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04/20/2007 08:45:57 AM · #1 |
Here's a couple of varies flash questions for Canons...
1) How do you control the flash EV on a 30D? I can't see it in the dpreview menu screens anywhere. Is it a button press and a wheel scroll?
2) 30D is listed as having wireless flash control. Does that mean it's like the D80 where it's built into the camera, or does that mean with an adaptor?
3) What sort of off-camera options do people use on 400Ds? Single flash I would guess a cable setup is simplest, although a wireless unit would be nice. What about multiple flash setups for simple studios? Can the 400D control multiple units? I'm interested to hear what people use.
Message edited by author 2007-04-20 08:46:15. |
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04/20/2007 09:52:21 AM · #2 |
1) You can either control it on the flash or press the meter/flash EV button above right of the top LCD of the camera and use the wheel.
2) Accessory
Message edited by author 2007-04-20 09:52:37. |
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04/20/2007 09:58:48 AM · #3 |
1) on the 10/20/30 D is a wheel on the back and the on/off button - the on/off has a third postion, it turns the wheel on or off. ON the top of the camera are 3 buttons - AF/WB, Dive/ISO, Metering mode/FEC - puch the button and the the back wheel changes one parameter and the front wheel changes the other. By default the wheel with no button in Av/Tv/P modes is regular exposure comp. In M it's aperture.
2) no, it does not have this, no canon does. You can use teh 580 on the camera to control other canon or some sigma flash units in eTTL mode, or you can get canon't ST-E2 for the hotshoe and control flashes with it.
3)see above for ST-E2. Some folks like the camera doing the flash thinking, and I see the benefit in some isolated instances. But for studio work and most wedding receptions I shoot in Manual mode on the camera and use a metz flash on auto cause eTTL sucks for weddings (inconsistent - works as designed, but that's not good for weddings). For studio strobes or formals i teh church I use pocket wizards with my studio strobes or I've now acquired the bits to use the speedlights with teh wizards and umbrellas. See //strobist.blogspot.com/ - over on the right 'what is strobist' and lighting 101, etc - takes about 30 or 40 minutes to read and is rather good and educational.
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04/20/2007 07:24:40 PM · #4 |
Thanks for the info. I'll check this out - when I have 30 or 40 minutes :)
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04/21/2007 09:59:16 AM · #5 |
Wow, there's a lot of amazing info there, and I hope to one day understand it all. :) I have some questions here for Prof Fate, on some of your equipment...
I've seen the Canon speedlights with the STE2, to allow the speedlight to be used off-camera. Is this the same functionality as a pocket wizard? Does the STE2 effectively give a Canon the same wireless flash capability that the D80 has built in?
The photos of PWs seem to have unit's hanging off the flash as well as some component on the camera. Don't the speedlights have wireless capability built in? Why does the PW need a receiver if the flash has wireless capability already?
From reading the article, it sounds like Canon's don't have the right ports and connectors to do all of this, and adaptors are needed, where they aren't needed for Nikons. Is this true?
Thanks for your help!
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04/21/2007 10:54:33 AM · #6 |
Originally posted by surfdabbler:
I've seen the Canon speedlights with the STE2, to allow the speedlight to be used off-camera. Is this the same functionality as a pocket wizard? Does the STE2 effectively give a Canon the same wireless flash capability that the D80 has built in?
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No, the PW's are not the same as the STE2, the STE@ and similar wireless methods are optical, meaning they use either visible or infrared light to communicate. The PW's operate by using radio, giving them a much longer range.
One of the major complaints about the optical wireless systems like the STE2 is that they often don't work if the slave flash is behind the transmitter. The PW's don't have that problem.
Originally posted by surfdabbler:
The photos of PWs seem to have unit's hanging off the flash as well as some component on the camera. Don't the speedlights have wireless capability built in? Why does the PW need a receiver if the flash has wireless capability already?
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Since the PW's use radio and the canon/nikon/sigma flash units use an optical means to trigger, the flash needs its own radio receiver.
Also, keep in mind that all the PW's do is trigger the flash, in order to adjust lighting ratios etc, all the flashes will have to be set manually. With the canon/nikon/sigma the lighting ratios can be controlled from the Master unit and you will also have E-TTL metering.
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05/14/2007 10:13:30 AM · #7 |
| I was of the impression that Nikon wireless flash uses radio signals... |
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05/14/2007 10:23:23 AM · #8 |
Not sure about the rebel line, but the 20D/30D and upper models all have PC ports - it's where you plug in a PC cord or pocket wizard to trigger studio flashes.
Nikons (most anyway) don't have a PC port and nikon sells an adapter that goes on the hotshoe so you can plug in a PC cord or PW. This adapter will work on Canon cameras (or any other hotshoe)
Using the canon flash system means eTTL will still work - the camera's brain determines how much light you need from the flash(es) and adjusts accordingly.
If you use PC cords or PWs then YOU have to determine how much flash you need - and you'll need a flash meter to measure the light output of each flash so you know what to set them at.
Not sure the range of the canon system, but the PW is 1600 feet - over a quarter of a mile! and you need one unit for on the camera and one for a strobe, often one for each strobe. The new Plus2 units work as either sender or reciever and run $185 each give or take. Not cheap, but they'll last a lifetime and keep their value.
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