canon 450d and slave flash not working? - PICS ADDED
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You didnt say so but if the flashgun as slave is a Canon 430ex etc... ....the built in flash cant be used as a master/commander... Only a the canon 580ex can act as on or the dedicated command module... If you have an optical trigger on the slave flashgun its also likely that it will fire once and not again.( I use wireless triggers from ebay ...) In fact it probably goes of when the built in flash does its Pre flash / focus assist... ?? If i was you I would get a canon off camera flash lead with the Flashgun to one side as key light and use a bounce card for fill or another
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its only a jessops canon fit one.
its all rigged up on a metal bar for my marco work for when out and about, I wanted the built in flash for trigger the slave so i get a more general light coverage. The slave is rigged up nearenough on the side of the camera...if that makes sense?
I have used the TTL cord etc but i was getting slightly to much over shadowing on one side, hence trying to use both flashes,
my next option is to buy a second gun and another receiver to have one each side.....but is it the jessops thats the issue?
Some times it seems to be a bit touch and go with correct exposure levels, ie underexposed or over exposed.
hmmmmm
its all rigged up on a metal bar for my marco work for when out and about, I wanted the built in flash for trigger the slave so i get a more general light coverage. The slave is rigged up nearenough on the side of the camera...if that makes sense?
I have used the TTL cord etc but i was getting slightly to much over shadowing on one side, hence trying to use both flashes,
my next option is to buy a second gun and another receiver to have one each side.....but is it the jessops thats the issue?
Some times it seems to be a bit touch and go with correct exposure levels, ie underexposed or over exposed.
hmmmmm
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Ok you have effectively on got one flash you can use... as the" built in" can't command anything, Forget that the 450d built in is ORRIBLE.... I presume you have tried some kind of bounce card on the opposite side to the flashgun?. If you try to use another cheapflash you will not have TTL anymore as the "slave" wouldnt be controlled.... I have a cheap windscreen protector I got from a pound shop which makes a great reflector and weighs nothing... a bit like this..
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Winter-Frost/...vr_id=&cguid=6b6ddc621250a0e204d0a3f0fed4a421 this works for 90% of macro stuff as is generally small....
if you really want and need a two flash setup turn off ttl on the jessops, go manual and use anothercheap flash remotely on the other side, Just make sure you get one that can have power output manually adjusted to 1/2 , 1/4/ 1,8 etc .... you'll need an optical slave adapter for the second flash.
I think you'l find you have plenty of lightoutput with one jessops flash .. you just need to reflect/ bounce it to the other side as a fill... and the TTL would still work.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Winter-Frost/...vr_id=&cguid=6b6ddc621250a0e204d0a3f0fed4a421 this works for 90% of macro stuff as is generally small....
if you really want and need a two flash setup turn off ttl on the jessops, go manual and use anothercheap flash remotely on the other side, Just make sure you get one that can have power output manually adjusted to 1/2 , 1/4/ 1,8 etc .... you'll need an optical slave adapter for the second flash.
I think you'l find you have plenty of lightoutput with one jessops flash .. you just need to reflect/ bounce it to the other side as a fill... and the TTL would still work.
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Edit: crossed post with Wellington, and I think his suggestion to stick with just one flash on the E-TTL cord and softening the light with a reflector and/or diffuser, is the best way to go.
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It's not the Jessops flash that's the problem, it is that you cannot trigger a remote flash with the 450D's on-board, as Wellington said above.
If you want remote E-TTL, you need a master flash controller, such as the 580EXII or ST-E2.
If you're happy with manual, then a radio trigger like the Yongnuo RF-602 will do the trick nicely for less than £30.
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It's not the Jessops flash that's the problem, it is that you cannot trigger a remote flash with the 450D's on-board, as Wellington said above.
If you want remote E-TTL, you need a master flash controller, such as the 580EXII or ST-E2.
If you're happy with manual, then a radio trigger like the Yongnuo RF-602 will do the trick nicely for less than £30.
OP
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Now I confused, my built in flash does trigger the jessops when on slave, as in the camera flash fires and so does the jessops, im assuming my flash sensor? only manual settings on the jessops etc.
