Hey Techs, just got back from a shoot in a really remote location where I had the misfortune of finding out that if a regular Pocket Wizard (Plus, not II) is left on until the battery runs out, you may end up with a dead unit. Mine was out cold, and no battery swap or reset or anything would get it to work. We did have a hard wire backup, but I’ve never seen this before and wanted to pass it on. Make sure your PW’s are turned off, or be extra cautious and pull the batts if you know you won’t be using them for awhile or if they might get switched on during transit.
If there is a benefit to flying back and forth across the country a few zillion times, it’s that on occasion, you get some perks, like being seated in first class. Somehow the Gods were on my side yesterday, and I got upgraded to first.
As I settled in to my relatively posh digs, I noticed that the guy next to me had that outdoorsy look and had a really cool vintage bag with a Jansport logo on it. Well turns out he’s Skip Lowell, on of the original founders of Jansport back in the 60’s. I told him how impressed I was that they recently replaced a five year roller I had sent in with a brand new bag. That, my friends is a pretty damn good warranty. We had a really fun conversation about a non-profit he works on that provides outdoor trips to urban youth, and I must say, it’s quite clear why Jansport has a pretty devoted following, myself included.
I mean, could you imagine if a MFDB manufacturer had a similar warranty policy? Yes, I know electronics are much more cost intensive, but to have them say “yes, our product is expensive, but we’ll stand behind it 100% and help you out because you are a customer and we want you to remain one for a long, long time.” I think that would be a major advantage over DSLR’s because you’ve drawn a pretty big line between amateur and professional, and many more might consider such a major investment if it was protected in the long run.
Just my 2 cents as I sit here 37,000 feet in the air. But then again, what do I know. My head must be in the clouds.
I think this has a bright future. Adobe is really good about getting feedback from the professional photography community. I use Capture One all the time and I have love and hate for it. I’m excited to see how Adobe handles some of the issues Phase has been slow to respond to. If nothing else I think Lightroom is a fantastic program and will definitely hold it’s own.
Ok, I know I said I was getting along fine with C1 5.1, but that tagging issue was killing me. 5.1.1 fixes this and a few other things, but thank God, I’m glad that’s over.
