedlites.

I know what your thinking, but what about TTL control?!?  Unfortunately, it’s just manual level adjustment, so you’d have to jump up to its big brother PX for TTL control.  But don’t discount the JrX for lack of TTL, ’cause the three dial setup is quite easy to work with.  In fact, some would argue its ease of use compared to constant button-smashing.  It probably comes down to personal preference, so if you’re interested, give it a try.  Getting back to the facts, the JrX has a max flash sync speed of 1/250 second, which is about average.  It doesn’t have any HSS mode, so nothing faster than 1/250 here.

Size:

From a size-standpoint, the JrX transmitter and receiver are quite reasonable.  It’s our smallest triggering option, so if you’re searching for an unobtrusive system, you’ve found it.  The transmitter attaches via hotshoe, but it does have the ability to connect via sync cord (not included).  It has a power/test button, three control dials, and a set of six dip-switches.  The first four control channel selection, while the last two are for group operation and control lock-out (we include a diagram, as well as it being listed here).  The receiver unit is a tad larger, but it’s still pretty small in relation to other types.  It has a short antenna that extends from the top and power buttom on the side, as well as a 1/8″ sync port and RJ-11 data port for when using studio strobes.  The RPCube adds a little more size, but since it doubles as a mount, this is quite acceptable.  The receiver has a total of 8 dip-switches, so there’s a couple more options for it, but the manual linked above goes over their function.  There’s no visible advanced technology with the JrX, but there doesn’t really need to be.  It’s designed to be more functional than fancy, and it does achieve its purpose.  Both the transmitter and receiver take a CR123 battery (included), but replacements can be readily found if needed.

Ease of Use:

So is it easy to use?  Yep!  Although some find dip-switches intimidating, if you match-up channels on the two units, the JrX is pretty simple.  The additional options on the dip-switches affect aren’t very confusing, so a quick look over the manual will be all it takes to see if you need to make any other adjustments.  The only ever-so-slightly tedious task is on the receiver’s end, but it’s more recognizing what’s needed depending on what you’re triggering.  Ideal setup for the JrX receiver with an AlienBee, White Lighting, or Zeus strobe is as follows:  First, connect the two together with the included “telephone” cable.  Then plug the included “dummy” 1/8″ plug into the strobe unit to disable the optical slave.  Before turning on the strobe, set the power level on the strobe to full power and set the modeling light to the preferred setting.  You’ll then power on the strobe, followed by the receiver.  One important thing to note, when adjusting the power level on the transmitter, you will need to hit the test/power button on the trigger itself to dump excess power.  This will ensure the power level is correct.

You’ll ideally want each strobe used to have a receiver, so that you can control power levels on them as well.  Now, the ideal setup for the JrX receiver with a Canon Speedlite is:  First, attach the Speedlite to the RPCube’s hotshoe.  Next, connect to the receiver to the RPCube via the included 1/8″ to 1/8″ sync cord.  Now, power on the two devices and set the flash to TTL mode.  While the JrX doesn’t transmit TTL, the flash does have to be set in that mode to control the power levels.  If using this setup, creative rubber banding will be necessary, so have a couple handy.  All accessories needed, other than the rubber bands, are included in our kit, so no worries there.  Like the PX system, the JrX doesn’t have firmware that can be updated by the user, so it’ll have to meet its maker if a firmware becomes available.

RadioPoppers JrX System Nikon Kit

Just like the others above, this is the Nikon version of our kit, so much of the information is the same.  However, there are a couple limitations with the Nikon system. The JrX system is RadioPoppers’ base-level radio trigger option.  While technically the JrX triggers are universal, our kit includes the Nikon-specific RPCube.  So, for our purposes, it’s for Nikon.  With that said, the transmitter is compatible with Nikon DSLR cameras with a standard hotshoe.  The receiver works with any strobe unit that accepts a 1/8″, 1/4″, or 2.5mm sub-mini sync cord.  The included RPCube adapter makes triggering TTL- compatible Nikon Speedlights possible as well.  Here’s the catch, Nikon has since changed their TTL-protocol to only i-TTL on the SB-700, SB-900, and SB-910.  This does indeed mean you won’t be able to use the JrX with those flashes, which sucks!

Range:

Like all the other radio-signal triggers, the JrX allows freedom to move around without any wires tying you down, as well as shooting from distances without line-of-sight.  According to the manufacturer, its maximun range is a whopping 1700ft, but various conditions can and will shorten its range.  If other photogs are near and happen to be plotting against you by using radio triggers, you’ve got 16 frequency channels to choose from to thwart their attempt.

Control:

From a control standpoint, the JrX is an interesting breed.  Because of their small size and basic appearance, many would overlook them as any other plain-ole’ trigger.  But the JrX has a couple tricks up its sleeve.  If you’ve got an AlienBee, White Lightning, or Zeus strobe unit that has an RJ-11 remote jack, you can adjust power output from the transmitter itself.  With three control dials, you can control up to three different groups of lights, as well as enable/disable modeling light tracking from the transmitter.  This makes shooting without an assistant quite feasible.  However, it doesn’t stop there.  Using the included RPCube, can also adjust power output of TTL-compatible Nikon Speedlights (still no SB-700, 900, or 910).

I know what you’re thinking, but what about TTL control?!?  Unfortunately, it’s just manual level adjustment, so you’d have to jump up to its big brother PX for TTL control.  But don’t discount the JrX for lack of TTL, cause the three dial setup is quite easy to work with.  In fact, some would argue its ease of use compared to constant button-smashing.  It probably comes down to personal preference, so if you’re interested, give it a try.  Getting back to the facts, the JrX has a max flash sync speed of 1/250 second, which is about average.  It doesn’t have any HSS mode, so nothing faster than 1/250 here.

