How can I get the EL-5 to trigger from a 2-wire like a pc socket? The flash has no PC and the multi-function foot has the weirdo contacts for the newer cameras. Ideally there would be an adapter like the AD-E1 but in reverse.
I would expect you could fire the flash from the reverse AD-E1 that would be just hardwired. Maybe dissecting AD-E1 would reveal that. Unless AD-E1 does more to reproduce the old hotshoe signals, and then you're out of luck.
EB-1 wrote:
How can I get the EL-5 to trigger from a 2-wire like a pc socket? The flash has no PC and the multi-function foot has the weirdo contacts for the newer cameras. Ideally there would be an adapter like the AD-E1 but in reverse.
EBH
In an ideal world Canon would have released another adapter alongside the AD-E1 to allow use of the EL-5 on older non-multifunction shoe cameras.... Maybe it's too much hassle for them to roll out firmware support for older cameras to properly recognize the EL-5? And no third party that I'm aware of has released anything compatible with Canon's multifunction foot/shoe.
Compared to the 600EX-RT series, the EL-5 was unfortunately stripped of accessory ports such as the flash sync terminal, HV battery terminal and direct 1/4" thread mounting. The lack of a standard flash sync terminal or a 2.5mm or 3.5mm jack port, common on even the cheapest of the Chinese knockoffs, means no basic way to directly fire the EL-5 via hardwire or connected to a third party radio system, optical slave, etc.
MintMar wrote:
I would expect you could fire the flash from the reverse AD-E1 that would be just hardwired. Maybe dissecting AD-E1 would reveal that. Unless AD-E1 does more to reproduce the old hotshoe signals, and then you're out of luck.
It looks to me that the AD-E1 does not have the multi-function contacts on the shoe, only on the foot. It would be trivial to connect to that. I think the AD-E1 just takes the 5 contacts to the multi-function foot.
EB-1 wrote:
It looks to me that the AD-E1 does not have the multi-function contacts on the shoe, only on the foot. It would be trivial to connect to that. I think the AD-E1 just takes the 5 contacts to the multi-function foot.
EBH
Yes, you need a reverse AD-E1. But the inside of the available AD-E1 would tell whether there is just a dumb hardwire connection (in which case some crafty "solder of fortune" can perhaps make a reverse AD-E1 for you), or some additional electronics is involved (in this case you're out of luck).
I'm familiar with electronics and had a soldering iron in hand at 8 years old.
But I need a socket with the multi-function connections to attach to. I cannot find any reverse AD-E. I could use the OC-E4A, but it is rather expensive to hack.
I may have to figure out another way like a transmitter. Is there kind of cheap transmitter that will trigger the EL flashes, that I could hack into?
I have seen nothing on the market with third party use of Canon's multifunction shoe. So in short, no, I don't think so. It would have to trigger the EL-5 over Canon's RT system.
At least one Yongnuo flash is compatible with the Canon RT radio system, but not overly inexpensive. And I kind of thought they made an ST-E3-RT clone of some sort, but a quick search didn't find anything. Phottix had their Laso system that operated on the Canon RT system, which included an ST-E3-RT clone, but Laso has been discontinued for some time. It wasn't overly cheap back then, probably around $150. If you can find one used, it might be well priced.
What camera do you want to trigger from? I'd suggest the ST-E10, considering it just got the fw update to fix the problem plaguing Canon's RT system, but obviously you need a camera with the new multifunction shoe to operate it.
Maybe look at one of the cheap Godox speedlite flashes? Godox TT520III is $59 and includes a radio transmitter. Not sure if it has PC or mini-phone jack triggering. If not, some of the other cheap Godox, Yongnuo or Neewer units should.
rscheffler wrote:
I have seen nothing on the market with third party use of Canon's multifunction shoe. So in short, no, I don't think so. It would have to trigger the EL-5 over Canon's RT system.
At least one Yongnuo flash is compatible with the Canon RT radio system, but not overly inexpensive. And I kind of thought they made an ST-E3-RT clone of some sort, but a quick search didn't find anything. Phottix had their Laso system that operated on the Canon RT system, which included an ST-E3-RT clone, but Laso has been discontinued for some time. It wasn't overly cheap back then, probably around $150. If you can find one used, it might be well priced.
What camera do you want to trigger from? I'd suggest the ST-E10, considering it just got the fw update to fix the problem plaguing Canon's RT system, but obviously you need a camera with the new multifunction shoe to operate it....Show more →
To me it seems the aim is to use the EL-5 flash directly with the older RF or DSLR that don't have the new contacts in the hot shoe.
Canon may just be too much of a hassle at this point.