I have a remote trigger so if necessary I can get another receiver if i opted for two on manual set up.
I have thought about the reflector but I cant figure away to set it up on my camera, as this is how I am setting it up...I need an all in one for when im out walking etc.
I have a remote trigger so if necessary I can get another receiver if i opted for two on manual set up.
I have thought about the reflector but I cant figure away to set it up on my camera, as this is how I am setting it up...I need an all in one for when im out walking etc.
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I don't know exactly how your particular flash works, but I'm guessing it has a built in optical slave which is picking up the camera's pre-flash and firing on that. Since you can't disable the pre-flash, that is no good.
Still think you're better off using the E-TTL cord and let the camera sort all the exposure problems.
There's a thread in the macro section with all sorts of diffuser options. One of the best is to stick a plastic milk bottle over the flash head - seriously, it works extremely well.
Still think you're better off using the E-TTL cord and let the camera sort all the exposure problems.
There's a thread in the macro section with all sorts of diffuser options. One of the best is to stick a plastic milk bottle over the flash head - seriously, it works extremely well.
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I have 4 different diffusers already
but thanksthe reason I cant use the cord is I was trying for the effect of front (built in) and side (external) lighting, to create a more natural effect rather than the side casting shadows (although I have solved that issue with a different placement).
I am using manual mode which does not produce the pre flash, the camera only fires the flash during the picture, I have tried this from 1/8 up to 1/200 on the shutter speed with it on full power (so I can see if it is registering) and still nothing.
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I have 4 different diffusers already
the reason I cant use the cord is I was trying for the effect of front (built in) and side (external) lighting, to create a more natural effect rather than the side casting shadows (although I have solved that issue with a different placement).
I am using manual mode which does not produce the pre flash, the camera only fires the flash during the picture, I have tried this from 1/8 up to 1/200 on the shutter speed with it on full power (so I can see if it is registering) and still nothing.
You cannot disable the pre-flash on a 450D's on-board unit, there is no manual control as such - only 'manual' control is to use the +/- compensation with E-TTL. The pre-flash goes out before the shutter opens so using different speeds makes no difference.
Setting the camera to manual exposure control does not set the flash to manual - you still get a pre-flash. Only way to 'effectively' disable the pre-flash is to fire it first with the * button (Flash Exposure Lock) then it will not fire again with the main exposure.
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:bonk: I though it only done a pre flash while trying to focus in darker environments?
hmmm now confused lol so the built in will always do a pre flash to judge the exposure level just before it will take the pic?
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The Jessops flashes have a built in optical slave mode like you guessed.
I'd agree with Hoppy's thought that the Jessops flash is triggering on the built-in preflash which will always fire. The previous suggestion of triggering the pre-flash with the * button might work, either cover up the flash when you do it or allow enough time between that and the shutter press for your Jessops flash to recycle?
The other option in all of this is to trigger the Jessops using a longer TTL cord or a radio trigger to avoid the built-in flash altogether.
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:bonk: I though it only done a pre flash while trying to focus in darker environments?
hmmm now confused lol so the built in will always do a pre flash to judge the exposure level just before it will take the pic?
Haha! Yes, the pre-flash confuses the heck out of everybody, but every modern camera uses the same basic auto-exposure flash system. It happens so fast you can't see it happening, hence the confusion I think. The focus-assist flash that some cameras use is different.
E-TTL works by firing a pre-measured flash pulse the moment you press the shutter release, before the mirror even starts to rise. The reflection is measured by the camera's meter, balanced against the ambient light reading, and the exposure set. Then the mirror rises, the shutter opens, the main flash fires and that's that.
With remote E-TTL flash, there's even another stage after the pre-flash when the gun sends out stream of mose-code like flashes to instruct individual remote units what power to output. It happens at incredible speed. You need a master flash controller to do that though, eg 580EXII gun.
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thanks for all the advice,
I use this gun in manual 99% of the time for my macro, i've just got the bar in the pictures above to save me hand holding the light and camera together, so the triger from FITP works perfect for what I use.
thanks for all the advice much appreciated!
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