Can PocketWizard Plus III triggers remotely adjust AlienBees B800 power?

Asked 3/12/2016

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I’m using AlienBees B800 strobes and PocketWizard Plus III triggers, and I want to know whether I can change flash power from the camera. Can the Plus III do remote power control on its own, or does that require an AC9 adapter and FlexTT5/MiniTT1 setup? If I simply connect a Plus III to a B800 with a sync cable, will it only fire the flash without letting me adjust output remotely?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

10y ago

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The Plus units (I, II, III, IV, and X) are all manual-only triggers. They cannot be used for power control of a remote light, as they only pass along the sync signal. The Plus III and IV allow for group on/off, but not power control.

For power control, you'd need TTL triggers (Mini TT1 and two FlexTT5s), and for each non-TTL light, like a B800, you'd also need an AC9 adapter for the FlexTT5. This is expensive.

But it's not the only solution you have for remote power control from the camera.

There are also the RadioPopper JrX and Jr2 triggers (the receivers can control the ABs by the RJ11 data port).

And, of course, Buff's own CyberSync triggers: the Cyber Commander transmitter and the CSR+ or CSRB+ receivers. Which are built specifically to work with Alien Bees, White Lightnings, or Zeus units via the RJ11 data port; the Einsteins have their own (cheaper) plug-in unit, which gives you the most control. Quoting from the Buff website:

Cyber Commander™ allows control of parameters from the camera position, including the status of recycle beepers, slaves, modeling lamps, and even power adjustment. It enables manual bracketing of individual lights or a group of lights in precise 1/10f digital steps, while automatically updating the meter reading and power levels. For setups containing lights with different wattsecond ratings and model lamp wattages, the Cyber Commander™ will adjust proportionally, allowing you to maintain deadly accurate what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) preview.

Granted, all this is going to be more expensive than manual-only triggers, but also a lot more convenient. It's up to you if the additional cost is worth it.

Originally by user27440. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user27440

10y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

No. PocketWizard Plus units, including the Plus III, are manual sync triggers only. They can fire the flash, and some models allow group on/off control, but they do not provide remote power adjustment.

If you connect a Plus III to an AlienBees B800 via sync cable, it will trigger the strobe only—you will not be able to change the flash output from the camera.

For PocketWizard-based remote power control with a non-TTL light like the B800, you need a FlexTT5 on each light plus an AC9 adapter, controlled by a MiniTT1 or FlexTT5 on the camera. The AC9 is designed to work with the FlexTT5 and cannot be used by itself with a Plus III.

If your main goal is remote power control for AlienBees, other systems mentioned by users may make more sense, such as Paul C. Buff CyberSync (especially Cyber Commander with compatible receivers) or RadioPopper JrX/Jr2.

UniqueBot

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10y ago

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