jen_stone

<p>Thanks everyone for your responses! I checked out The Strobist blog and it is pretty amazing, thanks for the recommendation. I will definitely spend some time reading through all of the information there, and try to take things step by step.<br>

<br />As far as specifics go with the equipment, just to clarify, will both the 600ex rt and the 580 ex ii work as masters to the 430 ex ii that I already own via canon's optical slave mode? Or will only the 580? I have found some conflicting information on whether the new 600 can optically trigger a 430.</p>

<p>I know that radio triggering is ultimately the way to go, but if I want to ease into off camera flash gradually (which seems to be one of the main points in The Strobist blog), will a 600 on camera with a 430 off camera on a stand, either triggered by pc cord or optically, work? Eventually I'm sure I will replace the 430 with something stronger, but in the time being it seems the 430 would have to be the one to go off camera, since it cannot function as a master.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>Hi-<br>

<br />I have recently been building my photography business (focusing mostly on weddings as far as business goes) and have several booked for this spring. Up until now, mostly working as a second shooter, I've just been using a 430ex II on a Mark II and bouncing it, but with more weddings coming up, many of which are in dark venues, I want to begin to understand and use off camera flash. I've tried to find basic information on the set up online, but it's a little overwhelming and I'm not sure where to even start. I assume that I will get a 600ex as a start, but I'm not sure about everything else that I will need to most efficiently and cheaply set something up, since I don't have a ton to invest at this point and would like to put as much as possible into lenses.<br>

<br />From my research, it seems like with a 600ex and my existing 430ex, that I could keep the 600ex on camera and use the 430ex as an optical slave on a stand if I buy Pocketwizards and an appropriate PC cord (not sure which one). I'd probably also buy battery packs for the flashes to shorten recycle time. Could anyone shed some more light on this for me, as far as whether that is all I will need, what else I would need if anything, and whether this equipment (600ex, 430ex, and Pocket Wizards) would work together well? From what I've read the 600ex will only radio trigger other 600exs, and I'm not ready to buy two flashes.</p>

<p>Thanks so much for your help, and I apologize if this has been asked before.</p>

<p>-Jen</p>