using 3 hot shoe flashes together

[sami_palta1]

<p>Have a Metz 58 AF II and 580 EX II to use together as master and slave.<br /> Planning to buy a cheaper speedlight (hotshoe flash) to use on camera's hotshoe and the other two as side flashes for portrait.<br /> Can I use (let's say a 220 EX or 270 EX) a small speedlight as master and two others (580 EX II and Metz 58 AF II) as slaves? Is it possible? Which small speedlight do you recommend for this purpose?<br /> May be better to use a trigger and transmitters between the speedlights? <br /> I know pocket wizard is a good brand but also very expensive. Good set for a studio but for someone who is amateur and no profit from my photography works, it can be expensive and will use it seldom. Cheap Chinese brands doesn't look reliable.<br /> Will be grateful to any experience and advice.<br /> Thank you</p>

<p>P.S.: my camera is EOS 5 D Mark II</p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>I use Nikon so I can't say whether your Metz and Canon flashes are compatible as far as built-in remote triggering goes. But a flash in the hotshoe is not the way to trigger off-camera flashes. The point of getting flash units off-camera is to get away from the look of on-camera flash. Yes, you can turn the on-camera flash down to a low output level to minimize interference with your lighting. But just about any flash unit you put there is going to cost more than a basic radio trigger set.<br /><br />The cheapest approach, of course, is a long PC cord to the first off-camera flash, and an optical slave on each additional unit. The cord would cost you about $20-25 and you can get Wein "peanut" slaves for around the same price each.<br /><br />If you want radio triggers, Pocket Wizard has finally gotten affordable, at least IMHO. Their new Plus X transceivers are only $99 each. That's not dirt cheap, but it's a good price for something that's an industry standard and will last a long, long time. If that's too much, the Paul Buff CyberSyncs go for about $60-70 for the transmitter and about the same for each receiver.Less than that and you get what you pay for.<br /><br />All of these options simply trigger the flash and do not transmit any sort of TTL information back and forth. But with off camera flash it's easier IMHO to use everything on full manual, especially if you are trying to mix and match different brands of flash.<br /><br />As always, read Lighting 101 at <a href="http://www.strobist.com">www.strobist.com</a> to learn more.</p>

[JosvanEekelen]

<p><a href="http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/">http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/</a> is a good start on Canon E-TTL photography. According to Metz the 58AF is fully compatible with Canon, BTW you can check that yourself by using one or your flashes as slave and the other as master, and vice versa.<br>

The 270 EX and earlier 2xx flashes don't act as a master, only as a slave with limited possibilities. So this is no alternative.<br>

Canon's STE-2 or alternatives can be used to master several flash units. This unit works with infrared so it's use is limited, especially outdoors. Pocketwizards are radio controlled, work over a greater distance but are more expensive. That being said my experience with the STE-2 is very positive.<br>

An option may be to buy a 3rd party cord as alternative to Canon's OCSC-2. 3rd party cords can be had with longer lengths. That way you can use one of your flashes as a master that triggers one or more slaves.<br>

Using the flashes all manual, the strobist way, may be a very sound alternative. IMHO easier to comprehend than a Canon E-TTL system with more than a few flash units.</p>

 

[ellis_vener_photography]

The very small Canon Speedlite you refer to cannot be used as a master. You'll need a 580EX II, 600 EX RT or

equivalent to act as a master.

 

If these are not for event typeset ups, have you considered a long hotshoe to flash cable so you have an off the camera

master? I use the 33' cable from http://www.ocfgear.com

 

Also check out Syl Arena's Speedlite book.

[model mayhem gallery]

<p>Speed lights can actually be more expensive that strobes and not nearly as powerful and are much harder to use and reproduce shots with.<br>

Look at some JTL for example.</p>

[model mayhem gallery]

<p>Speed lights can actually be more expensive that strobes and not nearly as powerful and are much harder to use and reproduce shots with.<br>

Look at some JTL for example.</p>

[fotografz]

<p>Phottix Stratos-II transmitter with pass through TTL on-camera for Canon ... mount the 580EX on the camera for TTL fill, then use two Phottix Stratos-II receivers with built-in hot-shoes and 1/4" stand mounts for the other two speed-lights. Those 2 off-camera speed-lightscan be set to M and you set the levels (best) ... or set to A using the auto eye that reads reflected light to control exposure (less reliable and doesn't work inside larger soft-boxes or with umbrellas). The other two speed-lights can be any brand or make. Sets are available on Amazon.</p>

<p>These radios are very reliable and robust. I've used mine for 2+ full seasons of tough and demanding wedding work without incident.</p>

<p><em>Note: speed-lights are wimpy solutions for serious lighting explorations ... their use is heavily promoted by big name shooters for big camera companies ... when in fact, M.P.'s post above is right ... IMHO.</em><br>

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