Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

You are here: MacNN Forums > Enthusiast Zone > Art & Graphic Design > Flashes?

Flashes?
Thread Tools
Oisín
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Copenhagen
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 6, 2009, 04:35 PM
 
I don’t have a flash. I need one. No, scratch that, I don’t need one—I want one.

Problem is I have no clue about flashes whatsoever.

I shoot with a Canon 40D. The built-in flash works fine for some things, but I’ve been in rather a few situations lately where it’s come up short.

I’m considering mainly the Speedlight 430EX II and the Speedlight 580EX II. Besides the $200 on the price tag, what’s the difference between them? What can you do with one that you can’t do with the other, and (why) is it important for me to be able to do this?

Shoot!
     
mduell
Posting Junkie
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Houston, TX
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 7, 2009, 12:22 PM
 
Aside from the obvious, marginal difference in power the 580 can act as a master in a multiple flash setup.
     
Oisín  (op)
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Copenhagen
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 8, 2009, 09:16 PM
 
Okay, so on a complete impulse, I bought the 580EX II today.

Now I just have to figure out how the hell to use this thing. I had no idea it had this many buttons and functions. The user manual is singularly useless, using tons of highly technical terminology without ever explaining any of it.

Anyone happen to have a link to a good walk-through of what does what on this thing? Or just descriptions of how to achieve different things, etc.?
     
Synotic
Mac Elite
Join Date: Oct 2000
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 12, 2009, 03:06 AM
 
I don't know if you're looking for books, but you might want to check out The Hot Shoe Diaries. I haven't read it, but it has very favorable reviews.
     
richwig83
Mac Elite
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: London
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 12, 2009, 05:15 AM
 
Oisin.... can the 580EX be used off camera.. wirelessly?
MacBook Pro 2.2 i7 | 4GB | 128GB SSD ~ 500GB+2TB Externals ~ iPhone 4 32GB
Canon 5DII | EF 24-105mm IS USM | EF 100-400mm L IS USM | 50mm 1.8mkII
iMac | Mac Mini | 42" Panasonic LED HDTV | PS3
     
Oisín  (op)
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Copenhagen
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 12, 2009, 04:26 PM
 
Originally Posted by richwig83 View Post
Oisin.... can the 580EX be used off camera.. wirelessly?
Yes, both the 430EX and 580EX can, but only the 580EX can be used as the master; the 430EX can only be used as a slave.
     
richwig83
Mac Elite
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: London
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 15, 2009, 10:33 AM
 
Originally Posted by Oisín View Post
Yes, both the 430EX and 580EX can, but only the 580EX can be used as the master; the 430EX can only be used as a slave.
Is it triggerd by the cameras built in flash? Sorry i know nothing about flashes... ive got a 40D if it makes a difference!

RIch
MacBook Pro 2.2 i7 | 4GB | 128GB SSD ~ 500GB+2TB Externals ~ iPhone 4 32GB
Canon 5DII | EF 24-105mm IS USM | EF 100-400mm L IS USM | 50mm 1.8mkII
iMac | Mac Mini | 42" Panasonic LED HDTV | PS3
     
Oisín  (op)
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Copenhagen
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 15, 2009, 03:08 PM
 
Same as I have. I don't know exactly how it works, but you can set up a whole series of Speedlite flashes to work off-camera. I think one of them (the master) does have to be directly connected to camera, whether directly on the hot-shoe or indirectly via a cable, and that's the one that controls when the others (the slaves) are triggered.

But so far, a single flash is all I need.
     
Railroader
Banned
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Indy.
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 28, 2009, 08:56 PM
 
A 580 flash can trigger 430 flash units (and 580 flash units). It does it by infrared [IR]. So the slave units need to be within light range of the master (or within bounce light range).

I have a 430 and a Metz flash that works the same as the 580. I will soon be picking up pocket wizards or Cybersync units to trigger wirelessly. Currently, for studio portraits I have the Metz off camera triggered by a long off-camera hot shoe that I hacked together and that triggers the 430 as a slave by IR. The Metz is the key light and the 430 the fill or hair light.
     
Oisín  (op)
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Copenhagen
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 29, 2009, 04:23 AM
 
Originally Posted by Railroader View Post
A 580 flash can trigger 430 flash units (and 580 flash units). It does it by infrared [IR]. So the slave units need to be within light range of the master (or within bounce light range).
I’ve been reading a lot of strobist.com lately to get my head around this stuff, and one thing that has cropped up is that this common belief is apparently not true: the 580 triggers the slave by strobe light, not by IR, for some reason.
     
Railroader
Banned
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Indy.
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 29, 2009, 08:21 AM
 
Wow, perusing the strobist forums gives just about any answer a person could ask for on 580 and 430 flashes.

I assumed that IR from the 580 triggered the 430 because the Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2 uses IR alone to trigger external flash units.
     
   
Thread Tools
 
Forum Links
Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Top
Privacy Policy
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:39 AM.
All contents of these forums © 1995-2017 MacNN. All rights reserved.
Branding + Design: www.gesamtbild.com
vBulletin v.3.8.8 © 2000-2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.,