Size:

From a size-standpoint, the JrX transmitter and receiver are quite reasonable.  It’s our smallest triggering option, so if you’re searching for an unobtrusive system, you’ve found it.  The transmitter attaches via hotshoe, but it does have the ability to connect via sync cord (not included as all compatible cameras have a hotshoe).  It has a power/test button, three control dials, and a set of six dip-switches.  The first four control channel selection, while the last two are for group operation and control lock-out (we include a diagram, as well as it being listed here).  The receiver unit is a tad larger, but it’s still pretty small in relation to other types.  It has a short antenna that extends from the top and power buttom on the side, as well as a 1/8″ sync port and RJ-11 data port for when using studio strobes.

The RPCube adds a little more size, but since it doubles as a mount, this is quite acceptable.  The receiver has a total of 8 dip-switches, so there’s a couple more options for it, but the manual linked above goes over their function.  There’s no visible advanced technology with the JrX, but there doesn’t really need to be.  Its designed to be more functional than fancy, and it does achieve its purpose.  Both the transmitter and receiver take a CR123 battery (included), but replacements can be readily found if needed.

Ease of Use:

So is it easy to use?  Yep!  Although some find dip-switches intimidating, if you match-up channels on the two units, the JrX is pretty simple.  The additional options on the dip-switches affect aren’t very confusing, so a quick look over the manual will be all it takes to see if you need to make any other adjustments.  The only ever-so-slightly tedious task is on the receiver’s end, but it’s more recognizing what’s needed depending on what you’re triggering.  Ideal setup for the JrX receiver with an AlienBee, White Lighting, or Zeus strobe is as follows:  First, connect the two together with the included “telephone” cable.  Then plug the included “dummy” 1/8″ plug into the strobe unit to disable the optical slave.  Before turning on the strobe, set the power level on the strobe to full power and set the modeling light to the preferred setting.  You’ll then power on the strobe, followed by the receiver.  One important thing to note, when adjusting the power level on the transmitter, you will need to hit the test/power button on the trigger itself to dump excess power.  This will ensure the power level is correct.

You’ll ideally want each strobe used to have a receiver, so that you can control power levels on them as well.  Now, the ideal setup for the JrX receiver with a compatible Nikon Speedlight is:  First, attach the Speedlight to the RPCube’s hotshoe.  Next, connect the receiver to the RPCube via the included 1/8″ to 1/8″ sync cord.  Now, power on the two devices and set the flash to TTL mode.  While the JrX doesn’t transmit TTL, the flash does have to be set in that mode to control the power levels.  If using this setup, creative rubber banding will be necessary, so have a couple handy.  All accessories needed, other than the rubber bands, are included in our kit, so no worries there.  Like the PX system, the JrX doesn’t have firmware that can be updated by the user, so it’ll have to meet it’s maker if a firmware update becomes available.

CyberSync Radio Kit for Einstein E640

Our CyberSync Radio Kit for Einstein E640 consists of the CyberCommander transmitter and CSXCV receiver module.  They are a radio trigger and receiver pairing from the Paul C. Buff lighting company.  The Commander works with any digital camera with a standard hotshoe (not Sony) or PC sync port (some Sony cameras do have this, so check your manual).  The CSXCV Transceiver is made for use with the Einstein E640 strobe only.  In other words, you cannot connect the CSXCV to a speedlight or any other strobe unit besides the Einstein.  It is impossible!  While you can use this setup in combination with other Buff Cybersync triggers and receivers, we have not tried this and cannot comment on their functionality.  You can check compatibility with those items on the Paul C. Buff website.

Range:

This Buff Commander and receiver are based on radio-signal technology.  According to the Buff website, “testing indicates a usable range of up to 400 feet, depending on obstructions such as walls or adverse conditions such as metal buildings, bodies of water, etc.”  All sorts of things can affect a radio frequency, so just be aware of what’s around you.  If you happen to be running 30 microwaves in the same room with a few cordless phones while shooting, you’ll probably kill the range as well.  Basically, the more stuff there is between the Commander and CSXCV, the more you’re range will be affected.  If a longer range is required, you may need to look at some of the other trigger options.  Nevertheless, the Cyber Commander has 16 user-selectable channels for situations where shooting around other Cybersync users is inevitable.  As for reliability, they seem pretty good in our testing.  We have experienced a misfire occasionally with this setup, so user beware.

Control:

Alright, now for the goods.  With this setup, you have full control of the Einstein E640, all from the Cyber Commander that conveniently sits atop your camera.  On a multi-function coolness level, the Cyber Commander is through the roof.  It functions as a strobe trigger that gives you full power control of your Einstein E640′s flash and modeling power.  Flash power adjustments can be done in 1/10th f-stops.  Which, in turn, will also give you a readout of the exact camera settings to use thanks to the built-in flash meter.  That’s right, you’ll have a radio trigger with a built-in flash meter!  Unfortunately, it doesn’t automatically adjust your camera settings for you, but just do what the readout tells you to and you’ll be set.

You can program and define/name up to 16 strobes, in addition to managing group bracketing on any combination of those 16 strobes.  One cool feature that you currently only have with the Einstein E640 are the Color and Action Modes.  These modes are also selectable through the Commander, with accurate readouts of both color temperature and flash duration in either mode.

Size:

The Cyber Commander itself sits atop your camera’s hotshoe at 2″ wide by 4.75″ tall.  It has a pivot hotshoe mount, just in case you don’t want 4.75″ protruding from the top of your camera.  You are able to connect to your camera via PC sync, but you will have to employ the highly technical rubber band method of rigging.  It does have a full color LCD screen for setting adjustments, which is quite nice to view your changes on.  It’s powered by 2x AAA batteries, and it is a battery-hungry little trigger.  The CSXCV module, on the other hand, is a tiny little module that plugs into the top of the Einstein strobe unit.  Since it pulls its needed power from the Einstein itself, you can plug it in and forget about it.

