So 1941 called and they want their Velcro back. Good timing as it seems “Velcro” hasn’t been the biggest hit with the user base. Okay. Alright already. We heard you. Many times. And we listened. (But NASA has put the stuff in space, so someone thought the “V” was cool at some point. Not a defense, just saying… ya know?)
“The entire system now works right over the hot shoe of your slave flash!”
The new unofficial RadioPopper company motto is “What Velcro?”
Seriously – with the major redesign encompassed by the new PX units, did you really think we intended to leave you hanging with Velcro as your only means of attachment? First generation, sure – but this is advancement, and we like you more than that. Actually we’ve been working up a much improved mount throughout the PX development, but with the parallel development of PX and JrX systems, the plastics had to wait a few weeks.
You can start pulling the fuzzy squares off your gear in a few weeks. We just got these sweet rapid prototypes back on Friday and had to share them with you. We need to round them out a bit, but this is pretty close to final.
NIKON POP-UP FLASH MOUNTS:
Do your best to “visualize” these, as they are indeed part of the same job. We just haven’t run the proto’s of those just yet. We’ll post up pics of these in the next week or two once we get a turn on the resin prototype machine again. Imagine a block of plastic, inserted in your Nikon hot shoe just behind the pop-up flash, with a little tray attached. Beautiful, isn’t it?
(more after the jump…)
The new mounts are being ordered up with the tooling job for our JrX plastics, will be run at the same time, and should probably arrive home in the same shipping crate. This means the new PX mounts will be available right about the same time as the JrX units.
The sales price on these mounts will be minimal. We just need to cover our piece cost, tooling, and freight.
The Grand Tour:
So the new PX Receiver mounting system comes in three pieces.
First, you’ll find a common mounting base. This piece is just like the plastic “foot” that came with your flash (the one you lost about 2 weeks after it arrived – remember that thing?) The base will attach directly to the hot shoe of any standard Canon or Nikon flash, and includes a brass threaded fitting in the bottom for easy monopod or lightstand mounting. This base plate will be available separate at reduced cost if you just want to replace your OEM plate, and it’ll cost a lot less than an OEM replacement.
Second, you’ll find a mount for your PX Receiver which will arrive in one of two flavors – Canon or Nikon. A single Canon mount allows placement of the PX Receiver on any of the 550EX, 580EX, or 580EXII flash units. Same for Nikon – a single mounting arm will work for Nikon SB-600, SB-800, and SB-900 flash units.
The piece which holds your PX Receiver has clips on both sides that grab your PX Receiver – much like sliding a cell phone into one of those plastic belt holsters. No tape, (gaffers or otherwise), Velcro, or other material is required. Just click it in place. The holster / mount will automatically align the IR light source in your PX Receiver with the hole in the plate.
The PX Receiver holster has a solid and sturdy end with slots that click into the base plate to which your flash is attached. You’ll place the PX holder into the base plate, then slide the hot shoe of your flash into the base plate. The PX Receiver will be perfectly placed over the IR sensor of your slave flash – no fuss.
With this new mount, you’ll require ZERO modification of your slave flash (except for the optional removable block out window stickers for Canon – which will be less critical with this new mount and only necessary if you’re shooting your slave very close to your master). No more velcro, tape, or otherwise. The entire system now works right over the hot shoe of your slave flash. Super easy to install and remove, and the mount itself easily brakes into 2 pieces for easy stowing in your camera bag.
More close-up detail images of the mechanics to follow – we just shot these quickly right after the returned from the prototype shop.
Stay tuned for the official RP “I knows me some ugly Velcro” contest.
Users will be given 3 months to submit the ugliest implementation of Velcro on their camera gear (preferably for use with a product other than RP’s) – or – you can get real creative and show us the most inventive overall use for velcro. If you have small children, your gears are already turning. Details to be announced, but start thinking about it. The best entries will be posted on the blog, and the entry with the most votes in the comments will win their choice of a FREE PX Transmitter, PX Receiver, or pair of JrX Standard units.
