EX 580EX II problems.

I posted similiar question before, but here it goes again: does anybody know

about possible compatibility issues between Canon 1D MkII and 580EX II ?

 

As far as I am concerned - this flash is a disaster - at least on my camera.

Fill light seems to work reasonably well (or maybe the flash shortcomings are

masked by proper Av exposure of the background).

 

The symptoms: sometimes it does not switch properly on when on the camera. It is

switched on and charging - but the menus do not respond. Sometimes it blasts the

scene with full poer, causing dramatic overexposure.

 

Very consistently it produces 1.5 to 2 stops of underexposure when in ETTL II

mode (and I am not talking about shooting white or very light tone scene). To

some extent it can be avoided by using FEL, or by switching CF14 to 1 (which

basically disables ETTL II). Funny thing that identical histograms are produced

when CF14 is set to 1, and when FEL is used. Does that mean that ETTL II is (at

least partially) disabled ?

 

550EX behaves much better in the same situation by default - and 580EX II is not

too bad when CF14-1 or FEL is used.

 

But then - what's the point in having a ETTL II flash if one can't use it ?

 

To avoid well-intentioned advice - no, this is NOT dirty contacts or loose

hotshoe issue. 550EX and 430EX work OK, and both the contacts and hotshoe have

been checked/cleaned (just in case).

 

The only thing which comes to mind is compatibility issue.

The problem is that my 550EX kind of died (does not fire, although all menus

work and the bulb is OK - also checked, but this is beside the point). 550EX

goes to Canon for repair, but I have given up on the 580EX II (considering a

number of similiar posts all over the net there doesn't seem to be any point

trying to do anything, since Canon never admits cockups with their products).

To find out for sure whether there is a problem or not, send both your camera and flash to Canon to have them checked (highly recommended).

 

Or you can try another flash on your camera or your flash on another camera.

Thank Elliot. Does that mean that 580EXII does not underexpose ?

580EX II and problems? Am I the only person on the planet that finds it highly annoying that

they removed the "master-slave" switch that was on the first 580EX? Like everything from

microwaves to BMWs it's a "menu" item now. Sheesh.

No, John, you are not the only one. But I can live with small annoyances - if everything else works OK. In this case it does not, though. Or - I am the only person on the planet who...etc. etc.

Leszek, I find I don't get consistently accurate flash exposure with either flash. I really notice any difference between them. You need to determine whether the problem is your camera, flash or both.

 

 

You may find this post of interest:

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00Oz5S

 

I have read numerous others just like it.

Thanks Elliot. I need to clarify: I have done a lot of search on the net and found some references to (not advetised by Canon) some incompatibility between 580EX II and the cameras designed before this flash. I also found hundreds of complaints identical to mine.

 

Also - I need to say this: I AM NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT MY INABILITY TO OBTAIN WELL EXPOSED IMAGES WITH THIS FLASH.

 

The above is said to prevent well-meaning people from refering me to the EOS Flash Bible or advising me to "master my equipment" and "learn idiosyncrasies".

 

If I put camera on a tripod, use cable release to avoid any possible movement, shoot two images with flash and identical settings and they come out with DIFFERENT exposure and histogram - then the problem is not with me but with the bloody flash. Particularly, when 550EX on the same camera gives consistent and reasonably well exposed pictures.

 

Which 580EX II can give too, if ETTL-II is disabled by CF14-1 on the camera. I hope that I have made myself totally clear.

I don't own this combo, but it seems to me you have two things going on here. I have also heard about the overexposure and "not being on" with the 580EX II. For this, I believe you need to send the flash to Canon to be repaired.

 

The other issue does not ring true to me. Custom Function 14 is evaluative vs. averaging flash metering, but both are ETTL II. The former is matrix metering, where the flash uses Canon's sometimes arcane algorithms. The latter just averages the readings from the metering segments (as far as I know). FEL is similar to CF14-1 because it uses the center area of the viewfinder (I think) to meter. The 1DMkII's metering segments are toward the center and not in the corners. In my experience, ETTL (II or whatever) has always tended to underexpose. I gave up on the original ETTL and used auto thyristor. While I have and use a 580EX, I also got a Metz 54MZ4-i, which has ETTL II (a Metz simulation) and auto thyristor. If you want to see pretty consistent flash metering, try a Metz auto thyristor flash. It isn't perfect, but it is predictable because the compensations are logical. Have you tried the external auto feature of the 580EX II? Not as integrated, but worth a try, although I've heard it also tends to underexpose.

Nadine - thanks. The expression "ETTL-II is disabled by CF14-1" was kind of artistic licence - the point is, much more consistent exposure is obtained with CF14-1. In fact, comparison of images shot from a tripod with EX550, EX590II + CF14-1, and EX580II + FEL reveals almost identical histograms. That's why I said "ETTL-II is disabled" in a sense that maybe distance alghoritms are disabled or at least some of the "improvements" incorporated into 580EXII. Evaluative ETTL-II is a part of the changes in this flash - and it does not work IMHO. So - I disabled not the whole ETTL-II, but the "improved" part of it :)