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Archive 2008 · 5D2 3rd party flash incompatibility discussion

Mike Hatam
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · 5D2 3rd party flash incompatibility discussion

EDIT: I've retitled the thread, so that we can discuss incompatibilities with other 3rd party flashes and transmitters, beyond just the Sunpak RD2000.

I picked up a Sunpak RD2000 to have as a small portable flash unit for my 5D2. They make a version that is supposed to work with Canon:

Sunpak RD2000

However, mine won't fire on my 5D2. I've tried everything, but cannot get the camera to trigger the flash. The camera will trigger my 580EX II flashes with no problems.

I don't have any other Canon bodies to test the Sunpak flash with at the moment, so I'm wondering if any of you have tried this combo.

I may have a faulty Sunpak flash, or there may be a compatibility issue with the 5D2.

Thanks,
Mike

Edited on Dec 14, 2008 at 10:31 PM · View previous versions

Dec 10, 2008 at 12:19 AM

Greg Feldman
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · 5D2 3rd party flash incompatibility discussion

I keep hearing this now--flash compatibility issues with the 5D2. I'm not sure how it's even possible for a flash not to be triggered if it's in manual mode--you can usually trip them with anything--but maybe the 5D2 is being more clever than it should.

Dec 10, 2008 at 12:22 AM

bobbytan
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · 5D2 3rd party flash incompatibility discussion

Do you have another body to try it with? Works well on my 5D and XTi. Still waiting the 5D II I ordered from Amazon on September 17!

Dec 10, 2008 at 12:48 AM

skibum5
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · 5D2 3rd party flash incompatibility discussion

Mike Hatam wrote:
I picked up a Sunpak RD2000 to have as a small portable flash unit for my 5D2. They make a version that is supposed to work with Canon:

Sunpak RD2000

However, mine won't fire on my 5D2. I've tried everything, but cannot get the camera to trigger the flash. The camera will trigger my 580EX II flashes with no problems.

I don't have any other Canon bodies to test the Sunpak flash with at the moment, so I'm wondering if any of you have tried this combo.

I may have a faulty Sunpak flash, or there may be a compatibility issue with...Show more →

oh man, i specifically bought it just for 5dmkii (and 50D) and

it seems canon did some trickery to make them very unreliable when it comes to firing on the new bodies, it is really, really tricky to coax it into firing on the 50D (haven't tried it with 5fd mkii yet)

on a 40D it works great.

i thought maybe my 50D had a bad hotshoe, bu tnow that you say it doesn'y work on your 5dmkii i'm thinking it's something they changed to kill third party flashes

Dec 10, 2008 at 01:14 AM

Ian.Dobinson
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · 5D2 3rd party flash incompatibility discussion

Could be the same issue as this thread
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/714676/0#6453517

Would a canon 220ex be a better bet

Dec 10, 2008 at 06:10 AM

maxxevv
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · 5D2 3rd party flash incompatibility discussion

Hmm... I'll be disappointed if that were indeed the case.

I've test my RD2000 to work very nicely with the 40D and 5D, it can't function with the 5DmkII ??

Dec 10, 2008 at 08:19 AM

davenfl
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · 5D2 3rd party flash incompatibility discussion

Lots of flash problems, were having crazy stuff with Sigma. They claim they can fix it though.

Dec 10, 2008 at 08:26 AM

Ian.Dobinson
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · 5D2 3rd party flash incompatibility discussion

its always the risk with 3rd party stuff that new 'features' can be added to newer bodies that make the 3rd party stuff not function. Canon not the only ones at it, I gather the latest Ipods dont function with some 3rd party docs.

Just out of interest would the non functioning flash fire if it were connected via an off camera cord?

Dec 10, 2008 at 11:51 AM

WilliamG
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · 5D2 3rd party flash incompatibility discussion

I have the Sunpak RD2000 as well. Worked with my 5D. Haven't tried it with my 5DII. I'll report back later to add my $0.02...

Dec 10, 2008 at 12:25 PM

Mike Hatam
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · 5D2 3rd party flash incompatibility discussion

Ian - good idea!

I just mounted the RD2000 on to my off-camera cord, to test that out. No, it doesn't work. The camera won't trigger the flash, either directly mounted on the camera's hot-shoe, or via the off-camera cord.

