Having trouble with my Lumopro LP180

TommyBoyNasty · Apr 15, 2014

I recently purchased an LP180 and a lighting kit recommended by The Strobist. I've got it all set up and synced with a 1/8 inch audio patch cord and 2 universal translators. I'm using a Canon T3i on M mode and I can't figure out how to enable the OFC. Any time I hit the Flash Control menu, and then go to change the external flash fund settings it tells me "This menu can not be displayed. Incompatible flash or flash's power is off" (Of course I have the power on!) So I'm wondering. Is there a way to sync it alternatively? Or have a purchased an incompatible flash?

I'm guessing others have bought this speed light and may have some insight on this issue! Please share if so!

Derrel · Apr 15, 2014

One way to synchronize the flash is to use a PC cord connected to the flash, and to the camera's PC outlet. I think that none of the Canon Rebels, like NONE of the low-end Nikons, have an on-camera PC outlet, so you would want to use a hotshoe-to-PC-outlet adapter, like the Nikon AS-15 as an example of the BEST one made, OR, one of the lower-cost MIC ones from flashzebra.com. OR, a PC cord that uses a hotshoe end, and a flash-connect mini-plug to hook up to the LP 180 flash itself.

The LP 180 has a built-in slave, so the Canon's little pop-up flash CVOULD be used, set at low power,manual mode output control, and then the LP 180 could be synchronized using its built-in optical slave tripper.

TommyBoyNasty · Apr 15, 2014

The pop up/slave option does work. however its not really Ideal for creative control considering I'd have to constantly use built in flash. Do you think the PC cord will even make a difference? Like I said, currently using this method of sync.

Derrel · Apr 15, 2014

Well, the Pop-up flash would have to be in a Manual flash power mode, otherwise the pre-flash from the Pop-up would cause the LP to fire prematurely, BEFORE the cam,era's shutter had opened. Not sure, but I think the LP180's slave is **supposed to** be able to ignore the pre-flashes...but I would still make sure all the settings are checked out and squared away; flash synch issues can be VERY complicated, with entire whole "sets" of instructions/protocols on both a camera AND a flash needing to be in 100% agreement and conflict-free. Which can be at times, a really complicated PITA.

My experience is that PC-cord-connected flash is the single most-reliable, simplest, most trouble-free method ever invented for off-camera flash. Provided the PC connections are fundamentally sound, and plugged in!

The devil is in the details on OCF...and there are a LOT of details. Without a whole list of specific settings on both the flash and the camera, helping somebody with a flash synch issue from a remote location (via the internet) can be complicated. You mention that the Canon camera is not offering the options you expect; that alone is a warning that there is at least, and I mean at the very lest, "one thing" wrong, or being miscommunicated. OR----simply NOT offered by that camera, or that cam/flash combo, or that flash unit, or that flash unit paired with THAT specific Canon model.

Like on the low-end Nikons: those cameras do NOT offer some of the flash protocols the higher end Nikons offer; perhaps the T3i does not work 100% with the LP180, or what you want/expect the LP180 to do is not do-able with any camera model. But as far as just getting the LP180 to FIRE! with the shutter...a PC-cord connector OUGHT to work, very easily.

Derrel · Apr 15, 2014

Oops...I read your second post as "The pop-up/slave option does NOT work"... my bad!!!

lambertpix · Apr 15, 2014

The closest experience I've got with this was a 30D and a LumoPro LP160, but I think what you're seeing is about the same as what I saw. The OCF menu on your camera is looking for a flash that's capable of eTTL -- otherwise, there really isn't much of a conversation to be had between the camera and the flash about what settings to use.

Start with the flash mounted on the hotshoe of your camera and make sure it works -- I assume it will. Next, play with the flash EC settings and see what happens. My expectation is that the flash will operate with exactly the same power on every shot, no matter your fEC settings, because it's completely manual in its control. One clue that it's manual, by the way, is that you don't see a "Canon" model vs. "Nikon" model, and so on -- the "language" used to communicate between camera and flash differs from brand to brand. If all this works as expected, you can try the sync cord.

The cord I used had a PC jack on one end and an 1/8" plug on the other -- I plugged the PC cord into my PC jack and so on. The setup you've got, though, should work just fine, because all you're sending to the flash is the "go!" signal when it's time to fire the flash, and this should be transmitted through the hotshoe just as it is when the flash is mounted there. Again, you should see the flash fire, but you're not going to be able to change power or zoom settings on the flash from the camera's menu -- you make these changes directly on the flash.

FWIW, I wound up picking up a Yongnuo 568EX flash that supports eTTL and HSS (along with 622c triggers), and the eTTL is pretty handy, but I still use the LP160. It's a really nice manual flash -- powerful & reliable -- and I expect the LP180 is a very nice manual flash as well.

csilvius · Jan 21, 2015

I have a similar question. I understand that TommyBoyNasty was having trouble syncing the flash off-camera, but what about when it's on the camera? I am using the same equipment: I have a Canon T3i and recently purchased the LP-180 to up my flash game. I am having problems controlling the flash when it is attached to my camera. I set up as the sun was going down one evening. At first I wasn't having any problems. The flash fired with the shutter. Then the sun went down, and after that I couldn't get the flash to go off. The flash would fire using the "TEST" button, but not with the shutter. When I try and access flash control settings, I get the same error message as TommyBoyNasty: "This menu can not be displayed. Incompatible flash or flash's power is off." Anyone have any ideas?

beachrat · Jan 21, 2015

csilvius said:
I have a similar question. I understand that TommyBoyNasty was having trouble syncing the flash off-camera, but what about when it's on the camera? I am using the same equipment: I have a Canon T3i and recently purchased the LP-180 to up my flash game. I am having problems controlling the flash when it is attached to my camera. I set up as the sun was going down one evening. At first I wasn't having any problems. The flash fired with the shutter. Then the sun went down, and after that I couldn't get the flash to go off. The flash would fire using the "TEST" button, but not with the shutter. When I try and access flash control settings, I get the same error message as TommyBoyNasty: "This menu can not be displayed. Incompatible flash or flash's power is off." Anyone have any ideas?

I'm not familiar with that flash,but some of them won't fire in ttl mode if they don't have anything to meter from.
Does it fire in manual mode?

csilvius · Jan 22, 2015

The flash worked well for a bit while the camera was in manual mode, yes.

beachrat · Jan 22, 2015

I meant the flash in manual mode.
Again,I'm not familiar with that unit just trying the process of elimination.

csilvius · Feb 5, 2015

The LP180 only operates in manual mode. There is no TTL. When the external flash is attached to the shoe, it seems to work sometimes and not others. I'm guessing the lack of TTL is causing this problem? Is there a way to remedy that?