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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> Speedlights along with Vivitar and optical slave
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Showing posts 1 - 18 of 18, (reverse)
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 01/04/2008 03:07:02 PM · #1
I just picked up a Vivitar 285 on ebay. I want to use it as a backdrop light in my studio setup. I am using the 580exII as my master flash and the 420ex as my slave. I was looking to pick up one of the fotodiox optical slaves from Midwest Photo Exchange to be able to fire the Vivitar off my 580. Will this work or is there a preflash from the 580 that will trigger the optical slave/Vivitar early? If it wont work then keep an eye out in the for sale section for a vivitar flash.
 01/04/2008 03:12:48 PM · #2
There will be a preflash if you're using the ETTL mode. You can avoid it by setting everything to manual. Another way around the ETTL preflash is to use the FEL (flash exposure lock) button on your camera (the star [*] button). This will fire the preflash and wait for you to trigger the shutter normally to fire the main flash.
 01/04/2008 03:17:02 PM · #3
What sucks is that I cant go full manual with the 420ex. I should have done some deeper research before picking up this flash.
 01/04/2008 03:18:21 PM · #4
Originally posted by timfythetoo:
What sucks is that I cant go full manual with the 420ex. I should have done some deeper research before picking up this flash.

You can't? I was toying with the idea of getting one of these, but I won't if you can't go full Manual. Out of curiosity, what prevents it?
 01/04/2008 03:20:07 PM · #5
HEre I copied this off another site:

"To make your 420EX operate in manual mode cover the two left hot shoe contacts. To make your 420 operate in TTL mode cover the left rear contact.

//www.wolverineenterprises.com/photo_net/Flash.jpg

You can make an insulator out of a piece of film negative to slip in between your flash and hot shoe to cover the appropriate contacts."
 01/04/2008 03:23:08 PM · #6
Originally posted by OdysseyF22:
Originally posted by timfythetoo:
What sucks is that I cant go full manual with the 420ex. I should have done some deeper research before picking up this flash.

You can't? I was toying with the idea of getting one of these, but I won't if you can't go full Manual. Out of curiosity, what prevents it?

THe 420 has no manual controls on it. And for some reason when I shift to manual mode on the 580 it triggers the 420 way late - by a second or two. So I only use them in ettl mode. I will try the contact covering that routerguy suggests.
 01/04/2008 04:03:59 PM · #7
the 430ex allows manual control. might be worth looking into as you have a 580exII

my gifts entry was shot with the 550ex at 1/64th power aiming at subject and the 430ex was at 1/8th power aiming at the wall behind. flashes fired via st-e2.

oops - had the power settings backwards

Message edited by author 2008-01-04 16:05:12.
 01/04/2008 04:09:12 PM · #8
Originally posted by routerguy666:
HEre I copied this off another site:

"To make your 420EX operate in manual mode cover the two left hot shoe contacts. To make your 420 operate in TTL mode cover the left rear contact.

//www.wolverineenterprises.com/photo_net/Flash.jpg

You can make an insulator out of a piece of film negative to slip in between your flash and hot shoe to cover the appropriate contacts."


Good info Routerguy. TX! I've had the same frustration with my 420EX. Tim~ I also use the 430EX and it works in manual mode when slaved to the 580. Edit-- redundant info on the 430! :)

Message edited by author 2008-01-04 16:09:43.
 01/04/2008 04:17:55 PM · #9
OK - the link isnt working for me. Let me see if this makes sense. I have the 580ex on my camera hot shoe. I have the 420ex on a light stand not connected to anything as it will be fired as a slave from the 580ex. Since I dont have the 420 on my hotshoe (or basically on any hot shoe like doohickey) then how would i go about covering up the contacts. And if they werent contacting anything in the first place what differnce would it make? What am I missing or is this just one of those things that just is?

