ST-E2

Hi.

 

Any thoughts on the ST-E2 wireless emmitter?

 

I use a 10D with a 550EX, and recently got a 420EX for use as a

slave. I have been so positively impressed with the wireless/slave

thing that I am thinking I should get a ST-E2 and move the 550EX off

the camera. That way, I would put one flash in each corner of a

room, and just wander around snapping away. . .

 

How well does this gizmo work? I imagine I would put one flash in

group A and the other in group B, possibly with a flash ratio.

 

I imagine this would really be useful when using longer lenses -> I

could set both flashes close to the subject and not worry about

running out of flash power. .

I'm by no means an expert, but I find it to work very well indoors.

Hi Jim,

 

I've been thinking exactly the same thing, the cable is so expensive and the ST-E2 so

much more flexible. The people that use them over on the wedding and event forum say it

is a very good tool. You might get some other users if you post over there, although there

are several threads about it in their archives.

 

Take care, Scott

I have had success with the ST-E2 and two 420EXs. The ST-E2 is simple to use and a lot of fun.

Scott, the cable system is TTL only, not E-TTL, so it will not work with any digital body anyhow. I have a cable system from pre-E-TTL days and it works fine in TTL mode with film and (now) a pair of 550EX flashes, but as you say the cost is ridiculously high for a few bits of cable and connectors, and it is also clumsy and hazardous. I too am thinking of getting an ST-E2. One reason to do so is that it uses IR only to communicate with the slaves, whereas if you use any actual flash as master, it sends out a white-light signal of which the receivers on the slaves pick up only the IR part of the spectrum. This does not matter during the pre-flash sequence, but a visible signal flash to cause other flashes to fire (which happens during exposure even if the master is set to OFF) can cause specular reflections on shiny objects. The only criticism of the ST-E2 that I have heard, really just a design limitation, is that it can control only A and B groups, no background group C.

What would the advantages be with getting another 420 ex and using the 550 or 580 as the master instead of the ST-E2? The 420 ex is sligtly less expensive than the ST-E2. Are there added features or benefits with the ST-E2 over the 550 or 580?

Good point. Getting a second 420EX would be cheaper than a ST-E2.

 

Then you would presumably use the550EX with "flash off" as the master, with nearly the same effect.

 

The only downside is the fact that the 550EX is big and heavy . . .and carrying three flashes with me would potentially be a pain.

 

. . .but I hear the 550EX has a longer range for communicating with slaves? And then I would have the option of using THREE flashes. . .

 

but here is the real reason I am thinking ST-E2 over a second 420EX: The "other half" thought I was off the deep when I got the first 420EX. Buying a second 420EX would have bad relationship effects.

 

Attaching a ST-E2 would not really attract attention -> the key is to not reveal how much the gizmo costs. :) Hmmm. Now that I think about it, I never mentioned how much I spend on the 1.4 Teleconverter either :)

The ST-E2 is *much* lighter and provides a better balance...and that did matter to me in the end. I too started out with the 3 flash theory but, soon enough I sold my 420 and bought an ST-E2. I couldn't be happier!

 

It's ultra-fast to setup and because it's so small and light you can actually leave it on your camera ALL the time, if you so desire.

 

It makes for an excellent portable studio with a couple of 550s and a couple of umbrellas or boxes. Works great outdoors as well but, not as good as a RADIO system, of course.

Hi Robin,

 

I was only thinking of the off camera shoe cord 2, that is fully Ettl and Ettl-II, but it is so

limiting in reach and there are more than a couple of owners who have questioned its

durability. Yes a full cable set up has nothing going for it at all now, complexity, limited

functionality and tripoverability, I just invented that hope to see it in a slave brochure soon

:o)

 

 

Take care, Scott.

Scott, you are of course quite right that the OCSC preserves full E-TTL/E-TTL2 functionality. It seems to be intended just to allow the flash to go on a bracket rather than in the camera shoe, and I think I heard that it will be used with the new bracket introduced with the 580EX.

