How to use the 580ex off-camera - DPChallenge Forums

Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux M Aspherical MF - Black

02/13/2007 07:33:02 PM · #1

Hi I just got a 580ex and I am loving it but I would like to know, what options do I have to use it off-camera? I own a 400D

Thank you very much,

Ivan

scarbrd

Leica M10

02/13/2007 07:37:14 PM · #2

You need this

//www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelDetailAct&fcategoryid=141&modelid=8304

My favorite accessory.

Less expensive option is the Off-Camera Shoe Cord2

02/13/2007 07:59:36 PM · #3

Originally posted by scarbrd:

You need this

//www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelDetailAct&fcategoryid=141&modelid=8304

My favorite accessory.

Less expensive option is the Off-Camera Shoe Cord2

Thanks, and ouch ;)

02/13/2007 08:44:41 PM · #4

Any other comments on how you do it?

Thanks

rex

Canon PowerShot SD780

02/13/2007 08:45:52 PM · #5

you could buy a 430EX and use it as a slave for the 580EX.

But you might as well buy the transmitter

02/13/2007 08:48:58 PM · #6

Originally posted by rex:

you could buy a 430EX and use it as a slave for the 580EX.

But you might as well buy the transmitter

Yes, the extra flash costs almost the same as the transmiter and the 580ex could work as a master.

Guess I will have to learn how to bounce it in creative ways LoL

Message edited by author 2007-02-13 20:49:10.

rex

Canon PowerShot SD780

02/13/2007 08:49:48 PM · #7

Originally posted by Valdo:

Originally posted by rex:
you could buy a 430EX and use it as a slave for the 580EX.

But you might as well buy the transmitter

Yes, the extra flash costs almost the same as the transmiter and the 580ex could work as a master.

Guess I will have to learn how to bounce it in creative ways LoL

You could always buy a lightsphere

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

02/13/2007 08:52:38 PM · #8

Originally posted by rex:

Originally posted by Valdo:

Originally posted by rex:
you could buy a 430EX and use it as a slave for the 580EX.

But you might as well buy the transmitter

Yes, the extra flash costs almost the same as the transmiter and the 580ex could work as a master.

Guess I will have to learn how to bounce it in creative ways LoL

You could always buy a lightsphere

Thanks, Got it already, haven't had time to try it a lot. The dvd that comes with it is quite crappy, but the tupperware does works. Do you have any special tips?? thnx again

Message edited by author 2007-02-13 20:55:56.

Skip

Canon EOS-1D X

02/13/2007 10:20:30 PM · #9

i shot this with a gary fong lightsphere. can't do without it.

i shot this with the shoe cord, holding the flash in my hand.

both the cord and the lightsphere together should be cheaper than adding a 420 and/or a wireless transmitter.

it takes a bit to get used to, but it will really let you do some killer stuff.

Gordon

RIM BlackBerry Curve

02/13/2007 10:31:20 PM · #10

The cheaper option would be a PC sync cord and a hotshoe adaptor. Costs about $20 but you have to shoot in manual mode.

Or you could get the off brand off shoe cord for about $25. Or you could hack that and slip an ethernet cable in between and get about 10ft to 30ft range and TTL support, for about $40.

Pocket wizards are another option ~ $360 for wireless remote control up to 1600ft, but no TTL at that point.

02/14/2007 09:01:25 AM · #11

Ivaldovi,

Not a great deal of experience here, but I would vote for getting the 430EX. It is so little more money than the transmitter and will open up new possibilities. I have also heard that the transmitter is worse about requiring line-of-site. I am mounting my 430EX on a stand and put my 580EX on a camera bracket on the camera. The 580 can control and fire the 430. TTL is fully supported and both flashes can be controlled by making changes to the 580 (Master:Slave ratios,exposure comp etc). I use a shoot-through umbrella on the 430EX stand and a Lightsphere on the 580... but consider diffusion an only-slightly-related topic.

If you go that route pm me - I have collected a bunch of info on the topic (and have already picked the brains of several excellent DPC members who use this setup).

Gordon

RIM BlackBerry Curve

02/14/2007 09:12:50 AM · #12

Originally posted by santaspores:

If you go that route pm me - I have collected a bunch of info on the topic (and have already picked the brains of several excellent DPC members who use this setup).

Would be great if you could share it for all us 580/ 420 owners out here.

danielv

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

02/14/2007 09:18:29 AM · #13

I have the ST-E2. By the way it's half the price of the 430ex as far as I see it (125EUR vs 250EUR or so).

It works very well.

using the 430 as a slave to the 580 has one issue: you have to keep the 580 (ie more powerfal) on your camera, which is not where you want most of the time.

Elmakias

Canon EOS-5D

02/14/2007 09:23:31 AM · #14

i acutally just got the 580 as master/ 430 as slave set up
my 430 came in the mail yesterday along with a lightstand and umbrella, so i am actually jsut learning
all i can say, is so far its great!
i still hav alot to learn about my flases, but its worth it
IMO, dont get the transmitter, you might as well invest in the flash
//adam

scarbrd

Leica M10

Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux M Aspherical MF - Black

02/14/2007 09:29:21 AM · #15

Originally posted by Gordon:

Originally posted by santaspores:

If you go that route pm me - I have collected a bunch of info on the topic (and have already picked the brains of several excellent DPC members who use this setup).

Would be great if you could share it for all us 580/ 420 owners out here.

I have the 580/420 combo, but also the remote transmitter.

My only issue with the 580/420 and NO transmitter is that the 580 is still either on the camera or tethered very close to it.

The line of site is an issue but it's not bad.

