Ha! Found out why I hate TTL flash

Pukka312 · Apr 2, 2013

I generally bounce my flash at events, but when I'm at a venue where I'm outside with nothing to bounce on, I have tried to put my flash on a bracket and switch to TTL with HORRIBLE results. I thought people were crazy to say TTL is great. Mine blows everything white. So I was looking through my camera menu last night and realized my camera and flash aren't properly communicating when it's off camera. The flash control menu isn't pulling up my flash settings...it says something along the lines of the flash is either off or not compatible. The camera is a canon 60D and the flash is a 430ex.

The bizarre thing is the flash still fires, just doesn't apparently adjust properly with TTL settings. Hence why I've primarily shot manual. When the camera is mounted on the camera, it reads it ok...it's just I really never shoot with direct flash on the camera so I never noticed the difference with my TTL settings. I assume it's related to my shoe cord? Is that possible? I know some radio triggers won't communicate TTL but never thought about a shoe cord with that problem. Are there shoe cords that have that limitation?

David444 · Apr 2, 2013

What brand cord are you using? It sounds like a bad connection or a faulty cord, try cleaning the contacts with a pencil eraser.

pgriz · Apr 2, 2013

I have an no-name brand ETTL cord for using my flash (Canon EX580 II) off my camera (T1i), and sometimes the contacts are not fully connecting and the two don't talk. At least in my case, taking the setup apart and reattaching everything "usually" works. One way to check is to adjust your focal length (assuming you are using a zoom), and see if the flash adjusts its flash zoom accordingly. At least with my camera, a change of the focal length from 24mm to 50mm triggers a change in the flash, and I know the two are talking.

KenC · Apr 2, 2013

You can't go wrong with one of the Canon ETTL cords. With anything else, the results are erratic, from everything I've heard (including this ^^^).

cynicaster · Apr 2, 2013

I've seen this happen before, even when mounting the flash directly to the camera. Best I can tell, it's simply a bad connection caused by a build up of gunk on the hot shoe. Clean it up and off you go.

I had it happen this past weekend, in fact. As the OP mentioned, an easy tell-tale sign is when you get a majorly blown out exposure out of nowhere. To confirm the issue, I simply glance at the digital display on my flash (580 EX II) and if it says "TTL" rather than "ETTL" in the upper left, something is up.

Big Mike · Apr 2, 2013

You can't go wrong with one of the Canon ETTL cords

Well, I wouldn't go that far. The Canon cords are expensive and have a reputation for crapping out on you and inopportune times. Although, the off-brands ones aren't any better...probably worse.

The point is, if you rely on it...you had better have a spare or two on hand.

Derrel · Apr 2, 2013

I would strongly second the idea that the genuine, Nikon-branded E-TTL cords are much less likely to be cheap, reverse-engineered Chinese-made junk built with second-rate engineering and sub-par materials by indifferent slave-wage laborers toiling in some dingy slapdash factory. Sound a bit harsh? well, it's a lot like the 3,563,987 "I have a problem" with my cheap, Chinese-made flash triggers not functioning! threads all over the interwebz, versus the very,very few problems threads with the "real", pro-grade flash triggers, like...the original PocketWizards...or the legions of cheap tripod problem threads, versus the relative handful of Gitzo or Manfrotto problem threads. I am not familiar with Canon's cords, but I have a 25+ year old Nikon cord and a 7-year old one, and both work great!

Some things are very difficult for second-rate engineers to 'design'...the flood of cheaply-made stuff that looks right, and is priced right, but which does NOT FUNCTION right, has become a tsunami. TTL flash is actually a much more-complex protocol than the simple "Fire!" protocol of a plain PC connector cord...the flash and the camera must communicate properly, or TTL flops.

Now, here is another thought, and one MANY people overlook: it is possible to exceed the operating range of a flash, and get bad results, and blame the flash unit, when in actuality it is the fault of the photographer...you might be surprised at how limited the flash range is outdoors, at say, f/6.3, with most speedlights, especially with lower ISO settings on the camera.