Question on Remote Flash Support (20d & 580ex)

12/15/2006 04:42:25 PM · #1

I have a 20d and a 580ex. I would like to be able to place the flash away from my camera and fire it remotely. I see there is the Canon STE-2 transmitter that will do this but it is RF drive (so line of site is needed).

I also see the PocketWizard but from what I can tell it doesn't have cable support for the 580ex.

What other options are there for wireless support for remote 580ex flash units?

12/15/2006 04:47:07 PM · #2

I think you mean IR (infrared) not RF (which would generally be Radio Frequency). RF is what you need .... IR is what Canon uses. I too have wished for an RF way to fire my flashes.

You could investigate the Quantum QFlash system. It can be fired with RF transmitters and uses QTTL which is similar to Canon's ETTL. The only drawback is the price ... about $2000+ for a two flash system with transmitter and receivers.

Mr_Pants

SiPix Blink

12/15/2006 04:47:57 PM · #3

Line of sight is not totally correct. Indoors, one can rely on light signals bouncing off walls etc. I've fired remote flashes (indoors) with the flashes 'looking' away from the camera. The ST-E2 apparently fires a small flash-bulb type of affair, but with the filter in front of it, is 'near IR'.

12/15/2006 04:55:15 PM · #4

That is correct... I meant IR.... An RF solution would be great since it would probably have a greater distance and wouldn't suffer from line of site (I realize you get to use multipath indoors with IR but sometimes it wont work for you).

mpeters

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

12/15/2006 05:07:49 PM · #5

Originally posted by dleach:

I've just been trying to figure out a related Canon flash question. (Thanks David for your help BTW).

But regarding a cable for the PW to Flash, i found a page from a guy named ??? MIchael Bass ???? where he modifies the 580 to accomodate a cable. I'm pretty sure this is what you might be looking for. Didn't read the whole page but might be worth a search. I remember he was charging about 50.00 + shipping.

12/15/2006 05:16:35 PM · #6

Originally posted by mpeters:

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But regarding a cable for the PW to Flash, i found a page from a guy named ??? MIchael Bass ???? where he modifies the 580 to accomodate a cable. I'm pretty sure this is what you might be looking for. Didn't read the whole page but might be worth a search. I remember he was charging about 50.00 + shipping.

Yeah... I saw something about that as well but I'm not sure I want to go down the path of modifying my "new" 580ex. Seems a bit extreme. Maybe folks in this community have some experience with this?

AllanL

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

12/15/2006 05:43:50 PM · #7

From what I understand, you will need a hot-shoe adapter with a PC connection. This is quite cheap. Then you would just hook the PC cable to the PW.

pineapple

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

12/15/2006 06:17:32 PM · #8

I use a PW with a 580ex and had to buy ($45) from Paramount a connector to attach to the flash's hotshoe. I think this is the one you need. They ship fast.

On the other hand, just chuck the 580ex in the trash and buy a Nikon SB-800. No need for the $45 connector with Nikon.

12/15/2006 06:51:15 PM · #9

Awesome. You lose eTTL using PW's, but that's okay, sometimes all I need is a reliable, yet portable, light source.

pineapple

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

12/15/2006 09:26:24 PM · #10

I think of ETTL as a sort of drug addiction one has to kick. Better to learn the essence of the tool and then do manual settings. So losing it matters not so much and gaining the freedom of the PW is great. My only deep regret is not getting two PW receivers instead of one. Another item on my shopping list.

12/15/2006 09:39:01 PM · #11

Originally posted by pineapple:

I think of ETTL as a sort of drug addiction one has to kick. Better to learn the essence of the tool and then do manual settings.

I don't. Here's why:

At a wedding reception where the guests are dancing ... I can stick one of my slaves in the corner and then by keeping myself at an angle to the slave, I can get some nice side lighting.

Now remember, light reduces with the square of the distance ... so some people will be much closer to the slave (getting far more light), and some will be quite a distance. But either way, eTTL figures out the amount of light to send out.

With all the dancing, the fast moves, the fleeting expressions, the potential "memories", eTTL is the fastest way to capture the moment without under or over exposing the image. Try calculating your exposure and adjusting your aperture "on the fly" like that.

When I'm doing portraits with my strobes (i.e. when I have time to slow down and think) I'll get out the light meter and measure my light and do things "right". So I agree with you to a degree. I just don't think that that eTTL is always an addiction that needs to be kicked. Sometimes it can be very useful, especially when your subject is on the move.

12/16/2006 12:27:35 AM · #12

To the suggestion I chuck my 580ex... . well I just bought it a couple of months ago.

dwterry, when you setup a remote flash for your wedding shots do you also have a flash on you camera or are you using the canon IR remote?

I also remember reading an article of a wedding photographer that would setup 4 or 5 of these remote flash units to have a similar capture system....

12/16/2006 12:36:36 AM · #13

I keep the 580 on camera (actually, on a flash bracket) so that it provides some forward light. Then, ideally, I have my wife or one of my kids hold the slave. I just ask them to watch where ever I go and stay at a 45 degree angle to me (or sometimes get behind the people). More often than not, I'm shooting by myself, so that's when I just stick the flash in a corner somewhere out of the way and then watch my own angle to the flash. This doesn't always work out because sometimes the people aren't facing the right way for the shot I want. In this case, the slave doesn't get much of a chance at all to light the subject, so it's especially important to still have a flash on camera.

pineapple

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

12/17/2006 11:10:16 AM · #14

Luckily, I do not do weddings. I respect all of you that do. I cannot imagine a more fraught task. And it would take away my weekends from fun... ;-)

Lee_Mann

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

12/17/2006 03:39:14 PM · #15

I was also wondering if there was a way with the 20 to fire using the on board flash to trigger the 580 to fire also (i know the Nikon flashes do this just wondering if canons speed lights do the same?

12/17/2006 03:53:35 PM · #16

If Canon allowed the on-board flash to "play master", then there wouldn't be a need for the ST-E2 transmitter. Perhaps that makes too much sense, huh?

Lee_Mann

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

12/17/2006 04:22:54 PM · #17

I didn't mean to send exposure information or fstop or anything just to trigger it but i guess not. oh yea and by the way, thanks for being rude. im sure you know it all too.