Ease of Use:

Like I said earlier, I will be honest with you about each item’s ease of use.  Here goes… The Cyber Commander is quite frustrating.  It has such a great set of features that are designed to work with some of the most cost-effective, high quality strobes out.  However, it’s crippled by its own controls and layout.  You have two “joysticks” that control navigation and entry.  They don’t perform set functions, as each submenu uses various combinations of button smashing to make selections.  You will have to sit down with the manual, as it’s not something you’ll be able to pick-up and start using.  Luckily, getting the Commander and Einstein to communicate together only takes a single step.  If you sit down with enough time and patience, you will get it to work.  If you wait a long period of time before you use it again, you’ll probably be confused, so breaking out the manual may be necessary.

If you’re in need of a studio setup, the Einstein with this Commander/Transceiver combo is one of the best out.  The ideal setup is the Cyber Commander on camera and a CSXCV Transceiver module on each Einstein unit used.  Like other radio triggers, you could use the CSXCV on only one Einstein and have the other nearby Einsteins set to slave, but you lose control options on the strobes that don’t have the CSXCV.  Possible accessories are the sync cords for connecting the Commander to non-standard cameras, but that’s pretty much it.  Firmware updates are done via microSD card in the Commander.  This is something you must keep up with, as firmware updates are fairly common with this product to improve issues found.

Profoto Air Remote Transceiver via Profoto Air D1 500 Twin Monolight Kit

I wanted to throw this one in the mix since it is relavent.  This blurb will be based on using the Profoto Air Remote Transceiver with the kit we rent it with (Profoto Air D1 500 Twin Monolight).  I know it is much more flexible and can work in different ways, but for our purposes, this is how I’ll approach it. The Profoto Air Remote Transceiver is a radio-based strobe trigger with advanced features.  While it’s technically compatible with other manufacturers’ strobes via sync cord, for the use of any features that make it unique, you must use a Profoto Strobe that has built-in Profoto Air.  The transceiver itself can be triggered by a standard hotshoe or PC sync port, so Sony users with no PC sync are out.

Range:

As you’ve probably already gathered from the several times I’ve said it above, radio triggers, including this one, are not limited to line-of-sight.  According to the manufacturer, the Profoto transceiver offers a range of up to 1000ft.  That is based on ideal condtions, but you do have the option of 6 groups with 8 channels each to pretty much eliminate interference from other photographers.  One big plus in regards to its range is you’re not limited to merely triggering the strobe unit.  You can also use all of the Profoto Air features at these long distances, which many other radio triggers have a pretty limited range for their “bells & whistles.”  As far as reliability goes, the system itself is pretty solid.  We haven’t experienced any issues with misfires.

Control:

Alright, now let’s talk the goods.  The Profoto Air Remote Transceiver, when used with the Profoto Air D1, allows you to make adjustments to the light all from the trancseiver itself.  You have full control of both power output in 1/10th stop increments (with our Air D1 kit) and modeling light levels.  If you set each light to their own channel or group, you can turn lights on and off individually as well as adjust power output on combinations of lights.  Basically, you can tell your lights what to do  all from the transceiver.  You don’t have TTL or some crazy variation of it, but with the control you do have, you don’t need it.  The max sync speed for focal plane shutters is 1/250 second, which is plenty fast for most situations.  One feature Profoto makes sure to mention is the ability to shoot at 100fps.  So, you’ll be happy to know in 10 years or so, the Profoto Air System will be able to keep up with your DSLR monster that shoots at 100fps in full resolution 120mp RAW files.  Computer companies better get on the ball.

Size:

Like most of the other triggers, the Profoto transceiver sits atop your hotshoe.  It’s not too big or heavy, but you won’t forget its there.  Its biggest flaw is the lack of a locking pin for the hotshoe mount.  You must always be cautious of camera movements, as it has a tendency to fall off if bumped.  Couple this with a plastic housing, and you’ve got yourself a breaker.  You’ve got all the controls on the back on the transceiver, so no computer trips or strange camera settings that pull double-duty.  There are LED indicator lights that correspond with the channels and groups, which make it easy to keep multiple strobes and their settings straight.  The transceiver itself is powered by 2x AAA batteries.

Ease of Use:

As for ease of use, the Profoto Air transceiver is pretty simple.  It is crucial to set the lights themselves to slave mode first.  Otherwise, you’ll stand there red in the face wanting to throw the transceiver as far as you can, all because the light you’re wanting to control is not set to receive the signal.  This happens, I’ve done this multiple times!  Once you set the obvious, it’s great.  The transceiver has dedicated buttons that don’t change functions after every press (Cybersync!!!), which is an absolute blessing.  If you need lighting that you can control power from the camera, the Profoto Air system is one of the best.  Ideal setup is the transceiver sitting on your hotshoe and each light having built-in Profoto Air.  There are optional accessories, such as sync cords to connect to a camera’s PC sync or third-party strobes (you won’t have power control, just triggering ability).  Profoto also makes an Air USB that allows studio light control from a computer (using their software), but we haven’t tried it.  There’s not any firmware options for the transceiver itself, but if you’re using the Profoto software, they do update it.

A Note to Sony Shooters

I don’t want the Sony users to feel like I’m not properly addressing their options.  At the moment, there isn’t a native Sony triggering system that from any of the brands we carry.  There are various models out there that do use the Sony hotshoe, some even “transmit” TTL information.  However, we haven’t found a product that holds up to renting and works with their newest models as well.  We’re watching for a couple models that say they’ll update their firmware to allow use with newer cameras like the Sony a77 and a65, so maybe in the future we’ll have a true Sony option.  Until then, most of the above triggers will work with Sony cameras via sync port.  However, this is only helpful if you have a camera that has that port.  If you don’t, we do carry the Sony FA-HS1AM Hot Shoe Adapter that adapts the Sony hotshoe to a standard hotshoe.  However, it does add a little box that sits on top on your camera.  Throw in another little box of a trigger, and it can start getting cumbersome.  Nevertheless, if you need strobes, it does work!

