questions about the ex580II and sekonic 358

[paul_serafini1]

I've been getting interested in taking my 580II off the camera and using it on a lightstand for portraits. I

either shoot with one light on a lightstand, but sometimes I leave another on the camera for fill. I've been

having pretty good luck with it, but I recently bought a light meter to use for these images...everyone I talked

to said I should be setting my key light at f8 and fill at f5.6 or so, but I'm finding that when I put the flash

on manual and 1/1 (i.e. 100%), I can rarely get up to f8. I would assume that my 580II just isn't strong enough,

which was my main concern all along. ANy other suggestions? Also, is there anyway to trigger the flash from my

subject, so I can hold the flash meter, take a reading and trigger the flash, all at once, and from the same

location? Somebody told me I could get a sync cord, but I don't know what that means.

[greg_moss2]

Not sure where to start.

I have the 580EX, not the II. Check the manual and see if you have a CFN 9. On the 580ex, the test button fires at 1/32 power by default. That's about 5 stops under maxium power. Try changing the CFN to On or 1. If you are firing the flash on the camera, that shouldn't matter. That may be why you can't get to f8.

 

A sync cord runs from the pc connector on the L358, (Under the cover at the bottom.) to the sync input on the bottom of the 580EX II. It looks like a headphone jack. Here's a Paramount cables(http://www.paramountcords.com/proddetail.asp?prod=pw-pc5h) that will do the trick if you are within 5 feet. Most Radio Shack stores will stock mini extensions that you can drag out to 15-25 feet. Set the flash on manual, set the L358 to the Corded flash mode (the Flash icon with the C) When you press the measuring button on the side of the meter, the 580 will flash and the meter will display the correct f-stop you need to set on the camera, Check you shutter speed and ISO to make sure they are within limits. And make sure to point the Lumisphere toward the camera position.

[greg_moss2]

Should have checked the 580EXII. The connector on the flash is a PC connector as well. Some have suggested that you use the Nikon screw mount so it won't come out. So you would need a long PC to PC sync cord.

 

5'

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/40258-REG/Paramount_PMB6C_PC_Male_to_PC.html

 

18' Extension

http://www.amazon.com/Bowens-Straight-Extension-Sync-Female/dp/B000ECYO6K

 

or this 15' Straight cable

http://www.samys.com/product_detail.php?item=6746

 

What camera are you using? Not all cameras have a PC connector. IF you don't have one, you can purchase an adapter for around $10

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/135782-REG/General_Brand_SF943_Hot_Shoe_to_PC.html

 

Can I confuse you anymore?

[sknowles]

If your Sekonic L-358 has the Pocket Wizard (PW) transmitter it will trigger the 580 EX II with the external sync cable

connected to a PW receiver (wireless Sekonic to PW). PW makes the cords for the flash. This will allow you to trigger the

flash with the Sekonic flash metering as well as triggering the camera and/or camera/flash depending on your setup. You

can also flash meter with the Sekonic using the time window option without any PW's or cords if you can trigger the flashes

during the window.

 

I'm not sure this helps or what you asked, but the two will work together to do almost anything you want with the right units

and cables. Check Pocket Wizard's Website.

[paul_serafini1]

Greg, thanks for the excellent advice. There is indeed a custom function (it's CF 7 by the way). This did increase my output quite a bit, but still having trouble getting to 8 from more than a few feet away. However, when I removed my umbrella, I got f32. Hmmmm.

[jason_hall5]

The flash is plenty strong enough for portrait with two or so subjects. I can not say that you will hit f8 when useing an umbrella(or other modifier). Here are examples of what I have done with a 580EX and a 580EXII, with an old promaster as a hair light.

