 Robyn Gwilt |
Radio Slave/Speedlite Transmitter Canon Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2 - Can anyone tell me anything about this? For use with my 350D. I presume it'll work with any other bodies I get in the future - 20D, 30D? Will it work with my old Canon EOS 300 film camera? Will this fire multiple flashes, and studio lights, irrespective of number/make of studio lights? Is there a generic/cheaper one, or should I just buy this if its the best. Does this only work on Canon camera's? Thanks for this and any other info to add.
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Jon Close |
The ST-E2 communicates with and controls only the Canon wireless E-TTL capable EX-series speedlights (420EX, 430EX, 550EX, 580EX). Might also work with Sigma's EF 500 DG Super, I'm not sure. It will not control or trigger any other speedlights or strobes. It will work with any EOS camera, film or digital. It has full function with E-TTL bodies (aka "Type A"), like your EOS 300. With older "Type B" bodies that have traditional TTL and not E-TTL, it can only fire the speedlights in full manual output mode.
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Robyn Gwilt |
I have the 580, so that should be ok. When you say it will not control any other speedlites/strobes, you talking about flashes? So if its on my camera, does my flash have to be off camera so that it flashes, and in turn activates studio lights, or does I leave my flash off, use the ST, and this would activate the studio lights? Sorry, no experience at all in this dept! Thanks
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Jon Close |
The ST-E2 cannot trigger studio lights directly. It sits in the camera's hotshoe, and controls only the off-camera EX speedlites. Assuming your studio strobes have digital-compatible optical slave triggers (that ignore the E-TTL pre-flash), I suppose you could use them in combination with 580EX, or ST-E2 + 580EX. But it would be difficult controlling exposure because the studio strobes would not be included in the E-TTL measure and control. Better would be 100% manual control, using a simple non-TTL accessory flash to trigger the studio strobes and a flash meter to set the exposure on the camera. Or full E-TTL control with the ST-E2 and multiple remote EX speedlites instead of the studio strobes.
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Jon Close |
P.S. The 580EX can be set for simple manual output without E-TTL control for triggering the studio strobes. But that seems kind of a waste to use a sophisticated $380 flash that way when a $70 Sunpak 383 Super could do it just as well.
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Robyn Gwilt |
Ok, I've read this 3x and am lost! Sorry. Let me go back.. I visited a potential studio the other day, their lights, my camera and flash, but my flash would not trigger their lights, and the 350d doesn't have anywhere to plug cables in to the lights. How do I get around this? I thought that by having the transmitter on the camera, I would not need my flash even, that the transmitter would trigger the lights? Sorry if I'm not explaining properly, thats coz I don't really know what I'm talking about, but am keen to learn and buy the right thing!
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Jon Close |
To connect a strobe cable (PC-sync) to your 350D you need a hot-shoe to PC adapter. PC sync cords are an industry standard, "PC" stands for the name of an early camera shutter maker, Pronto/Compur. Simple ones are $10-20, but the PC cables can carry pretty high voltages from the lights back to the camera, so one with protective circuits, like the Wein Safe Sync adapter would be preferred.
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Robyn Gwilt |
Ok, so you're saying the Radio transmitter is a no-go for me? I must rather get a PC-Sync (and I thought PC stood for personal computer!) If they carry high voltages, could the wrong one blow my camera. Or if I get one with protective circuits, could I use it on any lights in any studio?
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Jon Close |
The Canon ST-E2 will not work with studio strobes. There are radio transmitter/slaves that could work. Connecting with cords you need a hot shoe to PC adapter. Yes, high voltage from the strobes could damage your camera, so a voltage-protected adapter would be recommended. The voltage-protected adapter could be used with any lights that connect with PC cords.
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