Closing

So there you have it!  Hopefully this will help those previously unfamiliar with the world of lighting triggers to understand their differences.  If you made it through all of that in one sitting, you passed the test.  Heck, if you made it through it without being thoroughly confused, you did better than I!  Like I said at the beginning, this is a guide to what we carry and their uses/features.  There’s bound to be many more options out there, so don’t take this as an exclusive list of options.  Also, all of our triggers are the real deal versions.  What do I mean?  In other words, no generic eBay models.  The knock-offs may offer the “same” features, but there will be differences in range/reliability.  I’m not saying you can’t go that route, but for important shoots, you may what to rely on one of the larger brands above.

A pair of Darlot Petzval lenses, circa 1870

When we removed the elements to clean them, we found Darlot’s signature in pencil along the edges. That’s not unheard of, in the old days some Lensmakers were so proud of their lenses that they would sign the edge of the elements before inserting them.

Darlot's signature in pencil along the edge of the front element

The front element in this one also had a set of numbers along the edge that we didn’t understand until we took out the second element: it was also signed and had the same number. We assume this was Darlot’s version of a serial number (serial numbers etched into the brass came a bit later).

Identical numbers (group order transposed) on the other edge of the glass

At least that’s our best guess as to the explanation. But maybe someone out there has some more information. If you do, please leave a comment. Or better yet come visit our booth at imaging USA and you can take some pictures with it if you like (well, as long as you have a Canon mount camera) or just look at it if you don’t. And it works surprisingly well – the subject matter below leaves a lot to be desired, but I bet your current lens won’t work this well when it’s 140 years old.

Aaron at about 10 feet with small Petzval lens on 5D II

Joey at about 15 feet with the Darlot Petzval in this article

We’ll be at Imaging USA next week, so come see us at Booth #236. We’ll have our fearless leader Roger there, as well as some other technical experts, so come ask any questions you may have. We’ll also have tons of interesting gear there for you to demo.

If you stop by our booth, you can pick up some cool LensRentals swag, as well as some cool stuff from 500px.com and maybe even a free Lens Bracelet. You can also spin our prize wheel, because prize wheels are AWESOME! Our prize wheel will have great prizes, including one $500 gift certificate good towards the purchase of any used lens from us!

If you haven’t signed up for the expo yet, just click the image above and you can register for free!

What Is This?

We started doing this several years ago. We have a unique opportunity: we own a very large number of lenses subjected to rather harsh conditions: they get packed in boxes, tossed around by UPS, and sometimes the user isn’t as careful with them as you would be with your own lenses.

Our numbers reflect heavy and hard use. Your personal lenses shouldn’t fail nearly as often; they aren’t subjected to rental conditions. But since all of our lenses are subject to roughly the same number of rentals per year, it does provide some comparison about how fragile various lenses are compared to other lenses. It’s not scientific, but it’s a bit more useful than posts on a forum going back and forth between “never had a problem with it” and “mine sucked.” For those of you interested, I’d also suggest looking at the LensPlay Lens Defect Survey. Again, it’s not scientific, but it has responses from thousands of users, so it is another large series.

This list is not a comment about how good a lens is, it’s about how often it breaks under harsh conditions. Some of my favorite lenses are on this list.

What Is Different This Time?

After our last report we had planned to put the failure rate up on our website. Unfortunately that became way too complex and we had to drop the idea. We did, however, improve our evaluation procedures significantly during 2011. As a result we detected problems we might have missed a year ago. We also faced some shortages in early 2011 that forced us to keep a number of lenses longer than we usually do.

We’ve also (following suggestions made after the last survey) taken some steps to make our number of lenses more specific. Previously if we had 20 copies of the lens during the year, we called it 20 copies. But some of them may only have been around for 8 months, etc. Starting now we take the number of months each copy was in stock, add all the months together, and divide by 12. If we had 40 total copies, but 20 were only in stock 6 months of this year we would consider it 30 rentable copies.

All of these factors:a more accurate but smaller count of the number of copies; some lenses kept longer than 2 years in early 2011; and better detection of problems made the repair numbers higher this year. In the past about 5.5% of our lenses required repair each year. This year 8.25% did.

What do the numbers mean?

It is an annualized repair rate of the period from January 1 through December 31, 2011. The percentage we use is simple—number of lens repairs divided by the average number of copies of that lens stocked as covered above.

A physically damaged lens (by external observation or customer report) does not count as a repair for this list. It is probable that some lenses included in these numbers actually were damaged, but there was no overt evidence that it was so. We do not accept the factory service center’s word that the failure was “secondary to shock damage,” because a number of brand new, fresh-out-of-the-box lenses that we’ve sent back for repair came back with warranty work denied because of “shock damage.”

We make no comment at all on lenses that we have less than 9 copies of (we don’t think that’s particularly useful, it’s too small of a number). All of our lenses are rented with about the same frequency (we have many more copies of popular lenses than of less popular lenses), so there’s not a great difference in the amount of wear-and-tear one lens gets compared to another.

Now, for those of you who want to reach conclusions from the data, please note the following: Our average failure rate for all lenses during 2011 was 8.25%. If the lens is on the list below, we’ve had more than 9 copies and it has a repair rate significantly above the average rate.

The following lenses we carry were NOT evaluated because we have less than 9 copies.

