Frail Pocket Wizard FlexTT5

Be careful with these things. I didn't think the new PW's were too frail until last weekend. I had a 580EXII mounted on the Flex's hot shoe and both were sitting on a bed while I was testing out the settings I just updated the Flex with. As soon as I got the settings straight the units took a tumble onto carpeted floor from about 18" and separated. The 580 took the hot shoe with it. Tiny screws hold the hot shoe in place and I was able to get the hot shoe back on but the Flex no longer triggers the flash from the hot shoe. It's receiving the signal but won't trigger the flash.

Totally my fault and I know it's designed like that to prevent a more expensive repair to the flash but from only 18" onto carpeted floor? The tolerance for impacts is just a little bit low IMHO. Now I feel like I have to baby these things.

Called up MAC and they told me it was a $40 fix (+ $15 to return ship) so I sent it in. PITA.

I had a 480 on a flex on a camera tripod, about 4 feet up. On a little mound of grass. While I was shooting with my other light this one tipped over, and hit the only part of concrete in the area. The flash came off of the flex but no damage at all. Slight ding on the 480, and I'm not sure how the 480 got detatched from the flex, but the locking latch was still in the locked position. They both work fine. 4 Days later I was shooting at the same place and I noticed a little door missing from the flash. I went to the area and found the little black piece in the grass.
Guess I got lucky.

Anything on the foot of the will act like a fulcrum and leverage MASSIVE force against it.

Try dropping your flash with the foot that comes with it from about 18" and the chances are the flash dies and the foot is broken.

However, you could otherwise bounce your naked flash off the pavement and the chances are that it would still work fine.

Those Mini & Flex things are a recipe for repeated disasters. Your warning is valid.

I use off-camera cords with all of mine. Pretty clear from using them that with a heavy flashgun perched directly on top of the flex, any moderate impact is going to to tear the flashgun clean off one way or another. I'd rather damage a £12 cord than a £240 receiver.

It's not really any inconvenience. For serious on-camera flash work you'll be using a bracket and therefore an off-camera cord anyway. For off-camera work, sitting the flex on top of a high lightstand screwed tightly to a brass spigot at the bottom and a flashgun at the top is just asking for it to get snapped when the top-heavy stand gets knocked over (and they all do sooner or later). Better to let the oc-e3 hotshoe take the strain and put the flex somewhere lower down where it can be accessed more easily.

No doubt that had I had the Flex attached via an off-shoe cord I might have avoided this, but the way PocketWizard designed the Flex bypasses the need for an off-shoe cord. It's obvious that this type of damage could happen but I didn't imagine it could from a mere 18" and onto a soft carpeted floor (which is the main reason I was admittedly a bit careless).

Lesson learned but I wish these things were a bit more sturdy. I hate feeling like I have to baby these things.

Rey wrote in post #8547839
Lesson learned but I wish these things were a bit more sturdy. I hate feeling like I have to baby these things.

The design needs work, IMO it is TOOOO prone to accidental damage from slight altercations. I can see it breaking by just falling over a couple of times.

It reminds my of my first PW PlusII and I was on the forum complaining about the weak foot on those .. almost as poor as the cheap Chinese triggers.

I'm contemplating making a foam case to strap them in, cocoon like, it'll make them somewhat unyielding and will probably need their own box to lug around ~ which might be worth it, as when they work right, they are brilliant ~ four days of frustration with mine though so far

I don't think they are made as strong as the original PWII from the feel of it.

Mufutau

Follow up. MAC replaced my unit instead of repairing the existing one. I noticed the packaging has changed as well as the addition of an "authentic" hologram sticker on the bottom. I also noticed that the PocketWizard utility is reporting this as hardware version 107. The older ones were hardware version 100. I wonder what has changed...

Good service and quick turnaround. Hopefully this unit doesn't suffer the same fate as the old one.

mufutau55 wrote in post #8548885
I don't think they are made as strong as the original PWII from the feel of it.

Mufutau

The exact response to this feeling, from Patrick at pocket wizard

was something along the lines of "they have more screws in a smaller device with tighter tolerances than anything else PW has ever made"

But hey, what do they know

What else do we expect them to say?

Mufutau

k_strecker wrote in post #8591746
The exact response to this feeling, from Patrick at pocket wizard

was something along the lines of "they have more screws in a smaller device with tighter tolerances than anything else PW has ever made"

But hey, what do they know

I wonder how many have been broken due to 'togs throwing them in frustration because they refuse to work properly.

I had the same thing happen to my tt5 - I dropped it (doh!) and the hotshoe stayed with the 430exII.

Talk about quick turnaround from MAC. I dropped it off at UPS at 5pm Monday, it was back on my doorstep Wednesday with a replaced hotshoe. Granted it was only going to NY from PA, but still.

jdaly wrote in post #8957035
I had the same thing happen to my tt5 - I dropped it (doh!) and the hotshoe stayed with the 430exII.

Talk about quick turnaround from MAC. I dropped it off at UPS at 5pm Monday, it was back on my doorstep Wednesday with a replaced hotshoe. Granted it was only going to NY from PA, but still.

Did they charge you for the repair/replacement? I was surprised because when I talked to their rep on the phone I was given every indication that I would be charged for it because it was damage I caused, but I wasn't. The replacement came at no charge. Great service, IMO.

Rey wrote in post #8957859
Did they charge you for the repair/replacement? I was surprised because when I talked to their rep on the phone I was given every indication that I would be charged for it because it was damage I caused, but I wasn't. The replacement came at no charge. Great service, IMO.

Probably a good idea to talk to them directly like you did. I just packaged it up and sent it off fully expecting the fee,which they charged me.

Interesting... I was planning on upgrading my PWII's to these bad boys... more research needed me thinks