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Archive 2012 · Wirelessly controlling 580exII with 7D - How?

  
 
insomniumn
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Wirelessly controlling 580exII with 7D - How?


I've recently bought a 580exII flash to start exploring the world of flash photography. I'm heading out on a trip day after tomorrow and desperately want some inputs on how to use the 580exII with my 7D so that I can try it out during this trip. Here's what I want to do

1. Set up the flash unit so that it can be wirelessly trigerred from my 7D (using my 7D in manual mode)
2. Use the flash in manual mode so that I control the output
3. Be able to control the flash output power from my 7D
4. Ensure that my 7D's inbuilt flash does not contribute to the light.
and preferably:

5. Bbe able to sync the 580exII with 2nd shutter curtain instead of 1st shutter curtain

I'm facing some problems especially with points 3,4,5. Firstly - is it possible to do 3,4 & 5?

Here's what I've done so far
On 580exII
Pressed mode button till flash is in M (manual) mode and press set
Pressed zoom button and changed flash to SLAVE setting on channel 1
Set power to 1/16 (have later on tinkered around with the power)

On 7D
Browsed through Menu to FLASH CONTROL
Enabled Flash
Went into built in flash func. setting
Changed Flash Mode to MANUAL
Could not change Shutter Sync to 2ND CURTAIN

Set Wireless func. to the first flash menu option (stand alone icon without A,B,C option)
Set Channel to 1

Set Flash Output to 1/128 (have later on tried tinkering around with setting this at values between 1/128 to 1/1)

Now once i pop up the built in flash and focus and fire away - the external is definitely firing but I can't seem to control the flash output of my 580exII when i change the Flash Output setting to different values.
Facing real issues with pts. 3,4 & 5. Can someone please guide me on this?
Thanks!



Jan 27, 2012 at 02:00 AM
twoshadows
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Wirelessly controlling 580exII with 7D - How?


5- I don't own a 7d anymore, but iirc (if I recall correctly) 2nd curtain sync is not available when using the remote function.

4- The built in flash will always fire, but if you set it to not contribute to the overall light it will fire just before the pic is taken, triggering your 580exII which will then light the scene alone.

3- My memory is a little fuzzy regarding this one, but I believe you have to set WIRELESS FUNC. to the channel the 580exII is set to. For example if the flash is set to channel A, set WIRELESS FUNC. to channel A as well. iirc, this will allow you to change the flash power from your 7d.

Hope this helps.



Jan 27, 2012 at 02:27 AM
insomniumn
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Wirelessly controlling 580exII with 7D - How?


twoshadows wrote:
5- I don't own a 7d anymore, but iirc (if I recall correctly) 2nd curtain sync is not available when using the remote function.

4- The built in flash will always fire, but if you set it to not contribute to the overall light it will fire just before the pic is taken, triggering your 580exII which will then light the scene alone.

3- My memory is a little fuzzy regarding this one, but I believe you have to set WIRELESS FUNC. to the channel the 580exII is set to. For example if the flash is set to channel A, set WIRELESS
...Show more
Thanks for your response twoshadows!
I think you're definintely right wrt pts 4 & 5.
It's no. 3 that is being the biggest pain - so ... I have my 580exII set up as a slave and in manual - and also have to specify the output power (say 1/16). Now on my 7d - i configure flash for wireless control and set it to be able to trigger the external slave (my 580exII). However, despite having the menu option of configuring the flash from 1/128 to 1/1 - despite changing the values on the 7d menu - there's no change in the output power from the flash (i have kept my aperture, shutter speed and iso constant throughout).

Is there any thing I'm missing on the 580exII? My confusion stems from the fact that I'm having to configure the output power in my 580exII, but I'm still being offered the option to configure the power on my 7d ... this appears to be conflicting! ...



Jan 27, 2012 at 04:10 AM
Gochugogi
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Wirelessly controlling 580exII with 7D - How?


The 580EX flash settings always override onboard camera settings. Personally I find it faster to configure most settings on the flash.


Jan 27, 2012 at 04:49 AM
insomniumn
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Wirelessly controlling 580exII with 7D - How?


Gochugogi wrote:
The 580EX flash settings always override onboard camera settings. Personally I find it faster to configure most settings on the flash.


How can this be possible if the 580EX is setup in slave mode? If this is the case - it's extremely hard to understand the rationale behind such a design ... .



Jan 27, 2012 at 05:48 AM
michael kilner
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Wirelessly controlling 580exII with 7D - How?