• Canon: 100 f/2; 180 f/3.5 L; 50 f/2.5 macro; 24mm f/2.8; 400 DO; MPE-65 Macro
• Nikon: 14mm f/2.8; 16-85mm VR; 20mm f/2.8; 28mm f/1.4; 35 f/2; 85mm f/3.5DX; 105 f/2 DC
• Sony: all prime lenses
• Tamron: 70-300 VC
• Sigma: 20 f/1.8; 70mm f/2.8 Macro; 4.5mm fisheye; 105mm macro300-800
• All Leica, Voigtlander, Rokinon, Olympus, Panasonic, and Schneider lenses

Lenses with failure rates 50% or  more above average (8.25%)

But I didn’t have a clue. I have tons of data on 50mm lenses for Nikon and Canon cameras, but all of that was shot at widest aperture, which is great for finding lenses with problems, but not great for finding which is sharpest at f/4. And we had no factual data for Leica mount lenses because Rangefinder cameras are very difficult to test using programs like Imatest. But when someone like Peter Lik wants an answer and tells you Jim Jannard is curious, too, you get them an answer. So we tested every kind of 50mm lens we had available and got a pretty clear answer by the end of the day.

As always, my first thought when presented with a bunch of work to do is “what’s in it for me”? Turns out not much. Tyler got a beautiful signed picture that hangs in his office so I can see it every time I walk by. I got a nice thank you email. But, I figured if I did all that work, I’d at least  make a blog post out of it so I didn’t have to do a bunch of research over the holiday weekend. Wait, I mean, I was certain other people would be interested in what I found, so I thought I’d share the results.

What This Is, and Is NOT

This is the MTF50, measured by Imatest, of a lot of 50mm lenses to determine their relative sharpness. (Actually we’re determining resolution and acutance, but since using that word immediately loses half of all readers, I’ll stick with sharpness.) The working distance for our 50mm Imatest setup is about 15 feet, so actually we’re only measuring sharpness at that distance. The lenses might perform somewhat differently at infinity, or very close up.

It is not an attempt to determine the best lens. No real-world photographs are taken. Bokeh is not analyzed and compared. Color rendering, autofocus accuracy, chromatic aberration, build quality, flare resistance, and a dozen other real-world considerations aren’t considered at all. I also want to emphasize this little test is of one copy of each lens. My preference would be to test a dozen or more copies of each lens and average the results. But there wasn’t time to do that kind of testing.

Still, it’s an interesting test. Some of these lenses have never (to the best of my knowledge) had MTF data released before. It also gave us a chance to compare SLR lenses mounted on Canon and Nikon cameras with M mount lenses on an M9.

The Methods

We used our standard Imatest  testing protocol for the SLR cameras: SLR cameras were manually focused using Live View and a Seimen’s star chart. Several exposures were made with each lens at each aperture and the best result at each aperture used. M9s were focused with the camera’s rangefinder and then several focus bracketed shots taken. As with the SLRs, we used the best result at each aperture.

Two measurements were recorded: the MTF 50 at the center (peak resolution) and the weighted average of center, midrange, and corner sharpness. MTF 50 results are presented as Line Pairs / Image Height from completely unsharpened RAW images. (We’re starting a pool about how many emails I get asking “what do the numbers mean” because no one ever reads this stuff. The over-under is 32 if you want in.)

We used 3 cameras for this exercise, all of them test cameras that we have used extensively at Lensrentals: a Canon 5D Mk II, a Nikon D3x, and a Leica M9. From extensive (a few thousand) previous tests, we knew that the Canon and Nikon cameras have identical resolution as far as our testing can tell. (The D3x has more pixels and in theory should resolve a bit better, but if it does we can’t detect it.) We had no idea about how the M9 would compare: it has fewer pixels but its lack of an AA filter should compensate for that to some degree.

The lenses tested were as follows:

Canon: 50mm f/1.2; 50mm f/1.4; 45mm TS-E; 50mm f1.0 (that is correct, the 50mm f1.0)

Cooke: 50mm Panchro T2.8 (Cinema lens)

Leica: 50mm f/0.95 Noctilux; 50mm f/1.4 Summilux ASPH; 50mm f2.0 Summicron

Nikon: 50mm f1.4 G; 50mm f1.2 AIS (another classic); 45mm PC-E

Schneider: 50mm f/2.8 PCTS; 50mm Cine Xenar T2.0 (cinema lens)

Sigma: 50mm f/1.4

Voigtlander: 50mm f1.1 Nokton

Zeiss: 50mm f/1.4 (ZE/ZF); 5omm f/2.0 Makro planar (ZE/ZF); 50mm f/1.5 Sonnar (M mount); 50mm f/2.0 Planar (M mount)

Interpreting the Results

Sample variation

Whenever we look at numerical results from Imatest or similar testing there’s a tendency to get all absolute: lens A resolved 600 LP/IH and lens B resolved 570, therefore lens A is the sharper lens. In the image below I’ve graphed the average (mean) MTF 50 (the vertical axis is weighted average for the entire lens, the horizontal axis is spot MTF from the center of the lens) for a number of 50mm lenses we have tested extensively. Note these results are all at each lenses “wide open” aperture.

Looking at the graph the Zeiss f/2 Makro is obviously sharper, but it’s being shot at f/2, so that’s not a fair comparison. Just looking at these single numbers it’s tempting to draw conclusions like “the Sigma 50 has higher center resolution than the Nikon”, and “both the Sigma and Nikon at f/1.4 have higher resolution than the Canon at f/1.2″. Reality is not that simple. Below is a similar chart, but this time I’ll plot the actual data points for each copy tested. Reality is a lot messier than the single averaged number show above.

The takeaway message is when you are presented one data point, either in this article or in a lens review, it’s just that: one data point. In the top graph, the Sigma MTF50 is 620/510 for peak/average while the Nikon is 580/530 (rounded to the nearest 10 because that’s about as accurate as Imatest numbers are). But claiming the Sigma is really sharper in the center, or the Nikon has a better average sharpness is a stretch. There’s a bit of a tendency that way, but if I hand you one copy of one and one copy of the other you wouldn’t necessarily get that result. On the other hand, I’d be pretty comfortable that if I hand you either a Nikon or the Sigma to compare to the Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 you would notice a difference.

