 Annette Leibovitz |
Canon Speedlight 580EX flash group portraits I have a Canon 20D and a Speedlight 580EX flash. I also have several diffusers. I have 2 mono lights and umbrellas that worked with my film camera but do not work very well with this camera. I talked to a Canon rep. and she said to put flash on manual mode. I tried this today and was still not thrilled. I take pictures at 3-5 hour events. I have a few coming up where there will be some group portraits. A new idea recommended to me is to use two flashes on tripods on the sides of the group. Than I think I use the 580ex flash on my Stroboframe? This would be a lot easier to bring and set-up when I have time restrictions. Some pictures are on the alter area in the synagogue. The lighting is not great. I am thinking I could place an extra light on the alter when I am standing in front of the families? The camera is either in P or M mode. I am learning more about the M mode all the time Thanks for any ideas.
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Jon Close |
How are you triggering the monolights? If the 580EX is set for E-TTL, then you must use optical slave triggers that are specifically designed for digital so that they ignore the 580EX's metering preflash. Standard triggers will fire the monolights with the preflash and they won't cycle fast enough to fire again when the shutter actually opens. E-TTL is not optimal in this set up because it can only control the output of the 580EX. Additionally, with the camera set for P mode it may be setting a shutter speed too fast for use with the monolights. Some monolights need to be sync'd at 1/60 or longer shutter speed since they don't reach full output as quickly as smaller electronic speedlights. Better would be to set the 580EX for manual output (M 1/1, or 1/2, ...). Exposure is then be set on the camera in M mode using a separate flash meter that measures the output of all the lights (580EX and monolights).
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Annette Leibovitz |
Now I am getting closer to some answers. Thanks. Your wrote, "you must use optical slave triggers that are specifically designed for digital so that they ignore the 580EX's metering preflash." Can you explain this more? Is an optical slave something that goes on the Canon 20D? I work with children and families so I need something that will work quickly. Should I just buy 2 smaller Canon flashes to put on either side on tripods? Or is there another option that would work with this camera?
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Jon Close |
How are you triggering the monolights? I assume an optical slave trigger, such as this one, LINK, that plugs into the monolight. It senses the flash from the speedlight in the camera's hotshoe and triggers the remote monolights to fire with it. However, the 20D + 580EX default to E-TTL flash metering: The 580EX fires a preflash before the shutter opens that is measured by the camera's meter to automatically set the 580EX's power output for the main flash after the shutter opens. The preflash will set off that simple optical slave trigger I linked to. There are triggers that are designed to work with digital cameras and will ignore the preflash, like
To love this comment, log in above November 16, 2006 |
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Jon Close |
d'oh. mistyped the link. ... There are trigger that are designed to work with digital cameras and will ignore the preflash, like THIS ONE. The easiest, though not the cheapest, way to set up multiple lights and have automatic flash exposure, is to buy another pair of Canon EX speedlites (420EX, 430EX, 550EX, or 580EX). Your 580EX in the hotshoe will act as the controller for the other 2 to give you fully automatic E-TTL wireless multiple flash.
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W. |
"Your 580EX in the hotshoe will act as the controller for the other 2 to give you fully automatic E-TTL wireless multiple flash." Maybe it's wise to set that 580EX's power output to 1/8 (3 stops down) to avoid it's effect on the scene. After all, you don't want it to light the scene, you want it to only trigger the other flashguns.
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