Are you asking, "Is there an equivalent Canon marketing phrase to the Nikon term of 'CLS - Creative Lighting System'", or are you asking about the specific components that would make up such a system?
Are you asking, "Is there an equivalent Canon marketing phrase to the Nikon term of 'CLS - Creative Lighting System'", or are you asking about the specific components that would make up such a system?
Specific components.
Nikon's got the built-in commander. What's the easiest/cheapest way for a Canon, such as the 5DM3, to trigger a off camera flash? Or does the 5DM3 have something built in-camera?
Nikon's got the built-in commander. What's the easiest/cheapest way for a Canon, such as the 5DM3, to trigger a off camera flash? Or does the 5DM3 have something built in-camera?
Thanks.
Cheapest way is using a simple radio master/slave set, like Brett mentioned above. There are several inexpensive radio sets available, and then you attach a manual flash for the external and off-camera flash.
If you want Canon E-TTL II automation off-camera, you can use an off-camera cord, or you can use an optical wireless setup. The cheapest that I can recommend is:
Alternately, you could use 2 of the Sigma flashes, one on camera as master and one off-camera as the remote/slave. The advantage is that the on-camera flash may also be used for fill light.
How cheap depends on whether or not you want use eTTL on the remote flash. If you don't care about using eTTL on the remote flash then any of the inexpensive radio triggers will do.
If you do want eTTL on the remote flash then PocketWizard Mini/Flex or RadioPoppers will work. Or, if you already have more than one Canon flash already, and it supports being what Canon calls a master, you can use a Canon flash attached to the 5DIII to control the remote flash.
Also Canon has some new flashes that have radio triggers built into them. Cost wise they run about the same as buying a 580ex adding PocketWizard mini/flex units.
The non-eTTL radio triggers run around $100 or maybe even less for a set.
The Pocketwizard will cost around $500 for a transmitter for the camera and a receiver for the remote flash. I think RadioPoppers are in the same ballpark.
The new Canon flash 680?? (can't remember the number) are around $600 but you will also need the new Canon transmitter... not sure of the cost of that.
Nikon's got the built-in commander. What's the easiest/cheapest way for a Canon, such as the 5DM3, to trigger a off camera flash? Or does the 5DM3 have something built in-camera?
Nikon's got the built-in commander. What's the easiest/cheapest way for a Canon, such as the 5DM3, to trigger a off camera flash? Or does the 5DM3 have something built in-camera?
Thanks.
Canon has, now, two such systems: a light-based system similar to Nikon Commander and a new radio based system.
Recent camera's with a built in Flash, such as the 7D and 60D can fire the Canon 430, 580 model flashes using the light based systems. Models without the pop up flash, or older models, need to use either the dedicated ST-E2 transmitter or a Canon 580EX flash unit. The 5DM3 requires either the ST-E2 or 580EX units to use the light based flash system.
The newer radio system uses either the dedicated ST-E3-RT transmitter unit or the 600EX-RT flash unit. Note that the only flash available with this system is the 600 flash unit. The 5DM3 requires one of these units to use the radio based flash system.
Lol, so it's my understanding, that a 580EX will trigger wirelessly?, a 430EX or 430EXII? And that having the 580EX on the camera, will support TTL through out, including the 430's as slaves (active TTL)? Currently I'm using Trigmaster 2.4's as "dumb" triggers (non TTL) on the slave 430's (X2) (T1i Canon). They work fine in this aspect and their cheap, but having TTL effortlessly on all flashes would be so nice, to avoid having to manually set flash levels.
Lol, so it's my understanding, that a 580EX will trigger wirelessly?, a 430EX or 430EXII? And that having the 580EX on the camera, will support TTL through out, including the 430's as slaves (active TTL)?
Yes this is correct. An ST-E2 will do this as well, including eTTL. (Wirelessly in this case means via pre-flash communication between flashes. The new radio system used radio vs pre-flash) They can trigger other 270EX II, 320EX, 420EX, 430EX, 430EX II, 550EX, 580EX, and 580EX II flashes, and support eTTL to all.
Currently I'm using Trigmaster 2.4's as "dumb" triggers (non TTL) on the slave 430's (X2) (T1i Canon). They work fine in this aspect and their cheap, but having TTL effortlessly on all flashes would be so nice, to avoid having to manually set flash levels.
Manual flash and TTL flash are very different. TTL is nice in that you have control in managing groups and can indeed manage flash output etc, but it can be tricky in its own right. You should read thru this entire document on the subject, it is well worth your time:
Thanks, that's what I thought on the 580 being the master, but wanted to double check, thanks for that. Yes, i figured even though TTL would be thru all flashes, the photographer would still have to his part lol. Thanks for the link, I'll check it out. I used to think this was so simple lol, what was I thinking. I have been contemplating a modeling light as an accent light, but that's fodder for another thread lol.