Great stuff – looks much more professional. Can’t believe how fast and how far you’ve come with this. Saving my pennies now…with £/$ rate as it is, I need lots of them
Great Design for the mounting Kevin.. I am wanting for this pretty soon
This will improve a lot holding the RP without worrying on losing it somewhere 
I know these forums are starting to sound a bit like a broken record but erm… *cough*
Sony?
Yes – The Sony hotshoe is completely non-standard (we can thank minolta for that), so I understand that it is more work to implement than Cannon or Nikon – but pleeeease?
The Sony system is quite crippled when it comes to the PX system as there is no handy controller unit to slap a transmitter onto – only the popup flash. Without a pop-up flash mount our only option is using a full sized flash as a controller (ick).
I love you guys!
If you have already purchased the PX will you be sending these along for free? Is it an option on new units?
RP:
They’ll be an inexpensive accessory you may purchase if you wish – current owners or added to new orders. Many people are actually thrilled with the velcro or the strong tape mount – it’s the smallest solution, and when properly installed it is incredibly strong and secure. The units will continue to ship with the standard mounting kits, or the new mount may be added for a few dollars.
Nice!!! The news just keeps getting better and better. You guys are making every effort to take the product to the next level. It is like we had a wish list compiled and you are just checking off the list. What are we going to have to gripe about anymore?
MD
RP:
Very true that we are indeed listening, regardless of the suggestions. Legit gripes are legit gripes – no worries. Cheers!
We’ll give you a few weeks and I’m sure you’ll come up with something. lol.
Looks great! Two questions, though:
1. Will these work with the SB-800 when a SD-8A battery pack is plugged into the front of the flash?
2. Is there a locking-pin hole to use with the Nikon locking-pin mechanism? It looks like one is there in the last picture.
RP:
Yes and yes. There will be juuust enough room to attach the extra battery, same locking pin hole, as well as stronger and thicker plastic all the way around.
Cool! Where can I buy one of these?
Are you working on something like this for the JRX units? I’m quite happy with the velcro for my PX system but I would love to have something like this for the JRX receivers when they’re available.
Will there be enough room to use the ‘fifth’ battery on the SB800?
Put me down for two mounts for my 2 PX receivers.
RP:
Yes
PLEASE NOTE: Stephen’s above question does not relate to the ‘fifth’ battery that attaches over the battery slots of the SB800.
It relates to the SD-8A battery pack which you connect by cable inserted in the front of the SB800. I am holding mine now and there does not appear to be a place to accomodate the head of the inserted plug as it sits on the SB800, as I look at your prototype images above.
I use my external battery packs on my 2 Sb800 external flash at all times.
Nikon clarification…Will we be able to use the 5th battery, the SD-8A which plugs in the front of the SB-800, or both? This looks AWESOME, can’t wait to order up a few with my JrX’s!
RP EDIT:
We’ll have a look at the design and consider the mount of the SD-8A. This may or may not be possible.
When will these be available? I am getting ready to order a px transmitter and two recievers but if the mount is going to be available shortly then I will wait for it and save the shipping.
RP:
It’ll be a few weeks. We’ll let you know when the delivery is due. Probably along with the ship date of the JrX units.
What about the transmitter mounting solution…it does suck when you loose yours in about 3 ft of snow from the velcro mount?
Yes, It would be great if there was room to plug in the external power cord on the front of the SB900
What about the attachment for the transmitter? Will that still be velcro? I also heard concerns about the plastic hotshoe mount and that they have a tendency to break and the metal nikon mount has been suggested as a good replacement. Any possibility of getting the base plate made of metal?
I am also very excited about the upcoming release of the Jr model and it being compatible with the alien bees.
RP:
The Nikon mount isn’t actually metal – but the threads in the bottom are. The way the mounts are constructed, your flash hot shoe mount would brake before the mount – they’ll be quite strong and will be made out of strong plastic for lighter weight.
Cool stuff. Are you working on something similar for attaching the transmitters as well? Perhaps something that clamps onto the flash head and allows us to slip the transmitter into a holder for perfect alignment?
Also, has there been any word on a date for orders from Canada? I’m hoping it’s not too late to get the trade-in for my older P1s.
