Slave flash on Elan 7

Hello,

 

I have an EOS 30/Elan 7E with , 420EX flash and a third party TTL

flash.

Is there any option to use one of these 2 flashes as a slave one

without having the expensive wireless Canon flash system (550EX,

ST-E2, ...)?

Thanks for your answer

The beauty of the Canon E-TTL wireless multi-flash system is the ease of use because it features auto flash exposure as simply as it does with just a single on-camera flash.

 

All traditional studio flash setups require (an expensive) flash meter. This is also true for any simple (inexpensive) slave setup.

 

So the answer to your question is yes, you can rig up something to fire a slave but how are you going to determine correct exposure? Also, there are some complicating factors. If you use the 420EX on camera and you buy a cheap flash trigger for your other flash, the E-TTL preflash will fire the flash prematurely. If you use your TTL flash unit on camera and remotely trigger the 420EX as a slave (with the flash trigger), since it does not have a manual mode, I am not sure whether it will fire at full power or not and in any event you will still need a flash meter to determine exposure.

 

When you compare the "expensive" Canon wireless system with alternatives, it doesn't look too expensive, to me. If you don't believe that, then price some monolites or flash heads/power supply, light stands, umbrellas, etc.

While Canon's wireless E-TTL system is pretty nifty, it's nonetheless a shame that no EOS camera bodies with built-in flash units can serve as master units for wireless E-TTL flash. You need to use a 550EX, ST-E2 or Sigma EF 500 Super as a master.

 

You could hook up any flash unit you like to an optical slave trigger, but metering is a hit and miss affair if you don't have a flash meter.

There are some other options you have that I didn't mention before because they involve additional cost.

 

FWIW, you can use the Canon Hot Shoe Adapter 3 (HSA3) to disable E-TTL when you mount your 420EX and your camera will then operate in TTL mode. You can then use an Ikelite LiteLink to trigger your slave.

 

The advantage of this approach is that you do not need a flash meter as the LiteLink works in conjunction with the on-camera flash unit such that when the camera quenches the on-camera flash, the LiteLink will quench the slave output so you get camera controlled auto exposure.

<a href=mailto:uce@ftc.gov></a>

The following ideas came up at the Elan 7E group: <a href=

http://yahoogroups.com/group/elan7e

>http://yahoogroups.com/group/elan7e</a>

<P>

The TTL-HSA 3 lists for about $USD60. If you simply want to prevent the

E-TTL preflash on your 420EX, try using a scrap film leader to insulate

your hotshoe for the same effect. See:<br>

<a href=

http://eosdoc.com/manuals.asp?q=EX-M-TTL

>http://eosdoc.com/manuals.asp?q=EX-M-TTL</a>

<P>

Even better would be to filter your popup flash with some processed,

unfogged slide film. The IR signal is usually strong enough to trigger

optical slave triggers that can be used to synchronize your flash slaves.

Yet another (Cheaper & easier) way to use the Lite-Link ($80 at Adorama & B&H Photo) is to mount the third party flash on your camera and use the 420EX, mounted on the Lite-Link as the TTL slave. Unless the third party falsh is a Sigma EF500 Super, both flashes will be metered as straight TTL flash. If the third party flash was the EF500 Super, we wouldn't be having this discussion, since wireless E-TTL is built in.

 

So the bottom line is... ...$80 will get you wireless TTL metering for your two flashes. One on camera & the other off. For another $80 you can mount both flashes on Lite-Links & control them from the built in flash, for a three flash setup.

I am currently using a ST-E2, 550EX and 420EX for flash work. One of our club members was bragging about how his flash gear is not as complicated and expensive as mine: he uses Minolta gear!