Yes, they look great, but nearly impossible to order/ get. Production and sales is currently limited to 100 units per day (whenever that starts in internet-time) and good luck finding a moment when you *can* order these. The reviews are all from people who contributed images for their book and got them free, early.
Here is a response from GI about returning my very recently delivered V2s
"Dear XXXXX,
You can send back your V2s in MINT condition with original packaging to
exchange for a V4 by paying the cost difference of US$7.0 plus shipping cost
and administrative charge of US$10.0, i.e. total of US$17.0. To return,
please send to:
Harvest One Limited
1101 David House
8-20 Nanking Street
Kowloon
Hong Kong
(CHANGE ORDER GI-26118)
Please include a copy of this email in the returned package for our easy
handling. We will contact you within 2 working days upon item receipt.
Edit: got up real early and snagged a set with an extra receiver!
I was really close to ordering the V2s last week (or the Phottix version) but was concerned about repeatability and build... and hopefully these have less problems (posibbly only 80% trigger rate? I'd prefer 98% or higher...). Given that they are 1/4 the cost of a CyberSync, and 1/8 the cost of a PovertyWizard set, I'll babystep into triggers this way.
Does the receiver work as a remote shutter as well, or is that strictly a sync port on the receiver?
I'm assuming it's strictly a sync port, since it is battery powered and it sends voltage through the cable. AFAIK the remote shutter release port is simply a "dumb" circuit waiting to be completed (hence the batteryless wired remotes). I might be wrong... but I'm not willing to try it out on my camera's remote port.
As a follow up, I got the V4s a few days ago and they work splendidly with my AF360. I replaced the cheapo AAAs they came with immediately and have had 100% trigger actuations in both disconnected tests and actual "triggered off the K20D hotshoe" and firing the flash. Up to 3fps (for about 5 frames, then my flash is pooped for a few seconds) at 1/180.
Not a long-term test by any means, but out of the box they work great (up to 25m or so), pretty well built, smaller than I expected, and rather fun! Well worth the $40 (or $65 in my case with the extra receiver)!
i was hesitant to buy the v4 because of all the bad reviews its getting on strobist. I finally ordered it on sunday it came on saturday (6 days) to east coast US using the cheapest air mail. I was impressed it came so quick.
Everything works out of the box. I've been playing around with it for a day or so I was gonna see how these worked and I might order another receiver for another flash. It looks as though maybe they sorted out the "bug" in the first batches.
i havent really seen how far these will go because its raining outside, but i was able to go into different rooms and still see the flash go off (through 3 or 4 walls), so it seems to be pretty decent.
buying from china is a gamble sometimes, but I'm glad i got these at a great price.