 

http://jphotoarts.smugmug.com/photos/249078834_2xzJW-M-1.jpg

 

http://jphotoarts.smugmug.com/photos/249079332_kGUUx-M-1.jpg

 

My approach is that I set the flash to 1/2 to start with. I try at all cost to avoid full power for recycle time and battery drain. Of course I will use full when needed. As I said I will start with 1/2 and see what that gives me. If needed I will move the light closer to the subject. When I can, I will do what I can to be able to turn down the power. Again this is for recycle time. The first image was at f8 while the second was f4. The softness you see in the image was done in Photoshop.

 

The idea is that you want the fill light a half stop(or more) below the main light(that is a personal choice but a good place to start). So do what it takes to get your main light where you want it(exposure wise) and then set the fill light a half stop or so below what ever the main light is. In my opinion, do not get hung on needing f8 unless you have more than two subjects. Of course the lens you are useing could mean that you need f8 for good sharpness.(like useing some of the cheaper consumer lens).

 

With a set of studio strobes you can make the gear bend to your will. However with batter powered units like this, you have to be flexible and understand how to get what you want our of them. Here is a link to the best darn resource for that. http://strobist.blogspot.com

 

Here is the second.

 

http://www.lighting-essentials.com/

 

 

To trigger the flashes...you could do several things. One question is how do you sync the camera with the strobes now?

 

The way I do it. I use a Microsync wireless set. I just remove the transmitter from the camera hold it in my hand to trigger the flashes while taking measurements. Or course I do have to turn off and on the units as I go, but not a big deal with only a hand full of strobes.

 

Pocket wizards would be nice as the L-358 can trigger them with a $50 tramitter installed in the back.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Jason

[jason_hall5]

Also if you use a shoot through umbrella, you can get it closer to the subject(good for nice head shots) because the

rod does not get in the way. The shoot through does kill some power, but makes up for it with how close you can

get it to the subject, and how close you get the flash to the umbrella helps. Not to mention that by moveing the

umbrella (or any modifier) closer the subject, it increases the relative size and that makes the light softer. Good for

ladies and kids. For men you often want the light a little harder.

 

To add more flashes to your kit, I would look into getting a Vivtar 285HV. Can be had for about $90 US, or look on E-

bay for some used units. Many folks like the Nikon SB-xxx units as they have optical slaves and PC socket built it.

That makes it easy to sync multiple units. These are Stobist favs.

 

Jason

[jimstrutz]

If you can't get f/8 out of the flash, turn up the ISO (assuming you are using a digital camera), or use faster film. The 580EX is very capable of producing f/8 worth of light through (or off of) an umbrella, but perhaps not at 100 ISO.

[alan_myers]

Hi Paul,

 

Several things...

 

If you need a sync cord, check out www.paramountcords.com They make the best ones. I have a coiled, 10 or 15 ft custom cord from them, standard PC on one end, mini RCA on the other to fit my Norman monolights. (As well as around five spare "generic" sync cords and some extensions.)

 

You will probably want a PC male to PC female sync cord.

 

You know, in a sense you are defeating the whole purpose of Canon's ETTL system using a sync cord and a flash meter. You could also use an ST-E2 and get both flashes off-camera, set ST-E2 to fire the flashes in a 1:2 or 1:3 ratio (1:3 is likely the better choice). This can be done without any flash meter, with both flashes as slavers, controlled by the ST-E2 as master.

 

Now, a possible problem is I don't know if you can connect a sync cord to the 580EX. I use several 550EX, not 580EX, but can tell you for sure you can't connect one directly to those. You'd need to fit some sort of hot shoe under the flash, that has a PC sync type connection.

 

Another thought... You can gang multiple flashes through or reflected by an umbrella, to double the output. I have a custom made bracket for my monolites, to allow this on my main light side. This allows me to set them to 1/2 power, and speed up recycling considerably.

 

I'd suggest you get a copy of Susan McCartney's book on flash photography. There are tons of ideas in there. She's the original "strobist", in my opinion. She's been a proponent of working with gangs of simple, cheap flash units for many years, but the book looks at all the various options for location lighting, up to and including monolights and ETTL/ITTL controlled flashes.