Remote flash from flash on ex580

[davidbridge]

My friend has a Nikon camera and speedlite and recently found a hack

on a web site whereby he can remotely trigger his flash from the

flash on the camera.

 

Can this be done on the Ex580? Its not a standard feature. I bought

a device that I can plug on to the speedlite but it only works once

after which I have to turn off the speedlite and then turn it back

on to take the next shot. This is a bit annoying to say the least

and I am not convinced it wont eventually damage my rather expensive

flash unit.

 

In the Nikon the feature was always there nut Nikon chose to disable

it. To get it to work you just press a cryptic sequence of buttons

on the flash unit. It works great. They disable it as they sell an

aftermarket unit that does the job for �50! Now thats cheeky.

 

I know that I would have to set the flsh up manually but it saves

spending another �150 on a controller.

 

Suggestions?

 

Dave

[phoneguy]

That would be called a slave. The 580 ex works as both a master, and a slave. RTM

 

Mike

[grinder]

Mike, I think David is refering to optical slave rather than the RF that Canon uses. David the 580 does not have an optical slave function but another 550 or 580 can trigger it using RF Radio Frequency. Or you can use you 580 to trigger the 420ex 430ex 550ex and 580ex. There is one more option to use an st-e2 to trigger the remote flashes.

 

Does that help or make it worse?

 

,Grinder

[grinder]

Also the sigma 500DG super is fully compatible with the Canon flashes and half the price. It isnt as nice quality but works the same and has a built in optical sensor as well as all the features of the 580EX.

[david_le1]

I doubt your friend found a hack. I use a Nikon D70s, and the D70s and I think the D200 has a i-ttl sensor right above the sign "D70s". I think you can set your Canon EX to slave to where it flashes when it sees flash.

[fourfa]

"Does that help or make it worse?"

 

Worse. Donald is incorrect. Canon's wireless flash system is optical, not RF. The 580EX (and 550EX) can be used either as a standard TTL flash, wireless master, or wireless slave. The 430EX and 420EX can only be wireless slaves or TTL flashes.

[jimstrutz]

But Donald is right that the Sigma EF-500 DG Super has a built in generic optical slave, while the Canon Speedlites do not.

 

David le is wrong however, in his assumption that "...you can set your Canon EX to slave to where it flashes when it sees flash." The newer Nikon's and Minolta cameras can control their respective flash units from the Camera's built in flash, but Canon's wireless flash system cannot.

 

David, you can get an optical slave that does not lock up your 580EX Speedlite. It's an Ikelite Lite-Link TTL slave - $80 at Adorama. It's designed to work with film cameras that don't use a pre-flash, but it works fine for digitals if you trigger it with a non-preflash unit, or an EX series fired in manual flash mode since there is no pre-flash then. There is no way to use it with a digital cameras built in flash though, since that one always fires a pre-flash.

 

Interesting thing about the Lite-Link on a digital camera is you can use an auto flash (Vivitar 283, etc.) as the on camera master, and set the 580EX in TTL mode on the Lite-Link. Then the 580EX will quench when the 283 does for perfect exposures. Low cost way to get wireless auto flash exposure on a digital camera.

[mark u]

Unfortunately Ikelite have discontinued the Lite Link and it is no longer available other than second hand. Adorama no longer have any stock.

[awindsor]

You can dump the preflash using FEL and then use the main flash to trigger optical slaves. It is not a very elegant work around though.

[grinder]

No andy you are 100% incorect canon uses RF not optical.

[grinder]

I correct myself. they are IR but they do not use optical slaves they must be controlled as described in my post above by other masters or an ST-E2.

[grinder]

Here is an excellant http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-580EX-E-TTL-2-Speedlite-Flash-Review.aspx

[grinder]

David my apologies for saying it was RF Andy My apologies I thought you where referring to optical in the sense it can be triggered by a flash bulb. They are in fact IR.

 

Need some sleep.

[jimstrutz]

The ST-E2 uses IR light (or near IR), but when using a 550EX or 580EX as master it can use white light from the flash head to do the same thing. But Canon's wireless system uses coded pulses of light to set up and trigger the slaves, so they wont respond to just any flash like the Sigma can.

 

Most unfortunate about the Lite-Link. It was a great tool for some things. I guess I'll keep mine.