Off Camera flash = by cable!

[Overread]

OK for some reason manufacturers have no website info about flash gear - seriously its not there!

Anyway what I am after should be simple, but I can't find the info I need and I am limited on internet time at the moment - so the setup.

I have a Canon 400D, a Speedlite 580EX2 and a Sunpak flash. What I would like to do is have the speedlite mounted on the camera hotshoe whilst the sunpak is linked to it (via cable) so that both fire at the same time. I would also like to retain my ETTL with my speedlite - the sunpak flash having only its manual controls as an option - so all it needs it a triggor.

However the PC slot on the 580EX2 is input only, not output, so I can't connect a flash to that - so it seems that I need a mounting point on the camera shotshoe with a PC out slot - which is then connected to a cable and thus to another hotshoe point with a PC in slot - to which the cable is connected.

It's cable based because cable is reliable, cheap and smaller than wireless options and the whole setup is going to be mounted on the camera in some form so it does not need to cover any great distance.

So has anyone any products to recomend for this (UK availible is ideal - if its on Amazon UK it's fantastic!). This should be really simple to find, but so far the only info I am getting to is all wireless based. I have found the following;

hama.co.uk | 00006951 Hama Hot Shoe Adapter Centre.
hama.co.uk | 00006952 Hama Hot Shoe Adapter Cable

Which would appear to be what I am after, but I am not sure of the cable connection points - and sadly (as you can see on the website) there is no info at all about that!

 

[Buckster]

Just a thought that came to mind as I read this: You could go with a bracket like a stroboframe or DIY that holds the speedlight where you want in relation to the camera, and use a "Y" adapter TTL cable to fire them simultaneously.

I got a "Y" adapter that works TTL for my Canon on Ebay pretty cheap, and it hasn't let me down in the year and a half or so that I've been using it (outdoors, not babying it). I got it to use both of my 580EX II speedlights mounted to a DIY bracket on the camera for macro lighting, but I can't see any reason it wouldn't work one TTL light and one non-TTL light.

Photos of my setup with the "Y" adapter in use:

Buck's "Y" adapter TTL cable setup

 

[RyanLilly]

Have you actually tried hooking up a second flash to the 580s pc port, I would think it would still work; why would cannon go to the extra cost and effort making it not pass throug? But you never know, still worth a try.

 

[northcoastcamera]

Be careful of the trigger voltage on the Sunpak. Too high a voltage will fry the camera.

Why don't you use a wireless flash trigger? Then you don't have to mess with cables. They are usually available reasonably.

 

[icassell]

Check this out. I use one on my 30D with my Vivitar 283. I've never used it, but I know that it has a PC port on it. I'm not sure if you can fire a second flash that way or not. Maybe a phone call to Wein would answer that.

Amazon.com: Wein SSHSHS Safe-Sync Hot Shoe to Hot Shoe #W990560: Electronics




http://www.weinproducts.com/safesyncs.htm