This shot, for example,

I used the 580 and the transmitter, the 580 was behind the subject both behind a closed door.

being able to place the lights exactly where you need them is extremely valuable IMO.

Good lighting is a pricey endeavor no matter how you do it. I also have a 3-head Novatron kit for really serious lighting. The 2-flash w/remote is great for quick setups, on location, and for experimenting with light placement without taking a lot of time move the lights around.

This one

was done with the 2 Canon flashes and the remote transmitter. My wife and the girl's mother each held a flash (moving light stands!) This was really nice since dealing with young subjects, you can lose them quickly. We were done in under 15 minutes on this particular shoot.

Even doing street photography

This was taken at 11:00 PM on Michigan Ave in Chicago with a single flash held 15-20 feet from the subject and off to one side.

Having the remote transmitter really opens up a lot of possibilities.

If I had to choose between the 580 and a 420 or a 580 and the remote transmitter, I'd go with the remote transmitter.

Just my 2 cents.

02/14/2007 10:08:04 AM · #16

Gordon. I don't mind sharing what info I have gathered on dual strobes. I have more than 20 pages of info though. I will go through it and post the best info in a separate thread. I would be thrilled to give something back to this community!

Gordon

RIM BlackBerry Curve

02/14/2007 10:14:26 AM · #17

Originally posted by scarbrd:

My only issue with the 580/420 and NO transmitter is that the 580 is still either on the camera or tethered very close to it.

The line of site is an issue but it's not bad.

Is it true that with a ST-E2 on the camera and a 580 'somewhere' out there in line of sight, that you could trigger a 420EX that can't see the camera, but can see the 580EX ? I.e., can the 580 act as a relay master for the second strobe ?

I'm looking to pick up a ST-E2 on ebay, but I'm going for cheap so in no hurry :)

tcmartin

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

02/14/2007 10:16:13 AM · #18

I bought these for $25:
Wireless Flash Trigger

They are awesome and way fun. They are radio and not IR so you can use them in many situations that IR won't work.

No TTL, but I like setting my own stuff on the flash anyway as it forces me to learn what I am doing.

There is a problem when using these with the 580Ex and the 430Ex which I have. However, they will send you some DIY tips on building a little radio interference shield with electrical tape and aluminum foil - which was kind of fun and totally fixed the problem.

Highly recommended!

nards656

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

Tamron SP AF 24-135mm f/3.5-5.6 AD Aspherical IF for Canon

02/14/2007 10:20:12 AM · #19

Originally posted by tcmartin:

Public advice on the radio shielding - or a PM to me - would be nice. Thanks!

PGerst

Canon EOS-20D

02/14/2007 10:29:01 AM · #20

Check out this link:

Canon 580Ex tricks

02/14/2007 11:05:07 AM · #21

Information about using multiple Canon flashes.

Paul posted the best link. Here are the two I used most
//super.nova.org/DPR/
//photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/index2.html#multipleunits

Because those (many) pages contain all of the theory and specifics (they are excellent), Iâ��ll not repeat them. Rather I will give just a quick rundown of how I set upâ�¦

I place the 430EX onto a Adorama Universal Swivel Holder (781404).
I then place the swivel holder onto a stand (8.4 ft max load=15 lbs).
I place a 33" shoot through on the swivel
I set the 430EX master/slave switch to SLAVE. I make sure that it is on channel 1 (which it will be by default) and set it to B. So the 430EX is set to slave 1b. Also make sure that the mode is on ETTL.
I generally start by putting the 430EX at 4-8 feet and 45 degrees from the subject, raised above the subjectâ��s eyes, and pointing down at a bit of an angle.

I attach a Stoboframe camera flip bracket to my tripod. I mount my 580EX to that. I place a Lightspere on the flash head. I set the 580EX master/slave switch to MASTER. I make sure that it is on channel 1 (which it will be by default). The master is always set to A, so it is 1a. Also make sure that the mode is on ETTL. Now there are a couple of things I will play with during a shoot. Firstly, you can adjust master:slave ratios on the 580EX. NOTE that if you select a ratio of say 1:2 that the 1 represents the portion of light provided by the master and the 2 represent the light provided by the slave (which we are using as our key light). So in the 1:2 example, the 430EX (which is set to slave and acts as key light) is providing twice the amount of light as the 580EX which we are using for fill. The second thing I will play with during a shoot is exposure comp. If you dial up or down it will effect your total light (both flashes).

If I move my lights around I hit the pilot light on the 580 and make sure that the flashes can still communicate with each other (hitting the pilot will cause both flashes to fire).

I give my subject a white bath cloth to hold for my first test shot â�� I make sure that I retain all the detail in my cloth and that I am not blowing out my highlights.

I use hot lights to light my bg, but have not had a lot of success adding them to the general lighting conditions. The canon system will let you add a third strobe (as c) for a bg light - it will not be factored into lighting equations.

Message edited by author 2007-02-14 11:15:04.

02/14/2007 11:23:11 AM · #22

Oh, here are some examples from the setup I posted:
And please keep in mind I am just beginning to test...

Message edited by author 2007-02-14 11:23:26.

02/14/2007 03:17:25 PM · #23

Originally posted by santaspores:

Thank you very much, I just got the 580ex I guess I will give myself some time to learn how to use it properly and using some difussion like the lightsphere and then go and buy something else. My wife is not that happy with this hobbie of mine LOL I think I could get hold of a 430ex from a friend and give a try before deciding.

Tnx

02/14/2007 03:38:18 PM · #24

Originally posted by PGerst:

Check out this link:

Canon 580Ex tricks

Great link Paul,

Thanks