7D and Wireless Flash Question

[GeorgieGirl]

I have the 580EX and I was pretty sure for a long time that I could not use the built in wireless flash settings AND also shut off the pop up on the 7D. Then I read a recent post where it was said how to set it all and then hit the commander button to cancel the pop up flash.

So I try this and find that if the pop up is killed that the wireless is as well.

So I ask....is there anyway to use off camera flash wirelessly and not have pop-up engaged? Am I doing something wrong?

Do I have to get a Speedlite transmitter?

If so this is the dummest thing on this camera IMHO.

 

[Robin Usagani]

pretty sure you have to have the pop up shoot as well... Just make the power really really low.

 

[cgipson1]

Not a canon shooter.. so can't help with specifics.

On my Beloved Nikons... You can kill the main flash of the popup (so that it hypothetically doesn't add to the exposure)... but it will still do the pre-flash that it uses to communicate with the other flash. Is this something like that?

 

[Hardrock]

Im almost positive you have to use the popup flash in order to fire other flashes. But I also believe there are a couple of different settings and one of them the popup flash hasw no effect on the exposure or the image. If you still have the owners manual it has all the details in there. I will check my manual when I get home to verify.

 

[o hey tyler]

You can set it to fire a pre flash, but the flash will not contribute to the exposure. There is a visual representation of this in the external speed light control menu. Just set it so that only the speed light fires.

 

[Big Mike]

There is a setting somewhere in the camera's menu (I think)....'where you can set the flash not to fire'. In that mode, the flash may still work for triggering the remote flash, but (I'd think) it wouldn't fire for the exposure. It would look like it's firing, but wouldn't affect the exposure.

 

[EIngerson]

I have the same gear and just went through the same thing. In the menu when you set the camera (Flash control / Built-in flash function. setting / Wireless function) set it to the speedlight picture (by itself) The flash will fire to trigger the speedlight, but will provide little to no exposure to the subject.

That said, yes, you need the triggers to completely eliminate the pop up.

 

[GeorgieGirl]

Thanks everyone for the replies...Appreciate it!

 

[o hey tyler]

Well, did you figure it out?

 

[GeorgieGirl]

Yes...I've been at it and You-Tubing as well..again. It has to flash somehow so that the speedlite gets the flash...as it is the slave in the set-up, so I follow why it has to work like this. I much prefer the simple functionality of my strobes and their trigger system. This to me is half-assed.

 

[o hey tyler]

Yes...I've been at it and You-Tubing as well..again. It has to flash somehow so that the speedlite gets the flash...as it is the slave in the set-up, so I follow why it has to work like this. I much prefer the simple functionality of my strobes and their trigger system. This to me is half-assed.

Why? It's a simple optical slave setup essentially.

It's not like your popup has to contribute to exposure.

 

[GeorgieGirl]

Yes and Yes....that is what it is. A triggering flash that does not contribute to exposure. I don't use this flash really ever. I primarly use stobes so this is a bit of a departure, but I am trying to do my February photo and was sidetracked with this flash immersion. I prefer the simplicity of the on board triggering system that I have with the strobes, I do what I want from the top of the camera simply and easily and no fussing with drill down menus. Two different things and a bit of a Learning Curve for me. I should be good to go now that I have dragged myself though this process.

 

[o hey tyler]

You're not really using the flash? You're using it to fire the speedlights off camera. So it DOES NOT contribute to exposure.

It's not difficult. I feel like you're complaining about nothing. Get over it, Nikon's have the same feature and tons of people use it to great effect.

I use strobes too, but if using a popup flash on a 7D (if I had one) to trigger the flashes with full E-TTL was my only option, I'd take it.

 

[EIngerson]

Yes it does work, but it doesn't allow you to high speed synch. It's not really that practical.

 

[GeorgieGirl]

You're not really using the flash? You're using it to fire the speedlights off camera. So it DOES NOT contribute to exposure.

It's not difficult. I feel like you're complaining about nothing. Get over it, Nikon's have the same feature and tons of people use it to great effect.

I use strobes too, but if using a popup flash on a 7D (if I had one) to trigger the flashes with full E-TTL was my only option, I'd take it.

Let's just stick with the operations and you can leave your editorial comments about what you think my line of thinking was or what I need to get over out out of it...I like simple, I think simple is better. So far it seems on this forum this operational system is a mysterious enough system that its not straight forward to just about all.

And if you recall, I did get some info that said the commander button shuts the thing down, that was my expecation... It does not cancel the flash. So trial and error...I put the work in and figured it out over the past 6 hours. Immersion.

I think I might just get the trigger because the in camera extra steps are not compelling enough to bother with.