At this point, I exclusively use eTTL (not manual flash) with my Canon 7d. I trigger my off-camera flashes either via an STE2 or the 7d's built-in flash commander. I have a 420ex (which ONLY has ettl) and a 430ex (which can be switched to manual if one wants to use it that way, eg with another triggering system or in the hotshoe).
While IR triggering has its limitations, it has typically worked very well for me, which is why I haven't pushed to move to an all-manual system. I use my flashes more indoors than out, but even in bright sun they've been fine for most of my portrait work. Occasionally I'd love to have the flash further away (or in a weird, hidden location), but I've usually found satisfatcory workarounds.
OP, it's my understanding that Nikon's CLS is more user-friendly and has a bit more flexibility, but the Canon system works beautifully once you figure out how to tweak it to your liking. You sometimes have to think outside the box a little, but you can do a lot with it if you work with it instead of against it Also, your Canon-shooting buddy may want to look at Syl Arena's website and book - they're pretty much the "bible" for Canon speedlight shooting
Comments
Canon calls it "Integrated Speedlite Transmitter"
it depends on the model
But I use cheap RF-602
Are you asking, "Is there an equivalent Canon marketing phrase to the Nikon term of 'CLS - Creative Lighting System'", or are you asking about the specific components that would make up such a system?
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
Specific components.
Nikon's got the built-in commander. What's the easiest/cheapest way for a Canon, such as the 5DM3, to trigger a off camera flash? Or does the 5DM3 have something built in-camera?
Thanks.
facebook.com/robertchenphotography
Cheapest way is using a simple radio master/slave set, like Brett mentioned above. There are several inexpensive radio sets available, and then you attach a manual flash for the external and off-camera flash.
If you want Canon E-TTL II automation off-camera, you can use an off-camera cord, or you can use an optical wireless setup. The cheapest that I can recommend is:
Alternately, you could use 2 of the Sigma flashes, one on camera as master and one off-camera as the remote/slave. The advantage is that the on-camera flash may also be used for fill light.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
If you do want eTTL on the remote flash then PocketWizard Mini/Flex or RadioPoppers will work. Or, if you already have more than one Canon flash already, and it supports being what Canon calls a master, you can use a Canon flash attached to the 5DIII to control the remote flash.
Also Canon has some new flashes that have radio triggers built into them. Cost wise they run about the same as buying a 580ex adding PocketWizard mini/flex units.
The non-eTTL radio triggers run around $100 or maybe even less for a set.
The Pocketwizard will cost around $500 for a transmitter for the camera and a receiver for the remote flash. I think RadioPoppers are in the same ballpark.
The new Canon flash 680?? (can't remember the number) are around $600 but you will also need the new Canon transmitter... not sure of the cost of that.
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Canon has, now, two such systems: a light-based system similar to Nikon Commander and a new radio based system.
Recent camera's with a built in Flash, such as the 7D and 60D can fire the Canon 430, 580 model flashes using the light based systems. Models without the pop up flash, or older models, need to use either the dedicated ST-E2 transmitter or a Canon 580EX flash unit. The 5DM3 requires either the ST-E2 or 580EX units to use the light based flash system.
The newer radio system uses either the dedicated ST-E3-RT transmitter unit or the 600EX-RT flash unit. Note that the only flash available with this system is the 600 flash unit. The 5DM3 requires one of these units to use the radio based flash system.
Yes this is correct. An ST-E2 will do this as well, including eTTL. (Wirelessly in this case means via pre-flash communication between flashes. The new radio system used radio vs pre-flash) They can trigger other 270EX II, 320EX, 420EX, 430EX, 430EX II, 550EX, 580EX, and 580EX II flashes, and support eTTL to all.
Manual flash and TTL flash are very different. TTL is nice in that you have control in managing groups and can indeed manage flash output etc, but it can be tricky in its own right. You should read thru this entire document on the subject, it is well worth your time:
http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/
While IR triggering has its limitations, it has typically worked very well for me, which is why I haven't pushed to move to an all-manual system. I use my flashes more indoors than out, but even in bright sun they've been fine for most of my portrait work. Occasionally I'd love to have the flash further away (or in a weird, hidden location), but I've usually found satisfatcory workarounds.
OP, it's my understanding that Nikon's CLS is more user-friendly and has a bit more flexibility, but the Canon system works beautifully once you figure out how to tweak it to your liking. You sometimes have to think outside the box a little, but you can do a lot with it if you work with it instead of against it
Website: http://pixsylated.com/blog/
Book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/032171105X?ie=UTF8&tag=pasoroblphot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=032171105X