How to use 580exII as a Master? HELP

JayClark79

I was using a ebay trigger up until this week when I got my 580exII :clap so I would now like to use that flash on camera as a Master for my other 2 non canon flashes, using their slave setting.

The problem im having is the pictures always come out black which makes me think the flashes on the slave setting are going off to late :scratch .

Is there a way to slow down the camera or the flash or something? The 580exII is in the master setting channel 1 (which doesnt really matter im not using channels im using optical) and its set that the flash is off, or that it only fires the preflash.

Also

Is it possible for the remote from the ebay trigger to control the flash? I thought i had the remote on channel 1 and the flash set to slave on channel 1 and im not getting anything... are these different channel 1's?

Dan7312

If your non-Canon flashes are triggered by flash, then the pre-flash may be setting them off. The pre-flash happens before the shutter is open.

JayClark79 wrote:

and its set that the flash is off, or that it only fires the preflash.

JayClark79

Dan7312 wrote:

If your non-Canon flashes are triggered by flash, then the pre-flash may be setting them off. The pre-flash happens before the shutter is open.

They are triggered by flash....mmmm I wonder if i just turn off the preflash, i guess by turning the master flash back on.. and just lower the power on the flash or turn the flash away it might work.... hmmmm I will test

Dan7312

From what you are describing I think what you want to do is to set the 580 in manual mode, not ettl. I think it is ettl that is making the pre-flash.

I pretty sure that for what you are trying to do master or not makes no difference. Putting the 580 in master mode just makes if use its IR flash (the redish transparent plastic on the front) to send coded messages to the slave flashes, but that only works if the slave are Canon flashes. The coded messages tell the slave what power level to flash at.

JayClark79

Dan7312 wrote:

From what you are describing I think what you want to do is to set the 580 in manual mode, not ettl. I think it is ettl that is making the pre-flash.

I pretty sure that for what you are trying to do master or not makes no difference. Putting the 580 in master mode just makes if use its IR flash (the redish transparent plastic on the front) to send coded messages to the slave flashes, but that only works if the slave are Canon flashes. The coded messages tell the slave what power level to flash at.

That makes tons of sence Dan... I just turned off the master mode and set to multi which starts at 1/128 at 1hz (didnt know how to lower the power on the manual setting but i do now) and it worked perfectly... Im guessing multi mode doesn shoot any kind of preflash.... Now that I know how to lower the power in manual mode I will use that from now on..

Thanks again for your help and your fast responces!

ziggy53

Dan's right.

Either use the 580 EX II in manual mode (best) or with the 580 EX II in E-TTL mode, force the camera to pre-flash and hold (using the */AE Lock button, or FEL on some models), then wait for the slave units to recycle, then take the shot. It does waste a slave flash with the second method, but it will work (kind of). You will probably want to use a minus FEC on the second approach.

adbsgicom

Multi-mode is strobing extra strobes in bursts. You set the power and frequency of the strobes and it fires through your frame. At 1Hz (starting point) you are getting a 1/128 power flash every second (presumably that means once in your 1/nn exposure time). Manual mode (which comes after multi in the sequence) is for setting a single strobe pulse and controlling it's power manually.