We’ve found that a difference of 75 LP/IH in peak resolution generally means there’s a real difference between the lenses. A difference of 150 certainly means there is difference and it’s usually quite obvious. For average (rather than peak) MTF 50 the range is smaller and we consider differences of 50 and 100 LP/IH signifiant. But this is a generalized rule-of-thumb we use in-house. It’s not a law of physics or anything.

How I graphed the results

I tried to graph the results to reflect this. The lens with highest MTF50 at each aperture has a dark box around it’s results and is colored red. Any lens within 75 LP/IH (for center MTF) and 50 LP/IH (for weighted average) of this number is also colored red, indicating there probably is no real-world difference between them.

Lenses between 75 and 150 LP/IH lower than the best result for peak MTF50 (between 50 and 100 LP/IH for average MTF50) are colored yellow. There is probably a real difference in sharpness between those lenses and the best lens, but not a large difference. Lenses that are more than 150 LP/IH for peak and 100 LP/IH for average MTF lower than the best result are colored blue. The difference between those lenses and the best lens should be readily apparent.

I should make it very clear that the colors are only pertinent within each table. That is why, for example, the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 rates a red box for weighted average at f/1.4 in Nikon mount, but an orange box in Canon mount: it’s basically as sharp as the best Nikon mount lens at those settings, but not quite as sharp as the Canon 50mm lenses.

The Results

The Canon Mount Lenses

There was not much difference in center sharpness between the two Canon lenses, the Sigma, and the Zeiss Makro Planar. As expected, the Canon 50mm f/1.0 wasn’t sharp (everyone knows it’s soft). I knew the Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 wasn’t very sharp wide open, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well it did by f/2.8.

I was rather surprised at the weighted average results, though. I had expected the Zeiss 50mm f/2.0 to be the best in the corners and edges. I shoot Canon with 50mm primes a lot and am always complaining about soft corners with the Canon f/1.2 and bragging on the corners of the Zeiss Makro-Planar. This test made me realize a couple of things. First, I usually shoot the Canon at f/1.2, so I’m mentally comparing f/1.2 images to f/2.0 images. Not a fair comparison. Second, when I shoot the Zeiss lens I use LiveView focusing which is a lot more accurate than autofocus. I tend to shoot the Canon on autofocus because I can. Just one more case of “what I know isn’t so”.

From a pure resolution standpoint, the two Canon lenses are the best corner to corner (on a test chart at 15 feet – obviously things can be different at other distances and with real world objects). As far as center resolution the Canon and Sigma are even at wide apertures, with the Zeiss their equal at f/2.0 (for the f/2.0) and f/2.8 for the f/1.4. The Schneider and Canon tilt-shift lenses didn’t compare as well: they just start coming into their own at f/4 and if we had extended the test range up to f/5.6 or f/8 they probably would have caught the others.

The Nikon Mount Lenses

The Nikon tests turned out about as I expected. (Unfortunately we no longer had any 50mm f/1.4 D lenses, which we thought were sharper in the center than the G). The Sigma and Zeiss f/2.0 were a bit better in the center, the Nikon G a bit better in average sharpness. The G has the reputation as one of the weaker Nikon prime lenses because it’s center sharpness isn’t great, but perhaps its designers gave up a bit of center sharpness to keep the corners sharp. The Nikon 45 PC-E, just like the Canon, really comes into its own about f/5.6 and doesn’t fare well at these apertures. (BTW – we only took the apertures to f/4 because we rarely see a wide aperture prime get significantly shaper past f/4.) To be honest, I had expected more from the f/1.2 AIS and had thought it might be the best lens in this group, but for this copy, at least, it wasn’t so.

The Cine Lenses

Just because they were possible mounts to the Red Epic, and because we had no idea as to how sharp they might be, we tested a couple of $10,000 Cine lenses. (Before you ask, we didn’t test Zeiss CP.2 lenses because they are optically identical to the ones already tested above.) Since these are PL mount lenses we had to test them on a Hot Rod modified Canon 7D, the highest resolution camera we have in PL mount. Obviously that should give these lenses an advantage: they’re only covering a crop frame rather than a full frame.

Even with that advantage, they didn’t really resolve as well as the photo lenses. Cinema lenses have never been designed for absolute resolution, they have other priorities. So for all of you thinking about buying a set of Cooke Panchros for still photography, I’ve just saved you $50,000. Makes it worth reading my blog, doesn’t it?

The M-mount lenses

This was the part of the testing about which I was totally clueless., but also the part about which I was most excited. M-mount lenses are about to explode since they’re going to be shot on Sony NEX-7s and RED cameras a lot in the near future. And while we think they’re excellent lenses it’s difficult to find actual test results with them.

I will mention (for those of you thinking of doing this at home) that performing Imatest on a Rangefinder camera is, at the very least, time consuming and frustrating. Lots of patience  and focus bracketing are necessary. It took longer to do each of the M mount lenses than it took to do all of the Canon and Nikon mounts. An Eye-Fi card would have been a good idea since we had to unmount the camera from the tripod to remove the card for every image run.  Of course, we thought of that right after we finished testing.

In one way the results weren’t shocking. I expected the Leica f/1.4 ASPH would be the sharpest, but I was shocked at how amazingly good it was. I was certain the $10,000 Leica 0.95 would not be  as sharp — you can’t get that wide aperture without some other compromises — but was impressed with how much better it performs than the Canon 50mm f/1.0. The Voigtlander was a pleasant surprise (but then I had low expectations) and while the Zeiss lenses seem a bit disappointing it’s largely because of the fast company they are keeping here. Their results, at f2.8 and f/4 at least, compare well with the SLR lenses.