The 580EX II works either way (on the camera, or on the off-camera cord).

The RD2000 will fire if I push the button on the flash unit, so I know it's capable of firing. But I cannot get the 5DII to trigger it, no matter what I do. It's possible that I have a failure/defect in the mounting portion of the flash head.

I don't have any other Canon bodies to test out the flash, to verify that the mount works properly.

I'm waiting for someone else here to check their RD2000 on a 5DII, so that we have more data to work with.

Mike

Dec 10, 2008 at 12:32 PM

Ian.Dobinson
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · 5D2 3rd party flash incompatibility discussion

It sounds like you have the same issue as the thread I link to earlier.

Dec 10, 2008 at 12:35 PM

skibum5
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · 5D2 3rd party flash incompatibility discussion

Ian.Dobinson wrote:
It sounds like you have the same issue as the thread I link to earlier.

the annoying thing is they dont put in a built-in flash and then they apparently purposefully disable stuff like the Rd2000 that would replace a built-in flash....

BAD canon.

anyway i'll give it a try just to make sure, but since it fails on yours and failed on my 50D but it works fine on our other canons, sounds not good.

Dec 10, 2008 at 03:16 PM

jvarszegi
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · 5D2 3rd party flash incompatibility discussion

skibum5 wrote:
the annoying thing is they dont put in a built-in flash and then they apparently purposefully disable stuff like the Rd2000 that would replace a built-in flash....

BAD canon.

anyway i'll give it a try just to make sure, but since it fails on yours and failed on my 50D but it works fine on our other canons, sounds not good.

It's unlikely anyone at Canon made a conscious decision to disable the RD2000. I think it's unlikely they even consider the third-party flashes like the Sigmas to be real competition worth worrying about, and they know that people wanting to use third-party flashes will find a way.

Rather, all they did was change the camera-flash protocol to add new features, without giving a damn about backwards compatibility for any but their own gear. I agree that this is very disappointing. Canon should at the very least make a very small bounce-capable flash!

Dec 10, 2008 at 03:20 PM

WebDog
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · 5D2 3rd party flash incompatibility discussion

They also changed the thickness of the shoe so if you fix the flash it might not reach the connectors! Try to push the flash downwards, and not secure it (don't tighten the nut), and fire one shot. Not sure if this is the issue as you have tried an offshoe too!

It works nicely on my G7 and the 1D2, even with when I thighten the nut to secure the flash.

Got the RD2000 off e-bay, from China.
/Lasse

Dec 10, 2008 at 04:38 PM

Mike Hatam
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · 5D2 3rd party flash incompatibility discussion

WebDog - I tried what you suggested (pushing down on the flash to make sure it makes contact), but it didn't help or make any difference.

Mike

Dec 10, 2008 at 06:02 PM

john_edwards
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · 5D2 3rd party flash incompatibility discussion

Is there a receptacle for a sinc cord?

Dec 10, 2008 at 06:30 PM

Mike Hatam
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · 5D2 3rd party flash incompatibility discussion

john_edwards wrote:
Is there a receptacle for a sinc cord?

Nope. It's a very basic flash, with 3 buttons: power, EV adjust, test/ready.

No other ports, switches, etc.

Mike

Dec 10, 2008 at 07:16 PM

Taylor Barrett
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · 5D2 3rd party flash incompatibility discussion

Does it fire when you short out the pins with a paperclip? Just because the test button works doesn't mean the hotshoe connector/pins are working.

That said, its suspicious that multiple people have this issue - its probably real. Just a good idea to do due diligence.

Dec 10, 2008 at 07:24 PM

jerrykur
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · 5D2 3rd party flash incompatibility discussion

I tried my RD2000 with my 1DMK2, XT and G9. It triggered fine with all of them. I still have not received my 5DMK2 so I can't test that.

Dec 10, 2008 at 09:17 PM

Mike Hatam
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · 5D2 3rd party flash incompatibility discussion

Taylor Barrett wrote:
Does it fire when you short out the pins with a paperclip? Just because the test button works doesn't mean the hotshoe connector/pins are working.

That said, its suspicious that multiple people have this issue - its probably real. Just a good idea to do due diligence.

Not sure how to do this, and I don't want to fry my unit. Do you know which pins need to be connected in order to trigger the flash?

Dec 10, 2008 at 09:52 PM

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