Wireless flash 500D/580exII

tommac · Jun 2, 2010

Hi everyone,

I have an EOS 500D and a 580EXII flash. A few month ago I bought an IPHOTO wireless trigger set Speedlight Wireless Trigger for sale - TradeMe.co.nz - New Zealand .
It has worked OK a couple of times but is generally frustratingly unreliable. So I need to take another route. Pocket wizards are just too far out of my budget at the moment to even consider. I though about a long flash chord that would work but "apparently" they only come in a 1metre length acorrding to my local shop ( www.photo.co.nz ) They also say that my built in flash can trigger my 580 which I havn't worked out yet, but I fear that the front flash will ruin the effect of off camera flash to begin with.

Any thoughts of a solution.

Thanks in advance from a bloody freezing cold morning in NZ.

table1349 · Jun 2, 2010

AlienBees: Illuminating the Galaxy with Professional Photographic Lighting Equipment

tommac · Jun 2, 2010

Thanks for this,

I cant seem to see, is this TTL or manual?

RobNZ · Jun 2, 2010

Heya tommac, I use a similar version of what you bought, PT-04 and mine fires 99% of the time, the 1% it doesn't is usually due to flash recycle time.

However, I went to use them the other night and no go, grrrrrrr, so I ordered another set off eBay $23NZ shipped. Can't work without my off camera strobe!!!

Then last night I sat down to figure out why it wasn't working, both lights working so the reciever is getting the signal to tell the flash to fire, changed batteries, checked contacts all appeared ok.

Knowing full well that they are cheaply made chinese "crap" and the circuits are dead basic I used a multimeter to check for resistance to the hotshoe, wouldnt you know it, no circuit between the outer part of the hotshoe and wire that feeds it, took the 3 tiny screws out, bent the hotshoe back into shape (had bowed up at the edges slighlty, which caused the wire to lose contact) , tilted the wire up a little for better contact and she is now good to go, fired everytime last night.

At least I have a spare set now, and will be handy whan I get a 2nd flash.

So my guess on your problem, is that it could be the exact same issue, the wire to the inner part of the hotshoe is soldered on, to the outer part it is not. Or you have a dud unit.

Pretty sure these units are all made by the one company.

For $23 NZ you can't go wrong. I would import and sell some these on Trademe but I don't trust the quality enough for warranty purposes to retail them.