Overall Comparison

There are some limitations to my attempt to answer the original question of course. Until we can test on a common body, we don’t know exactly how much difference being mounted to an M9 makes compared to being mounted to a 5DII or D3x (we do know the latter two are equivalent). The results would be at least slightly different at different focusing distances than the 15 feet we used in our setup. And of course, the limitation of only testing one copy of each lens means the results for any one of the lenses might be slightly better or worse with a different copy.

But if we keep those limitations in mind the results are interesting. I’ve regrouped the best lenses from each category above and put them in one table for a simple comparison. I’ve also recolored the results of this table according to the rules set out originally: the highest resolution at each aperture being marked, etc. It’s obviously a bit of a stretch, but this was the original assignment, finding the 50mm lens with highest resolution.

If you are shooting at f/1.4, as most people usually are with a 50mm lens, there are a lot of good choices. The two Canons, Leica Summilux and the Sigma are about the same in the center. The Sigma may be a bit softer in the corners, but if you’re worried about corner sharpness why are you shooting a 50mm at f/1.4? At smaller apertures the Leica lenses get better than the rest, but for practical purposes, even the blue lenses in the table above are very sharp. There’s not a bad lens in the bunch.

In Conclusion

I will note again that this is strictly a resolution test, not a best overall lens test. Every test like this will ignite the fanboys who feel their favorite lens was slighted. Before all the accusations begin let me note that my favorite 50mm lens (and this test certainly won’t change my mind) is the Zeiss 50mm f/2.0 Makro, which didn’t fare nearly as well as I expected.

I was very curious about how well the M9 would resolve. I would not have been shocked if it couldn’t resolve quite as well as the Canon and Nikon since it has fewer pixels. In that case we might have seen all of the lenses reach a similar peak MTF after which the M9 wasn’t capable of further resolution. That’s obviously not the case and I’m left assuming the lack of AA filter more than makes up for the fewer pixels. But that’s just an assumption. It may be that the M mount lenses are just that much better than the SLR lenses.

I should mention that both the Canon and Nikon cameras are able to resolve MTF50 numbers in the 1100 – 1200 range (we’ve gotten those numbers with several lenses, but obviously not wide aperture 50mm lenses) so this test is not limited by sensor resolution.

It will be interesting to see how all of these lenses compare when we get Sony NEX-7s in stock. Then we’ll be able to shoot EOS, Nikon, and M mount lenses on the same camera. That should let us make a better comparison, at least in the center, but we won’t be able to compare extreme corners since it is a crop sensor.

Or at least it will make an interesting comparison if I ever get time to do something like this again.

Roger Cicala

Lensrentals.com

January, 2012

A History of Photography

Roger has two loves: history and photography. Over the past 18 months, he has combined his two loves into an incredible series documenting the development of early lenses and cameras. These articles are thorough, but not boring, and often feature Roger’s humor as well as his love of puns. Enjoy!

History of Lenses

Cooking with Glass

Well, since I’ve titled my other two “History of Lenses” articles with puns, I figured I’d continue the trend. Although I’ll admit this is the worst. But I loves me some puns.

Who Invented the Telephoto Lens?

Despite the numerous requests, (OK, it was 3. But 3 is a number, therefore I can call it numerous if I want to) I still wasn’t going to write about the development of telephoto lenses. Except that all three people who said “so and so first developed the telephoto lens” were wrong. None of them named the person who first made telephoto photographs.

The Development of Wide Angle Lenses

Wide angle lenses are even more different from standard lenses than telephoto lenses are, so I just couldn’t rest until I’d covered the development of wide-angle lenses too. The last major lens development will wait a while longer. (I know you’re thinking Lensbabies are the last major lens development, but actually I’m referring to zoom lenses.)

History of Cameras

The Chemists, The Potter, and The Aristocrat: Imaging Before the Photograph

Since I started my articles on the early development of photographic lenses, I’ve been wanting to write an article on the development of the first cameras. The early days are so much more fun to write about, back when photographic advances were about people rather than corporations.

The Showman, The Sheriff, and the First Cameras

In my last article, we discussed the first image makers, up until the late 1820s when Niepce had actually been able to make images using a camera obscura and silver plates coated with Bitumen of Judea. On his way to England, Niepce had been introduced to a most interesting man, Louis Daguerre, probably by Charles Chevalier, the lensmaker they both used.

1839 and the Frenzy That Followed

By the middle of January, news of Daguerre’s invention had spread around the world. The actual techniques used remained secret, however, as the French government had not yet officially agreed to buy the invention from Daguerre, but the fact that photographs had been made and exhibited caused a frenzy everywhere.

Lens Variation

Notes on Lens and Camera Variation

A funny thing happened when I opened Lensrentals and started getting 6 or 10 copies of each lens: I found out they weren’t all the same. Not quite. And each of those copies behaved a bit different on different cameras.

The Limits of Variation

A few people were more than a little amused that I, the ultimate pixel-peeper, wrote an article demonstrating that all lenses and all cameras vary a bit; that you can’t find the ultimately sharpest lens.  Each individual copy of a given lens is a little different from the other copies. A single copy will behave a little differently on different cameras. Even on the same camera, autofocus the same shot a dozen times and the results will be slightly different.  So people started asking me ”If there’s variation, then what’s the sense in taking all those measurements?”

Other Fantastic Articles

The LensRentals Cleaning Method

There are some articles I try hard to avoid writing. Politics, religion, the so-called benefits of UV filters and other things that get Fanboys riled up I avoid like the plague. So for two years, while people have asked over-and-over for me to write an article on how we clean lenses, I’ve politely refused. I’ve seen what happens to such discussions on forums

Good Times With Bad Filters

Anyway, one of the techs has to clean all those filters, make sure the threads are OK, and test them out. Honestly nobody likes to do it, so it gets put off until we need some filters or there’s just nothing else to do. So the other day Kenny is cleaning filters and testing the threads by mounting them one in front of the other until he made a nice mountain of 50 UV filters.

