Help getting a Flash Slave unit working...

[neo2810]

Some help if you please?

I've got a studio setup with 2 Interfit flash units as main and fill flashes positioned at 45deg left and right rear, and a 430EX front left aiming at the white backdrop to bleach it.
My 40D is connected to the main flash unit via sync cable, and the 2nd Interfit unit is triggered by the first flash (built in slave cell). That lot works fine...

I've got a Kood hotshoe slave unit connected to the 430EX on a tripod but cannot figure out how to get it to trigger from the other 2 flashes? (the slave unit has a light sensitive trigger jobbie on it). I assume the 430EX has to be set to slave, but can't get it to work... Where am I going wrong? :shrug:

Any help would be much appreciated....

 

[Chappers]

I think you'll find that the conventional photocell slave doesn't work with the 430EX. You may get one flash but it doesn't recycle. I think it's something to do with the slave not resetting after the flash.

Canon designed these units to talk to it's dedicated on camera controller or a 580 flashgun.

I don't know of any way round the problem. You might like to trawl the stobist web site to see if they have an answere

 

[specialman]

What about wiring the camera up to the 430EX, setting it on manual to balance power output, and using the built-in slave facitility on the Interfit lights? The Interfits obviously slave from one another through light diodes rather than wirelessly, and they should trigger from a regular flashgun in the same way - I've done it with the lights we have in work by using a 550EX attached to the camera to trigger our studio lights. They're Portaflash ones.

Easiest way to see if this works is to set the Interfits to SLAVE mode and press the test button on the 430EX - if the Interfits flash it works.

As far as firing the 430EX fromt he camera, If the 430EX doesn't have a PC sync cord, either get the dedicated off-camera cord or use and ebay trigger synced to it to fire remotely. Am I on the right track?....

 

[neo2810]

Cheers to both of you, just about 12 hours too late

I managed to find a thread confirming that the 430EX indeed doesnt work with optical slaves.

I've ordered myself a wireless transmitter and a couple of recievers to use with the 430EX and another older flash I have. In the meantime (while I await delivery) I've got a couple of hotshoe connectors with a male PC cord off them which I'll connect to a 3 way PC splitter (using extension cables) out of the PC port on the 40D and let the 2 interfit's trigger from the flash off those. Job done...