580EX II Speedlight, Q Flash, Other Flash Options for 5D

[elliot1]

These questions relate to the 5D.

 

Is the 580EX II Speedlight the best way to go? Anyone use the Q Flash with

success? I tried it on my Nikon cameras without success.

 

I found a BVS PULSAR external flash battery pack for the 580 on ebay.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/External-Battery-Pack-Canon-580EX-Flash-CP-E3-Quantum_W0QQitemZ180164594091QQihZ008QQcategoryZ64354QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

I use the Nikon equivalent with my SB-800 and like it. Is this battery pack any

good? Are there other options?

 

Nikon's cameras have a wireless system built into them. Does this Camera have

the equivalent feature?

 

Is there a basic portable 3 light system I can use for portraits available that

someone here can recommend?

 

Thanks in advance for you replies.

[zacker]

it all depende, with the canon flas, youll get to take advantage of Canons ETTL.. I dont think your gonna get that with the Q-Flash.

 

If you want a good portable kit, try getting either the Vivatar flashes and some wireless triggers or get the 580 and a coupre 430 EX's, the 5 80 on your cam will act as Master to the 430 flashes or get canons wirless flash commander and fire all three flases off cam or get the newest 580 with the jack for plugging trigers into it and a set of Pocket Wizards. Try googeling Off camera lighting, theres tones of sites and forums out there, or check flickr, there are quite a few groups dedicated to this type of lighting.

[zigzag]

See lighting 101 at http://www.strobist.com

[stillbound]

the newest qflash does take advantage of ettl...I think. more money but more power....

[jason_hall4]

According to this article, The Q Flash is thier highest pick and is said to be the most accurate TTL period. I have never used one as they are out of my price range. I do well with the 580EX myself. They also really like the Metz 54mz

 

http://www.shootsmarter.com/infocenter/wc031.htm

 

Jason

[picturesque]

The T5D is supposed to be pretty nice but you will need to put it on a flash bracket--it does not go well on-camera. You can't go wrong with the 580EX II because it is fully integrated with the camera. Nobody can make the decision for you regarding the other flashes--they all have pluses and minuses. Re the portrait system--same thing--you can put together a kit based on shoemounts, either cheap, old auto thyristor flashes, or Canon wireless system or incorporate more powerful flashes. It all depends on your specific needs.

[jimstrutz]

If you are going to get a high end flash system, and are looking at an external battery pack for it, get a high voltage pack, not something like that 6 volt thing on eBay. They say it will keep up with 3fps for a couple seconds, but that is not with the flash at full power. In fact there is no measurable or verifiable data mentioned -- just a bunch of hype. In any case, a 6 volt pack is NOT going to be fast.

 

The Canon CP-E3, Quantum Turbo, or equivalent pumps out over 300 volts to light your flash in a big hurry. The 580EX II is actually pretty fast without an external pack, but if you need an occasional burst of speed the CP-E3/4 is the lowest cost way to get it.

 

People that use Quantum flash units usually swear by them. Not cheap, but apparently quite good.

[bluphoto]

Just to make you aware, if you use the 580EX2 flash as a master, in order to trigger another Speedlight as a slave then the PC sync socket on the 580 is disabled, for some obscure reason. If you want to use the 580EX as a master OFF CAMERA, then you'll need to connect to it using one of the following:

 

PC-sync lead and hotshoe adapter

 

Canon dedicated ETTL off camera hotshoe cord

 

Pocket Wizards with the receiver on the hotshoe (using a hotshoe adapter)

 

Elinchrom Skyport with the receiver again attached to a hotshoe adapter PLUS a modification to add a little capacitance (22nF) across the receiver terminals - You'll have to modify a lead or a hotshoe adapter to do this.

 

Ebay slaves - although I have not seen these work myself and apparently reliability is questionable.

 

Note that this is ony in MASTER mode, in STAND ALONE mode the PC sync socket works fine.

 

hope this helps.

Guy

[jason_hall4]

The PC socket is disabled when in master mode, HOLY CRAP! Glad I know now and not the hard way. Hope they change that!

 

Jason

[bluphoto]

Yeah,

Even shorting out the terminals with a pair of scissors on a short PC sync lead attached to the flash does NOT work when in Master mode. I know it sucks, and I think it was probably just an oversight by Canon, rather than designed that way on purpose, but it's true.

 

To fire the 580 Mk2 as master you HAVE to use the hotshoe. Okay, so it's not a deal breaker, but it might make someone think twice about buying the Mk2 JUST for the sync socket!

 

I guess it might be fixed using some sort of firmware upgrade, although I've no idea how a user would physically apply such an upgrade.

[jimstrutz]

<I>"The PC socket is disabled when in master mode, HOLY CRAP!"</I>

<P>

It would be illogical to try to use a $400 wireless E-TTL Speedlite in master mode when fired from its PC socket. I'm sure this is a deliberate disable on Canon's part and it will not change. In wireless master mode it needs its E-TTL control circuitry active, and that's not going to happen with a PC cable.