"It makes for an excellent portable studio with a couple of 550s and a couple of umbrellas or boxes."

 

Exactly what I have been doing for the past 4 years, first with my élan II, and now my 10d. Works great and I will often just leave the ste-2 on the camera and carry a flash in my other hand positioning it as needed. I think you will still buy a ste-2 no matter how many flash you have as it frees up an extra flash and it makes the camera so much easier to manage (weight wise as said above). I did a wedding a couple of years ago where I setup 2 550's on stands. Worked great for large group shots (with the help of medium slow shutter speeds).

 

You can also mix and match 420's on auto and 550's on manual plus use ratio when using a ste-2. I wanted a small 4 light kit but, at the time, did not want to spend the money for 4 550's so bought 2 420's to go with the 2 550's I already had. I tried to do portraits with small umbrellas on 2 flash but could not set up the hair light and back light to work correctly in auto. Being that the 420's are fully auto, and I did not need the same amount of light for the hair light and back light, I used the two 550's (in manual) for the back lighting and set them to a much lower power setting. This worked great I was able to achieve the effect that I wanted, left / right ratio plus the right amount of back lighting. (You do have to set up the manual lights independently of the rest and then use FEL to set the auto lights when actually taking the picture. (the manual flash will not fire when using FEL so you will get the correct exposure without the back lights throwing it off). This also works great with a 3 flash setup (2 420 and a 550)

 

What I am saying is, get the ste-2. You will not go wrong.

 

My two cents.

Been reading a bit more today. . .

 

On the minus side;

- uses 2CR5 battery, not rechargable triple "A".

- AF assist pattern same as 550EX, which doesn't work for the 10D's top/bottom AF points.

- it does seem a bit pricey for what you get, doesn't it?

 

On the plus side

- every one seems to say it works well!

 

I read that the unit works in a 40 degree horizontal and 30 degree vertical range -> which seems pretty narrow. By the same token, i suppose this is similar to a IR remote, which works fine in indoor applications due to bouncing.

 

So I guess this will work pretty well in "homes" but not as well outdoors? (I suppose outdoors I probably wouldn't be carrying so much flash stuff anyway. . .)

You are right about outdoors, in that it is not as good as indoors but on the rare occasions that a flash doesn't fire due to lack of line of sight you will just have to come up with a "work around". Reposition the flash or, as I have done on a couple of occasions, put tinfoil over a piece cardboard laid just out of frame to "re-direct" the signal to the flash. Works fine.

 

There are limitations to this system but if you are only casually using it then it's fine. If I was making a living doing on location type jobs then it would probably be radio transmitters and mono-lights. For a small, very portable and versatile system this is still a very good setup.

Jim,

 

On the contrary, it doesn't work as good in outdoor, especially in bright sunlight area,

somehow it intereferes with the lightbeam, but condition is pretty much rare. I would say

that this is one of our smartest investment yet, 2nd to the canon system that we have for

more than 10 years...although I could be biased :)

I have an elan 7eqd with 420ex,st-e2,550ex. I wanted to set up studio

type photography. I tried many time to change ratio between 420ex and 550ex with st-e2 mounted on my camera. But the picture just

didn't come out what I thought it should be. the light always seem

the same to me until I've read the st-e2 manual carefully. The "ratio

setting does not work" with elan7 camera. I've called canon tech support 1-800-ok-canon. they told me the ratio setting doesn't work on the latest 20d digital camera either. I was pissed so I've traded my 420ex for 580ex. Now i can set flash compensation to offset

ratio setting on st-e2.

 

I've taken pictures with 580ex and 550ex as slave with fec. It's coming out beautifully.

 

You could use 420ex as the main light and 550ex as the fill in light.

but the 420ex guideno is smaller.

 

My understanding of the main use of st-e2 is design for higher end camera eos3 or higher.

 

The only thing that is good for with st-e2 on lower end camera is small,light on weight on camera and sets off e-ttl signal to slaves

flash. soon as you turn on the camera it is on ettl mode, cannot

use as manual flash completly.

