Question about adding off-camera flash to my kit

[Plex]

I've been shooting outdoors for a while now (architecture, cityscapes, etc.) using a Canon 40D with a Speedlite 380EX that I've had forever. The 380EX works fine as a fill flash in E-TTL mode for these kinds of shoots, but lacks manual settings.

I want to expand my horizons a bit and do some indoor studio work (fashion/glamour stuff), and I need to explore some off-camera flash options. From reading the Strobist as well as a lot of posts on this forum, it seems that there are a lot of decent and affordable options, but I have some questions about which is right for me.

Since the 380EX lacks manual settings, will using it on the hot shoe in E-TTL mode and adding off-camera flash result in overexposed images? Should I just bail on the 380EX and pick up a couple of manual flashes to use off-camera? Will the 380EX be useful at all in this type of setup?

 

[KmH]

Most wireless, radio OCF triggering systems require a transmitter/tranceiver on the camera hot shoe. If your 380EX is on the hot shoe..........

 

[Plex]

Most wireless, radio OCF triggering systems require a transmitter/tranceiver on the camera hot shoe. If your 380EX is on the hot shoe..........

I hear you, but say I'm using the 380EX on the hotshoe to trigger an off-camera LumoPro LP160 in optical slave mode. The LP160 can be set to ignore the E-TTL pre-flash, but I'm wondering if the E-TTL metering will fail to account for the off-camera flash and result in an overexposed or otherwise poorly-lit image.

 

[Noxire]

but I'm wondering if the E-TTL metering will fail to account for the off-camera flash and result in an overexposed or otherwise poorly-lit image.

If your 380ex is compatible with ur 40d (it is right?) you can lower power by lowering flash-exposure in camera so it calculates exposing the image to say a stop lower.
Just tell me if im not making any sense

 

[redtippmann]

If you dial your on camera flash EV down all the way (Like -3EV) and set the camera in manual mode at around 1/250 and f/5.6 and adjust the LumoPro then it might work better.

But I would just get a set of cactus V4 triggers from mpex.com and get a vivatar 285HV for a off camera strobe and still fire the LumoPro on the optical slave.

 

[KmH]

Most wireless, radio OCF triggering systems require a transmitter/tranceiver on the camera hot shoe. If your 380EX is on the hot shoe..........

I hear you, but say I'm using the 380EX on the hotshoe to trigger an off-camera LumoPro LP160 in optical slave mode. The LP160 can be set to ignore the E-TTL pre-flash, but I'm wondering if the E-TTL metering will fail to account for the off-camera flash and result in an overexposed or otherwise poorly-lit image.

Do you have any other little secrets you want to let us in on? :lmao:

 

[Plex]

Most wireless, radio OCF triggering systems require a transmitter/tranceiver on the camera hot shoe. If your 380EX is on the hot shoe..........

I hear you, but say I'm using the 380EX on the hotshoe to trigger an off-camera LumoPro LP160 in optical slave mode. The LP160 can be set to ignore the E-TTL pre-flash, but I'm wondering if the E-TTL metering will fail to account for the off-camera flash and result in an overexposed or otherwise poorly-lit image.

Do you have any other little secrets you want to let us in on? :lmao:

Not sure what was funny about my post, or what "secrets" you're referring to. In any case, I didn't ask about triggering systems. But thanks for your emote response. :hugs:

Thanks to the posters that suggested adjusting flash in-camera. It's not really an elegant solution, but it might work.