Canon flashes and Radio Slaves

So here's the deal,

 

I use radio slaves a LOT during the course of my action sports

shooting. I started out with Nikon years ago, then went digital with

Canon a couple years back. But I have always kept my Nikon SB

speedlights because they have a PC connection and my radio slaves

(Pocket Wizards) require that in order to trigger the flashes.

 

But I'm finally getting tired of lugging aroud 4 different

speedlights. Is there an easy and solid way to connect radio slaves

to Canon speedlights?

 

Please don't tell me about the Canon wireless TTL. It is neat for

what it is, but it does NOT replace what I use the radio slaves for.

I should also point out that I'm not interested in using an optical slave due to the fact that they do not work for my use. And that I used the word "solid" because I'm hoping someone has a solution other than those cheap flimsy "dot-line" hot shoe adapters. I have tried them and had little success.

 

I just want to do one thing, and that is to hook my Canon speedlights up to my pocket wizard radio slaves.

That'll teach me to not use the "search' function. You'd think that a moderator would know better.<p>

Paramount cords sells the exact solution for this problem (sadly they are $35):<br><img src="http://www.paramountcords.com/images/mhsf1.jpg"><P>Also, the pocketwizard forum <a href="http://www.macuserforums.com/webx?14@49.W3WVaAgDklf.1@.ee706a0">HERE </a>has a lot of good advice abotu PW products and problems.

<P>

And finally, this was already asked and answered <a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=008g4F">HERE</a>.<P>

Bob, you can delete this if you want.

why even use multiple canon speedlights... or any other dedicated style flash when using multiple flashes with radio slaves? its more economical and just as effective to use some powerfull manual flash with varipower adjustments.... sunpak 555/544, viv 285hv, sunpak 383, mets 45ct, etc. the vivitar 285hv's even have a 1/1000th sec flash duration at full power... greeat for action stopping.<div></div>

also... you can get like 4 viv 285's or 2 or 3 sunpak 544's for the price of one 550ex. i dunno... it just doesnt make sense to own multiple canon speedlights if you are using them manually with radio slaves. especially if they dont even have pc terminals... my 2 cents

Amen

Is the manual power output on most EX's variable in full or 1/2-1/3 stops?

 

I know that the new 580ex has variable power output in 1/3 stop increments which the 550ex did not (full stop only) and which made the 550ex a poor option as far as I was concerned. I just bought another Metz 54MZ4 because of this difference.

 

I also use Pocket wizards with the Metz flashes and have to use the same attachment you've just discovered.

JJ

Why? Well because I already own the Canon flashes. Sure you can do fine with 283's or whatever. But I don't like using them as much as I like my other speedlights.

 

And since I'm doing just fine with my flash usage, I'm going to stick with what I like.<div></div>

hahaha. i wasnt tryin to come across offensively dude... or tell you what to do. honest. sorry ;-)... i dont care how you shoot at all. still, it just seems like a waste of money and equipment overkill to use canon speedlights for what you're doin with flashes. i was just posting my opinion on your situation for others reading this forum to consider, and i stand by what i said. but if you already own multiple speedlights, are willing to shell out more dough for the connections to hook them to PW's, and like using them... thats fine with me! ha. nice flick btw

Canon's Wireless E-TTL works well for what it's designed for (people pictures mostly), but it would be a mess trying to get it to do what you guys are shooting here. Manual flash is probably the only thing that's going to work consistently well.

 

When I'm shooting manual I prefer to use lights that work easily with standard connections. It just makes things faster/easier/cheaper. It seems that Canon goes out of their way to make using their Speedlites difficult with anything that Canon doesn't get to sell you. Adding a simple PC connector should have been an easy thing to do for Canon.

 

I can certainly understand not wanting to get more gear than you already have to do this, but there are better flash units for manual operation. The Sunpak 522/544/555 has more power than a 550EX and works with most anything to get it to fire.

 

When I do multiple flashes in manual I somtimes use a 550EX along with Sunpak 555 and 522. But then I have to use the 550EX either on camera, or attached to a Light-Link. I hope you can get the PW system to work with the Speedlites, but it just seems like so much bother to me.

>>I hope you can get the PW system to work with the Speedlites, but it just seems like so much bother to me.<<

 

Canon 550EXs will work just fine with ANY triggering device (be it radio, IR or OPTICAL) provided a proper cord is used. Paramount makes the ONLY cord I know to work perfectly with the Canon 550EX flash. While much more expensive than a readily available cord/adapter they are worth the price.

 

Canon SHOULD have provided a PC contact on them! But, they probably figured that NO one would buy them UNLESS they were going to use them with an EOS camera in E-TTL mode. So, it was cheaper to skip the PC connector...