Is there any particular reason you dont want to use ettl,I use it on an off camera flash slave with no problems and you have a bit of control with FEC also


Jan 27, 2012 at 01:10 PM
Ian.Dobinson
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Wirelessly controlling 580exII with 7D - How?


If you want to use the flash fully manual then you would be much better seved with some radio triggers. Even the cheap sets you find on eBay will work fine. Also I don't see the point in having a fully ettl2 capable head like the 580ex . You could have a bunch of much cheaper manual sunpaks for that price.




Jan 27, 2012 at 01:36 PM
twoshadows
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Wirelessly controlling 580exII with 7D - How?


I don't know, for what I do (hummingbirds, birds and portraits) I always have my 2 - 580exII's flashes in manual.


Jan 27, 2012 at 02:21 PM
insomniumn
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Wirelessly controlling 580exII with 7D - How?


I've managed to figure out the full manual control settings - very confusing from Canon - but nevertheless - now I can remotely control my 580 flash power from the camera directly ...
strangest thing - you have to keep the 580 in ettl mode to use it manually - beat that! ...

Got a couple of questions - how well does ettl work if i were to use my 580 through a soft box/ shoot through umbrella/ bouncing off the ceiling? These are situations where I'm going to be finding myself in ... and if ettl is not going to be useful in such scenarios - then I don't want to spend time over understanding how it works. Would rather have full control and understanding of the flash output each time rather than be guessing on what it's going to spit out based on my metering.



Jan 27, 2012 at 09:21 PM
twoshadows
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Wirelessly controlling 580exII with 7D - How?


ettl will work with my umbrellas, so no reason it won't work with other modifiers. I often dial in +1/3 to +1 stop fec, depending on the situation.


Jan 27, 2012 at 10:43 PM
Ian.Dobinson
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Wirelessly controlling 580exII with 7D - How?


When shooting thru soft boxes etc (Infact All wireless slave via canon) make sure the slave can see the master flash.
The master flash fires a series of coded flashes prior to the expossure. There is a sensor on the front of the flash body and if this obscured then the slave won't fire properly.



Jan 28, 2012 at 02:40 AM
Gochugogi
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Wirelessly controlling 580exII with 7D - How?


insomniumn wrote:
I've managed to figure out the full manual control settings - very confusing from Canon - but nevertheless - now I can remotely control my 580 flash power from the camera directly ...
strangest thing - you have to keep the 580 in ettl mode to use it manually - beat that! ...


E-TTL mode is the default mode. Once you get out of default mode the 580 thinks you want to override the 7D flash menu.

I don't use softboxes but I shoot into reflectors using E-TTL slaves triggered from the 7D and it works fine.



Jan 28, 2012 at 12:47 PM
BrianO
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Wirelessly controlling 580exII with 7D - How?


insomniumn wrote:
...how well does ettl work if i were to use my 580 through a soft box/ shoot through umbrella/ bouncing off the ceiling?


It works fine; that's how I normally do it with one- or two-light setups -- camera in manual, flash in ETTL.

However, the soft box I use is a Wescott Apollo, and on that one the flash is inside the box, so wireless control with the 7D's popup or even a camera-mounted 580EX is iffy; the sensor on the in-box flash can't reliably see the control pulses from the camera's flash.

What I do in that case is use a long (24-foot) ETTL cord between the camera and the in-box 580EX, using the latter as the Master, and then set my slave 430EX II so the receiver faces the soft box.

This is the ETTL cord I use: http://www.flashzebra.com/products/0125/index.shtml

insomniumn wrote:
...if ettl is not going to be useful in such scenarios - then I don't want to spend time over understanding how it works. Would rather have full control and understanding of the flash output each time rather than be guessing on what it's going to spit out based on my metering.


The reason I use ETTL flash most of the time is because my flash-to-subject distance is often dynamic, and it's not always practical to change the settings for manual flash by going over to the box, opening it, reaching in and fiddling with the flash, closing it up, and going back to the camera. It's easier to leave the flash in ETTL mode and adjust it from the camera with FEC. (That is with my 20D. Now that I also have a 7D, which has camera-menu control of manual flash, that has changed, so I may start using manual flash more often.)



Jan 28, 2012 at 01:14 PM
Kisutch
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Wirelessly controlling 580exII with 7D - How?


I find the wireless feature on the 7D such a pain in the ass that I just use Cactus V5's to remotely trigger flashes.


Jan 28, 2012 at 10:58 PM





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