 

Peter

<i>they told me the ratio setting doesn't work on the latest 20d digital camera either. I was pissed so I've traded my 420ex for 580ex. Now i can set flash compensation to offset ratio setting on st-e2.</i>

<p>

Ok. I am confused. Are we saying that the ratio adjustment on the ST-E2 won't work on newer bodies (like the 20D)? If the ST-E2 ratio won't work. . .what makes me think that the ratio will work with a 550EX?

<p>

With a 580EX now in the picture, are you still using the ST-E2? or are you setting ratios with a 550EX and the 580EX on top?

<p>

Where can I find out the real compatibility skinny?

yes. I was told by canon support st-e2 ratio settings will not work

on 20d as i was contemplating buying 20 myself. my st-e2 manual says

it was design for eos-3 camera only.

 

The ratio can be ajusted through manual flash exposure compensation on

550ex or 580ex only but not on 420ex since 420ex has no manual control. I simply just turn the st-e2 ratio off since it doesn't work on elan 7 body.

 

with 580ex flash i bought i still use st-e2 to trigger 550ex and 580ex with ratio turn off on st-e2. my 580ex is now set as the main

light and 550ex as the fill light. If I want 2 stop less on the fill

light, I simply set my 550ex with -2 fec.

 

 

Perhaps anyone who has the same system I do has differ.

I've just spoke to canon support again, but differenet guy. I

was told with 420ex,550ex with st-e2 as master on 20d will not

be able to set ratio on st-e2 unless 420ex and 550ex are

hard wired together which I find that a complete nonesense.

 

However he did say if you have 20d with 2 550ex or better (580ex)

and st-e2 as the master, flash ratio on st-e2 will work.

 

The best thing for you to do is before you buy st-e2, you should go

the store and test st-e2 with your camera 10d and 420ex and 550ex see

you can adjust flash ratio.

 

without flash ratio on st-e2 is just a pain in the ass as you need

to walk over to ajust your 550ex or 580ex. but it is even more dissapointing when you have no real control over the stuff you

bought and paid a lot for it that's why I got rid of my 420ex and got

580ex. its lot more fun to have complete control over the outcome.

 

 

 

 

Good luck.

Peter;

 

I read your posts with GREAT interest, and while you were typing I was doing some research:

 

1) As you know flash metering is a function of the camera body, not the flash unit.

 

2) At the time the ST-E2 was released (and the manuals written), the ONLY body that supported flash ratio's was the EOS 3. Today, that list is longer and according to the "flash bible", this list includes the Elan 7, and 10D. I does not include the 20D or 1D-II, but this section may (or may not?) be out of date.

 

So, when the manual says "only works with EOS 3", it was true. True for when it was written.

 

3) I cannot imagine that flash ratio control control protocol is implemented differently in the ST-E2 vs the 550EX and 580EX. Do these flash units control flash ratio properly on your 20D?

 

4) If I ever get to a store, you can be ASSURED I will test this functionallity out.

tom

 

I can rest assure you that despite whatever document that saids

elan 7 work with st-e2 for flash ratio. I tested it myself with

sekonice l-358 flash meter that the ratio do not work on my

elan 7eqd body. elan7eqd was manufactured and released after eos3

and st-e2.

<i>However he did say if you have 20d with 2 550ex or better (580ex) and st-e2 as the master, flash ratio on st-e2 will work. </i>.

<p>

This is utter nonsense. Ratio control is a function of the body, not the <i>slave units</i>!

<p>It should not matter not one whit if the flash unit is a 550EX, 420EX, or 580EX. The only thing that counts is if the flash unit is capable of being a slave unit (ie, a 550EX, 420EX, or 580EX). Further, I don't think any of the 580EX digital features will work if the unit is operated off camera in slave mode -> so the only way a 580EX would be better is due to the fact that it has a slightly higher guide number ('mo power!)

<p>

Hmmm. Testing is definately required.

Well, from practical experience, two years after this thread started, the 20D will certainly support adjustment of flash ratios with the ST-E2, using a combination of 550EX and 430EX.

 

Dave