Trigger a Canon 580EX optically

[Sid Jervis]

I need to trigger a Canon 580EX optically, not by using IR, and not pocket wizard.
The main lights is a studio strobes, so there is no requirement to deal with pre-flash.
Any ideas or recommendations are welcome.

Thanks

[Frank Werner]

if you don't need to transmit any information and are running the 580EX manually only Hama has a little Flash trigger that works optical its the Hama 6967, if you google it you will find it. Its about $30 +/- and just triggers a flash like a studiolight with a cell. Or see page F-7 here: http://www.dotlinecorp.com/pdfpages/DLC_04_F_C.pdf

Hope this helps

Frank

[Sid Jervis]

Thanks for the info', so easy to find, when you know what you are looking for.

[Asher Kelman]

if you don't need to transmit any information and are running the 580EX manually only Hama has a little Flash trigger that works optical its the Hama 6967, if you google it you will find it. Its about $30 +/- and just triggers a flash like a studiolight with a cell. Or see page F-7 here: http://www.dotlinecorp.com/pdfpages/DLC_04_F_C.pdf

Hope this helps

Frank
Frank,

How about the output of the 580EX? Set on the flash itself?

It's the preflash that screws things up and the special Wein sensor is unreliable in my use. ie, for one shoot is is perfect, the next setup it is uncooperative. However, I have succeeeded much of the time. The output of the camera mounted Canon flash must be high enough to deal with scrims, umbrellas and other obstacles.

If one uses a camera mounted 540EX or STE2, (or 580EX I presume), the other Canon flashes can be controlled. Then, if the studio strobes are triggered by cord or radio, one controls everything. (At high shutter speed with the shutters in the lens, I don't know).


Asher

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Sid,

I need to trigger a Canon 580EX optically, not by using IR, and not pocket wizard.
The main lights is a studio strobes, so there is no requirement to deal with pre-flash.

Do you mean that the studio flash units will be electrically triggered by the camera, and you would like a 580EX to follow along, triggered by their bursts?

A 580EX can be triggered (in its manual mode) by a conventional optical slave trigger unit, but . . .

The but is that, for example, the 550EX cannot be triggered this way by certain types of optical triggers owing to some lockup phenononon at the sync interface. For example, it cannot be triggered by the common variety Wein "shoe mounted" optical trigger.

I have no ideas whether this is so of the 580 EX or not, nor which models of optical trigger units produce this anomaly (I only have one, the type I mentioned above).

Then 580EX cnanot be set to, by itself, respond to a plain flash burst. It can of course be triggered in the Canon wireless flash system by commands issued by another 580EX, a 550EX, or an ST-E2 Speedlite transmitter (on the camera).

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Asher,

If one uses a camera mounted 540EX or STE2, (or 580EX I presume), the other Canon flashes can be controlled. Then, if the studio strobes are triggered by cord or radio, one controls everything. (At high shutter speed with the shutters in the lens, I don't know).

Yes, and in case there is any worry, with a flash (or other Speedlite doo-dad) in the shoe, the PC terminal still works.

Best regards,

Doug

[Sid Jervis]

Hi, Sid,
Do you mean that the studio flash units will be electrically triggered by the camera, and you would like a 580EX to follow along, triggered by their bursts?


I have pocket wireless units for my studio strobes, all I need is the 580EX to follow the main strobe heads. Why optically trigger the 580EX? well because it will cost less than another PW unit. And the 580 will not be used that often.


A 580EX can be triggered (in its manual mode) by a conventional optical slave trigger unit, but . . .

The but is that, for example, the 550EX cannot be triggered this way by certain types of optical triggers owing to some lockup phenononon at the sync interface. For example, it cannot be triggered by the common variety Wein "shoe mounted" optical trigger.

I have no ideas whether this is so of the 580 EX or not, nor which models of optical trigger units produce this anomaly (I only have one, the type I mentioned above).


There is always a "but".


Then 580EX cnanot be set to, by itself, respond to a plain flash burst. It can of course be triggered in the Canon wireless flash system by commands issued by another 580EX, a 550EX, or an ST-E2 Speedlite transmitter (on the camera).

I have no need to do that, if I have to I will buy another PW receiver.

Thanks

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Sid,

You may find this update relevant:

http://www.openphotographyforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2568#post2568

Best regards,

Doug

[PacAce]

I have pocket wireless units for my studio strobes, all I need is the 580EX to follow the main strobe heads. Why optically trigger the 580EX? well because it will cost less than another PW unit. And the 580 will not be used that often.



There is always a "but".



I have no need to do that, if I have to I will buy another PW receiver.

Thanks
Why not trigger the 580EX with the PW receiver and have the strobes optically triggered by the 580EX (assuming your strobes have a built-in optical trigger; if it doesn't than my suggestion is moot)?

[Sid Jervis]

My strobes do have optical triggers, but the 580 would be (in the rare times I wanted to use it) on the wrong side of the strobes.
Cheers

Doug, I will order the Peanut later today, thanks for the info'.

[Tony Field]

I have no ideas whether this is so of the 580 EX or not, nor which models of optical trigger units produce this anomaly (I only have one, the type I mentioned above).
I just tried the 580EX with a Wein Peanut slave and a found it would not sync at all.

I made an adapter for the Wein L MicroSlave (two prong for old strobes), and that worked well.

The same 580EX would sync perfectly with my inexpensive radio slaves.

[Sean DeMerchant]

I just tried the 580EX with a Wein Peanut slave and a found it would not sync at all.

I made an adapter for the Wein L MicroSlave (two prong for old strobes), and that worked well.

The same 580EX would sync perfectly with my inexpensive radio slaves.

That would be my concern too. I have heard the 550EX has issues with optical slaves. I have a cheap wireless setup and it works flawlessly with the 550EX so long as it is in | (power on) rather than SE (Save Energy) mode which triggers the power off after 90 seconds of disuse or such.

To this end, I have never heard any comments on this aspect. Would you please share which you used just for the sake of having a data point in this discussion?

thanks,

Sean

[Sid Jervis]

Like I said, if I have to I will buy another PW receiver.

But as I am in no mad rush........

[Tony Field]

Like I said, if I have to I will buy another PW receiver. But as I am in no mad rush........
This can be done if you turn custom setting 14 to OFF - - this disables auto-poweroff. This is also needed if you use the 580EX as a slave with an optical sensor like the Wein.