As a wedding photographer, I am all over the facility in the course of the Big Day and my assistant photographer is often on the other side. We are thinking about getting a two way radio system but need to find something that is:
Small and inconspicuous is absolutely the highest priority
Cheap (we’re just starting out and don’t have a big budget)
Functional within buildings and over limited areas (generally in the same hotel complex, resort area)
We also need to be able to use a handsfree set that doesn’t have a protruding microphone. Slapping the mic into our face with the camera all day would get more than a bit annoying.
Any recommendations for this combination would be greatly, greatly appreciated!
The Motorola CLS1410 is a perfect radio for your scenario. It is the smallest and most lightweight radio that we sell, and it supports hands-free operation. The Motorola 56518 or the 53863 headsets would probably be your best choice if hands-free use is a requirement. These two earpieces have smaller mic’s that would be less likely to get in the way.
Keep in mind, when you say hands-free use is a requirement I am assuming that you do not want to have to press a button in order to talk. This is absolutely possible with the equipment I mentioned above, but hands-free use with radios can be problematic. There is typically a delay of just under a second after you begin speaking before transmissions will begin and anything you say will be transmitted, whether you want it to be transmitted over the radio or not.
Most of our customers in your situation find it better to use a discrete earpiece with a push-to-talk button/microphone clipped to their collar or shirt. They simply press the button on the mic to transmit (no need to pull the radio off of their belt). If you choose to go this route, you could save some money by getting the CLS1110 radio and you could get headsets that are a little more comfortable, like the XLT EB200-MB1.