Reflections on Reflections. Coatings: The Most Important Part of Your Lens

Reflection is an interesting word with many meanings. To a philosopher it means careful or considerable thought on a subject. To an anatomist it means a structure that bends back along the path it came from. To a narcissist it’s their image in a mirror. To a photographer it usually means subjects mirrored in water, ice, or glass.

The Apocalypse of Lens Dust

Every lens has dust inside and you can almost never see it in a picture (99% of the time you can’t). But obviously there must be some point where dust is either big enough or there’s just enough of it to become visible, otherwise we could fill our lenses with mud and then go take pictures.

Baby Roger says Happy New Year!

2011 has been an eventful year, both for us here at LensRentals, and for the photography industry as a whole. In case you’ve been asleep for the whole year, we thought it would be helpful to create a series of blog posts documenting what the heck happened this year. We’ll start with a post about what happened here at LensRentals in 2011.

2011 Changes at LensRentals

One thing that makes this a really awesome business to be a part of is our relationship with our customers. Unlike a lot of businesses, we really love getting to know our customers, and making them part of the LensRentals family. As part of that, we are always as open as we can be about changes we make around here. As part of that, we want to update everyone on what we’ve accomplished here this year, and what we have changed (hopefully for the better!).

Moving

First off, we moved. Unlike in past years when we have expanded our office space, this year we finally broke down and moved into an entirely new location that is better suited to our business rather than continuing to expand in our former building. Amazingly, we were able to move our entire operation, including thousands and thousands of inventory items starting on a Friday night, and were completely moved in and ready for business on Monday morning.

While the need for extra space was a primary reason we moved, an even more important reason we moved is because our current space is much more suited to our operations. By being able to group all of the departments involved in our outgoing operation into one giant room, we’ve been able to create a more efficient operation. In our new setup, it often takes less than 15 minutes from the time you place the order for us to approve, bill, pull, clean, inspect, pack and ship your order. It is also structured to have the fewest opportunities for mistakes to happen (outside of replacing our employees with robots) so that the already small chance that we might make a mistake with your order has been lowered even further.

Quality Assurance

We have always strived to have the highest quality in the industry. For instance, we’ve always inspected and tested our equipment both when it comes back from a prior order, and again before it goes out on a new order. We’ve also always sold our lenses on a set schedule, rather than continuing to repair and rent old equipment with a significant chance of failure, unlike other firms.

We challenged ourselves to find ways to improve our quality even further in 2011. The first thing we did is purchase and set-up a computerized testing system. This allows us to identify and repair lenses that have begun to develop issues, but haven’t degraded to the point to where these issues are obvious to the naked eye in our normal optical testing. Since in many cases, lenses will continue to degrade once they develop these issues, this has allowed us to repair lenses before they cause an issue for a renter, rather than having to wait until the problem becomes bad enough to notice through normal use or testing.

Lastly, we’ve also substantially increased our equipment purchasing, so that our fleet of lenses is younger, on average, than it ever has been before. This has also helped us ensure that we put higher quality equipment in your hand that is less likely to fail or give you any problems during the course of your rental.

Pricing

We try and do things the right way around here, even if doing the right thing isn’t always the most profitable thing. Rather than looking at what competing firms price their rentals at, we develop our own prices using an internally developed pricing model. It isn’t our goal to try and squeeze every cent out of our customers, but rather, we want to offer prices that are both fair to us and fair to you. This fall, we realized that some assumptions we included in our pricing model weren’t entirely accurate. When we adjusted the model, we found out we were underpricing some items, but many items were actually overpriced. Rather than continue to charge the higher prices that were very successful for us, we lowered our prices, because it was the fair thing to do.

Our 2012 Resolutions

We want to be the best company you’ve ever dealt with. Because of that, we are always striving for improvement. We’ve identified several goals for 2012, and rather than keep them to ourselves until we are ready to implement them, we want to go ahead and share them with you, so that you know we are still working hard to get even better.

A Better Website

The current iteration of our website is less than two years old. However, it was created for a simpler time with a simpler product mix. We know it is sometimes difficult to find certain items using our current navigation. We also know that sometimes we give you so much information on a product that it can overload your senses. We are in the process of completely redeveloping our site and hope to have a faster, easier to use, and more feature-rich site for you soon.

Longer Hours

We know that our 4 PM CT shipping cutoff can be frustrating, especially for our west coast customers. We are currently working towards being able to offer longer hours for you at some point in the near future.

Services

It seems like every day a customer asks us to test their lens, repair their lens, or clean their camera sensor. We are flattered that everyone thinks so highly of our quality that you’d want us to work on your equipment, and we really want to help. There are some logistical issues that we have to work out (you sending us your lens instead of us sending you our lens is kind of the opposite of what we are used to), but as soon as we can get those things figured out, we are going to start offering these things in some capacity.

Friggin’ Awesome Service

We think we already have the best customer service around, and we are committed to continuing it. We promise you’ll always get a live person when you call, instead of an automated system. You’ll always get fast, concise answers to your questions. We’ll continue to have someone monitor our emails even at night and on the weekend to ensure we are there to help if you encounter any difficulties. In 2012, we’ll continue to find new ways to deliver even better service than in 2011!

Every year, we ask our customers to take a few minutes and fill out our customer survey. The results of this survey help us identify what areas we can improve upon here at LensRentals, so that we can try and deliver even better service to you in the future. Your answers also help us learn more about how you came to find us, so that we can learn the best ways to go about recruiting new members to our cult attracting new customers.

As always, we will only be using the results of this survey internally, and the information will not be used to contact/bug/harass you in any way. We do give you the option of submitting your email address, but this is only used to select the four winners of a $250 LensRentals.com gift certificate. Other than that, we ask for no personally identifying information.

In summary: Fill out our survey by February 28th, 2012 & be entered to win one of four $250 LensRentals gift certificates.

Fill out our survey, please!