NICE!!!! can’t wait to order me a set for my PX.
now, hmmmmmm, what to do with all of this velcro………………
This is nice little add-on, but I am very please with the velcro. The best thing you could do to improve these units is to put a foldaway antenna, so each unit can be one piece. I hate having to fiddle with and put these things together when I get to a site.
Keep up the great work!
Check out my use of these units at my http://www.TarabRaqs.com site. See the Raqqin’ Show Pix to see the shots taken remotely. I’m the drummer in the ensemble and take all of the shots with a remote. The units all have to be set up two to three hours before the event.
Looks great… and yeah, I’m trying to visualize the one for the pop-up flash… and I think I can. Thing is, I’m visualizing it on top of my Olympus E-3. Hope things can be working on that front…
The new mounting system looks great !
How does it attach to Canon strobes since sensor position is different on each model ?
The velcro mounts on my PX receivers work very well.
RP:
The piece that actually holds the PX Receiver has 3 slots in the bottom where it will attach to the base piece. These slots are positioned such that one is correct for each of the 3 mounting locations – just use the one correct for your flash and the receiver will be correctly located.
Would it be at all possible to make a mount that has some, or all of the following?
1. A hole to mount on a standard light stand?
2. A hole for an umbrella?
3. a tilt mechanism, to aim the light up/down?
I realize that this would take the place of several products already on the market, but everything gets a bit precarious when you have to cobble many pieces together, like putting your current version on top of an umbrella bracket.
It would be really nice to have a one piece bracket/mount that could accept a Speedlight and a Popper, and mount quickly and securely on a light stand. Even better if I can throw an umbrella or softbox on there and have some tilt capability.
Thanks for listening!
Hope you can work out the mounting of the SD8A & 9 battery packs. I never use my off camera (or on for that matter) flash units without external battery packs.
I have 2 – SB-800’s with SD-8As & 1- SB-900 w/ SD9
I suspect this is a very common setup for many Nikon shooters who are using the SB800’s already in hand as the off camera units.
This is REALLY an important issue to address.
RP:
Thanks Jeff. We got quite a response regarding the Nikon packs and it something being taken into account. We made some changes to the design the later part of this week to accommodate the Nikon packs.
Please hurry with these new mounting units, wedding season has begun. Now I can order some extra receivers and of course the new mounting.
Thanks guys, I really didn’t like the velcro/tape way of connecting it.
I always use external battery packs (Turbo 2×2’s) will there be clearance for the external power port ?
Will these work on the 430ex’s as well? i’m looking to get another slave and another PX transmitter to go with my current 580ex setup.
RP:
Yes, they will work with the 430EX (and 430EXII) also.
Hey Guys –
Another vote here for the Quantum CKE cable. For me, one huge deciding factor between your system and the competition’s will be whether I can use my Turbo 2×2 batteries. Your new mount looks like it might not accommodate a CKE cable. But I agree that you must get rid of the velcro
I just wanted to second the antenna comment by Bob Peak. The 90 degree antennae on the receivers are very nice and I don’t worry about them in the camera bag. On the other hand I have to remove the straight antenna on the transmitter every time I put it away since it sticks straight up asking to be broken off. Because of the compact size of the antenna (a plus) and the lack of little pockets in my bag (a minus) the antenna is constantly getting lost in the recesses of my bag (like thoughts in my brain).
A 90 degree or foldable antenna would be a very welcome upgrade for the transmitter!
Also, a better mounting solution would be nice for the transmitter as well (it’d be nice if it worked for master flashes as well as flash commanders), though not as crucial as the receiver one you guys came up with. Good job!
RP EDIT:
Thanks David. FYI – the 90 degree antenna with the Receiver is electrically identical to the one supplied with the Transmitter, and we do have extra Receiver antennas available in the store.
Hi,
Is it possyle to use the PX transmitter on Canon 580 EX and a Gary Fong WhaleTale Reporter (or some Stofen bouncers) in the same time?
Thanks from Hungary …
RP:
You can still use most accessories on your master flash along with a PX Transmitter.
Will you guys setup a pre-order system (once you have pricing published) so I can mark this off my gigantic list of things to do. This way I can just set back and wait for the happy day when they arrive? Put me down for two!