Nikon CLS Vs PocketWizard

There are two ways to control the remote flash units from your camera. One is using wired connection (using Nikon 4765 SC-28 for example) between the camera and the flash units and other one is wireless method to communicate between the camera and the flash unit. With the increase popularity of wireless technology, wired technology are rarely used these days. Also, wired technology is limited with the distance if you want to experiment with the distance and the angle of the flash units. In addition to that we have got lots of choices with wireless technology and can choose one of the many options available in the market. You just have to decide what you want to do and what you want to achieve and get the kind of device that works best for you. In today's post, we are going to talk about two wireless technologies which are dominantly popular and they are Nikon CLS (Creative Lighting System) and PocketWizard. Let's discuss what are the benefits of using one to another.

Nikon CLS Vs PocketWizard

There are some photographers who think CLS Vs PocketWizard is like Nikon Vs Cannon debate and they have their own arguments about these two devices. I am not thinking of taking side of any technology or equipment and will try to describe these technologies by doing simple comparison with different perspectives and it’s up to you to decide which technology works best for you.

Nikon SB-800

1. Equipment cost

As of today, if you want to buy the complete set (FlexTT5, MiniTT1 and 804-709 AC3 Zone Controller) of PocketWizard to seamlessly control your flash units remotely, it costs around $497.00 on Amazon. And if you want to buy the Nikon flash units with CLS technology, SB-600 costs you around $320.00 and SB-900 costs you around $499.00. You do not have to buy a transmitter for SB-600 or SB-900 to work if your camera has a commander mode. Your camera's built-in flash can act as a transmitter when it is set to commander mode.

That means you will be spending extra money on PW if you already have the camera capable of controlling the CLS flash units remotely. But that investment worth every penny if you need an extra feature like extra distance range between the flash units and the camera or working in various angles which we will discuss next.

PocketWizard

2. Working Range

If you plan not to put your flash units farther than 30 feet from your camera (adjusting angle to reach an infrared signal from the camera), it would be a wise decision not to invest money on PW. But if you are planning to play with different angle of lights and place the flash units farther than 30 feet, PW is the way to go. It gives solid control over the great distance. When used as a transmitter, the FlexTT5 can provide TTL auto flash at distances of up to 800 feet and conventional triggering up to 1200 feet with the aid of a flip-up antenna.

3. Control

Nikon CLS system has a limitation of distance but you can control the remote flash units from the camera whereas today’s PW can go up to 800 feet and works great with an auto FP high speed sync and iTTL mode. Nikon CLS systems are an infrared system and that is the reason many photographers argue that it doesn’t work if the unit falls into the direct sun light. Nikon CLS system works great if the distance and the working angle matches with the camera (line-of-sight) from where it transmits an infrared signal to the remote flash units. But PW works on radio signal and can reach up to 1600 feet.

Nikon CLS systems and PW both work great in an auto FP high speed sync mode and supports iTTL mode. So it is just a matter of the distance and the working angle whether you want to use the CLS technology or buy the PW system.

4. Compatibility

Nikon CLS system only works with the Nikon’s compatible flash units whereas PW works with any kind of system. If you have any flash units other than the Nikon, you can use PW to communicate between your Nikon body and the third party flash unit. All you have to do is, slide MiniTT1 into the hot shoe of the camera and slide your flash units into the hot shoe of FlexTT5. It is very reliable piece of technology and works great.

Note: Nikon CLS is not a device but technology built inside Nikon's advanced flash units like SB-600, SB-700, SB-800 and SB-900 which is used to communicate between the Nikon camera and the flash units.

Using Autofocus With The Nikon D7000

Autofocus can sometimes be frustrating for the new digital SLR photographer, especially those coming from the point-and-shoot world. That’s because correct focus plays a greater role among your creative options with a DSLR, even when photographing the same subjects. Most non-DSLR digital cameras have sensors that are much tinier than the sensor in the D7000. Those smaller sensors require shorter focal lengths, which have, effectively, more depth-of-field. The bottom line is that with the average point-and-shoot camera, everything is in focus from about one foot to infinity and at virtually every f/stop. Unless you are shooting close-up photos a few inches from the camera, the depth-of-field, is prodigious, and autofocus is almost a non-factor.

The D7000, on the other hand, uses longer focal length lenses to achieve the same field of view with its larger sensor, so there is less depth-of-field. That’s a good thing, creatively, because you have the choice to use selective focus to isolate subjects. But it does make the correct use of autofocus more critical. To maintain the most creative control, you have to choose three attributes:

1. How much is in focus: Generally, by choosing the f/stop used, you’ll determine the range of sharpness/amount of depth-of-filed. The larger the DOF, the "easier" it is for the autofocus systems’ locked-in focus point to be appropriate (even though, strictly speaking, there is only one actual plane of sharp focus). With less depth-of-field, the accuracy of the focus point becomes more critical, because even a small error will result in an out-of-focus shot.

2. What subject is in focus: The portion of your subject that is zeroed in for autofocus is determined by the autofocus zone that is active, and which is chosen either by you or by the Nikon D7000. For example, when shooting portraits, it’s actually okay for part of the subject- or even part of the subject’s face to be slightly out of focus as long as the eyes (or even just the nearest eye) appear sharp.

3. When focus is applied: For static shots of objects that aren’t moving, when focus is applied doesn’t matter much. But when you are shooting sports or birds in flight, or children, the subject may move within the viewfinder as you are framing the image. Whether that movement is across the frame or headed right towards you, timing the instant when autofocus is applied can be important.

Reference: David Busch's Nikon D7000 Guide to Digital SLR Photography

How To Capture Stunning Fireworks

This post is written by Guest Contributor, Champ Ocampo. If you are also interested in writing a guest blog, please reach out using the form in the Contact page.

One month to go before one of the most colorful celebrations in the world happens. The Fourth of July, the Independence Day of America. Of course, everybody does not want to miss this event, where skies turn into canvass because of fireworks display. And of course, if you have a DSLR, you do not want to miss shooting this event! But how do we capture fireworks with manual settings? I am pretty sure, if you do have a DSLR you do not want to shoot in auto mode. DSLRs are far better than any point and shoot while shooting this kind of events and specially when you want to control your camera on what to do next. This photo was taken last February this year, fireworks display by Team Canada vs. Japan during the annual World PYROMUSICAL event at the Mall of Asia, Philippines. Look how I got the trails of the fireworks perfectly.

Fireworks

My camera settings

1. Focal length – 70mm

2. Aperture – f/22

3. Shutter Speed – 15 seconds

4. ISO 400

5. WB – Kelvin 3120 (or Set into Cloudy icon)

I intended to zoom in my lens to 70mm to give emphasis on the fireworks trails. I set my shutter speed at 15 seconds, to capture more fireworks glow and enough brightness. You can set your ISO 200 to 400 (This compensates our Shutter Speed of 15 seconds, high ISO will give us more sensitivity to light and grainy photos). Aperture setting was at f/22 for maximum depth of field. Do not forget to mount your DSLR on a tripod to avoid blur and of course use a heavy duty tripod to protect our DSLR from strong wind blows when shooting outdoors. You can also use an IR remote. IR remote gives you a more convenient way of viewing the fireworks display. Just a tip, keep on shooting until the show is over; forget viewing the photos on your LCD screen for the mean time so that you will be able to enjoy the show. Right after the show, this is the right time for you to check your photos and I am pretty sure you will end up having few photos you think worth to keep as a memory.