Also - as much as I would like the 430ex (or another 580ex) my budget doesnt allow it. As a two light system the 420 and 580 work very well together. (I bought the 420 a while back not having a clue what the difference was or that I would need anything better in the near future). I was just really hoping to make the vivitar work to bulk me out to 3 lights.

Thank you all for pitching in here. It is GREATLY apprecaited.
 01/04/2008 04:20:22 PM · #10
have you tried TTL on the 580?


01/04/2008 04:20:33 PM · #11
As I was getting ready to put away laundry something came to me. Am I covering the contacts on the 420 or the 580?
 01/04/2008 04:23:52 PM · #12
I think the best, and least confusing, way to do this would be to just optical slave everything. If you can't do full manual on the 420, put it on the camera and optical slave the 580 and Vivitar with the 420 on the body. This will trigger the 580 and the Vivitar with the optical slaves to whatever settings you have them on (manually) and the 420 will trigger with ETTL from the hot shoe. Be sure to be careful about the preflash.

Edit to add: OR, do it the way you had initially wanted to and just use the star button to do FEL and set the exposure that way. This will trigger the preflash but not the shutter so the slave can recharge. When it's done charging, then press the shutter button. Go pull out your camera, put the flash on there, and hit the star button. You'll see what I mean.

Message edited by author 2008-01-04 16:26:33.
 01/04/2008 04:35:42 PM · #13
Originally posted by timfythetoo:
OK - the link isnt working for me. Let me see if this makes sense. I have the 580ex on my camera hot shoe. I have the 420ex on a light stand not connected to anything as it will be fired as a slave from the 580ex. Since I dont have the 420 on my hotshoe (or basically on any hot shoe like doohickey) then how would i go about covering up the contacts. And if they werent contacting anything in the first place what differnce would it make? What am I missing or is this just one of those things that just is?

Also - as much as I would like the 430ex (or another 580ex) my budget doesnt allow it. As a two light system the 420 and 580 work very well together. (I bought the 420 a while back not having a clue what the difference was or that I would need anything better in the near future). I was just really hoping to make the vivitar work to bulk me out to 3 lights.

Thank you all for pitching in here. It is GREATLY apprecaited.


What are you talking about with manual mode? I thought you meant you couldn't use it on your camera in manual mode. Sorry I must have misunderstood.
 01/04/2008 04:43:11 PM · #14
Actually the problem I was having previous is that if I had the 580 hooked up to my camera via a sync cord I couldnt fire the 420 as a slave when the 580ex was set in manual mode. I apologize for any confusion. I was confused. I didnt remember my previous scenario properly. So I need to see if in manual mode I can control the 420 while my 580 is still on camera. I should be able to which means I should be able to use a optical slave on the vivitar as it wouldnt shoot a preflash. Right?

Again - sorry for the confusion. My memory seems to suck as of late.
 01/04/2008 04:48:45 PM · #15
Tim, My experience has been thus... When using the 580 as a master on camera it will not fire the 420 if the flash is set to Manual mode. However, it will fire the 430. ETTL works fine with both 420 and 430.

I was hoping Router had an easy workaround but I didn't think through his response like you did.
 01/04/2008 04:49:51 PM · #16
Here's a comparison chart for Canon Speedlites

Might come in handy for those searching for older models to use ettl or manual.

Canon Speelite Comparison

Cheers
 01/04/2008 04:52:55 PM · #17
Originally posted by mpeters:
Tim, My experience has been thus... When using the 580 as a master on camera it will not fire the 420 if the flash is set to Manual mode. However, it will fire the 430. ETTL works fine with both 420 and 430.

I was hoping Router had an easy workaround but I didn't think through his response like you did.

In the end thats what I was afraid of. I just cant afford a 430ex right now, even if I sold the 420 to help cover it. Anyone inetersted in a Vivitar?
 01/04/2008 05:55:40 PM · #18
At this point I can barely understand the conversation, but I am wondering if a set of cheap ebay wireless triggers wouldn't put a quick end to your pain?
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