Cowboy Studios NPT 04 Review

The Cowboy Studio NPT-04. 4 channel wireless Hot shoe Flash trigger
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Cowboy Studios NPT-04 on Amazon


Let me start off by saying that this is a great piece of equipment for the price, and it works.

Pros: It works!, inexpensive, excellent range (which i will discuss later in this post) 1/200 synch speed.. very comparable to expensive pocketwizards

Cons: feels easily breakable, the turn wheel to secure it is sometimes hard to move, flash feels wobbly when attached (even though it is secure)

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now a more comprehensive review....

Durability: 3.5/5
   Now I have held and used other wireless radio triggers (costing 4-5 X the price), and they felt durable as if they could survive a drop or 2 or even more, but with the CBS NPT-04 the first thing i noticed was that they seemed cheaply made from a hard plastic (hence the reason why they are $25) I have had no issues, nor have i read of any easily breaking, but that's just how they feel. Also when my SB-600 is connected to the receiver the SB-600 flash unit wobbles a bit. I am unable to pull it out when its locked in there (which is a good thing) but it feels wobbly, which scares me a bit. Also Note here in the picture below how there is an inch and a half or so gap between the flash and the opening hole of the diffuser that is not only due to the fact that the securing knob on the flash diffuser mount is so large, but also that the receiver part of the CBS NPT-04 is designed so that it has that large part - Which is circled in red -  with the channel switch sticking out in the front of it, when it should have been designed so that that part is in the back. (Does that make any sense???) it would bring the flash much closer to the opening hole of the diffuser allowing less of the flash to escape.

Range: 5/5

Holy Crap! for 25 bucks these things go a long ways, and i mean that literally and metaphorically. I tested the range out in my front yard, by placing one in front of my driveway and i went down the street until it was out of range. I had to walk a full 2 blocks until they stopped working, and i measured it out to be 180 feet. and I don't know when in the world you would ever need to be that far from the flash, and if i ever were I would be using much more than just a speedlight for my lighting. Also I tested to see if a wall would block the flash from firing.. No. I stood at one end of my house and set the flash all the way in the furthest room, where it was obstructed by 3 different walls and it still received the signal and fired the flash with no delay. I also covered the transmitter (part that attaches to the camera) with my hand and the flash still fired through the 3 walls. Now how can I give this thing less than 5 stars for range.. I would give it 10 if i could.


Price: 5/5

Good luck finding a better wireless reciever/transmitter kit for 25 that works this well.

Battery life: ?

I have no experience with the battery life of these, However from numerous reviews people claim that after hundreds of shots they are still working. It takes 2 AAA's and that is it. So if going on a shoot and plan on using These i would recommend always carrying at least 2 back up AAA's on you, after all they are the most inexpensive battery on the market.

Overall:
Great product, offers four channels, so different cameras are able to trigger the flash without overlapping signals. the range is incredible on these things, and best of all it makes a very small dent in your wallet, costing only $25. I would recommend these to anyone starting, or already into strobist photography, since lights will be a larger expense it is good to save money where you can, without sacrificing quality and these will do just that.. provide great quality for little cost!


UPDATE:  3 MONTHS OF USING THE CBS NPT-04 AND STILL 1005 SATISFIED WITH PERFORMANCE AND BATTERY LIFE. I have done 2 hour long shoots, taking 600+ pictures most of them using the wireless triggers on my Sb600 and never had to switch out batteries.

Note:  I AM IN NO WAY AFFILIATED, OR TRYING TO ADVERTISE FOR COWBOY STUDIOS. I AM SIMPLY A SATISFIED CUSTOMER.