Wireless flash control on the 5D MkII

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jontucker

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Is there any possibility that Canon might upgrade the firmware on the 5D MkII to enable onboard support for wireless flash control? Now that they've worked out how to do it on the 7D, surely it would be easy to add it to some of their other cameras?
 
I would doubt if it's a software only upgrade.
 
It's software that tells the flash when to fire and since there is a button on the camera that makes the flash fire at will, I can't imagine it would be very difficult to add it to the firmware. From a marketing perspective I can see why they wouldn't though.
 
I think no.

To operate as a wireles master the flash has to send a complex set of morse code-like control signals to remote units. The camera doesn't have the system needed to generate those signals. It's not just a question of a firing a simple flash - far from it.
 
HoppyUK said:
To operate as a wireles master the flash has to send a complex set of morse code-like control signals to remote units. The camera doesn't have the system needed to generate those signals. It's not just a question of a firing a simple flash - far from it.
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I suppose it might not have the electronics to fire a sequence of flashes.
 
Chaz Photos said:
it a shame it not radio control
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Cost. And different international frequency issues. It is a big shame though :( You need a Pocket Wizard for that - over £400 for the E-TTL version.
 
alastairb said:
the 5d2 does not have a flash, so it couldn't be programmed in :P
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That's about the nuts and bolts of it.

The 7D's "wireless" flash doesn't function like the ST-E2 wireless transmitter, it simply fires the onboard flash marginally before the first curtain opens with a short burst of coded pulses which are received by the slaves.

Bob
 
kardo said:
The reason I chose Nikon and not Canon, but now they do it on the 7D.
5D mkII would be the ultimate camera if it could do that.
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I guess Canon expects you to buy a 580EXII flash if you're running E-TTL remote guns with a top end camera like that - not so unreasonably I guess.

Nikon D3 doesn't have on-board flash either.
 
Canon Bob said:
The 7D's "wireless" flash doesn't function like the ST-E2 wireless transmitter, it simply fires the onboard flash marginally before the first curtain opens with a short burst of coded pulses which are received by the slaves.
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I thought that WAS how the ST-E2 worked?
 
jontucker said:
I thought that WAS how the ST-E2 worked?
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It is :thinking: Though it does have a semi IR filter over it, though I'm not sure what practical purpose it serves.
 
Canon Bob said:
The ST-E2 is IR, there's no flash on the unit.....but the timing is the same.

Bob
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HoppyUK said:
It is :thinking: Though it does have a semi IR filter over it, though I'm not sure what practical purpose it serves.
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I am sure I read on here somewhere that it's not really IR, in which case it makes it almost exactly like the 7D's inbuilt capability (except you can't do HSS on the 7D :bang:).
 
jontucker said:
I am sure I read on here somewhere that it's not really IR, in which case it makes it almost exactly like the 7D's inbuilt capability (except you can't do HSS on the 7D :bang:).
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That's my understanding of it too. Bearing in mind that there is virtually no IR in flash light anyway, if a full IR filter was put over it, the output would be completely blocked. As it is, I think the dark red/semi IR filter is at least partly responsible for the ST-E2's lack of range compared to the 580EXII.

TBH I think Canon have given up with the ST-E2. It is old now and, as mentioned above, doesn't have quite full functionality. Should have been upgraded ages ago.

Didn't know the 7D couldn't do HSS. Are you sure? Even if the on-board can't do HSS itself, can it not command other remote units to fire in HSS mode?

I also know that Canon E-TTL can't do remote second-curtain sync, but I heard that Nikon could. Not sure bout that - can anybody confirm?
 
HoppyUK said:
Didn't know the 7D couldn't do HSS. Are you sure? Even if the on-board can't do HSS itself, can it not command other remote units to fire in HSS mode?
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Yep, sure sure on both counts and I can't understand it either!
 
jontucker said:
Yep, sure sure on both counts and I can't understand it either!
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I think I can understand why the on-board doesn't do HSS itself - you need a very powerful gun to do it and I guess the on-board would only have a range of a few feet if it did. (Do Nikon cameras have HSS [FP mode I think they call it] with their on-board flashes?)

However, the on-board could easily instruct remote guns to fire in HSS mode without any great penalty at all... :thinking: Maybe that would be just too confusing :shrug:
 
HoppyUK said:
Didn't know the 7D couldn't do HSS. Are you sure? Even if the on-board can't do HSS itself, can it not command other remote units to fire in HSS mode?
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jontucker said:
Yep, sure sure on both counts and I can't understand it either!
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The 7D does support HSS with an ST-E2 or 550/580EX on the shoe...I use it myself when birding in flat light (Better Beamer attached)

Bob
 
Canon Bob said:
The 7D does support HSS with an ST-E2 or 550/580EX on the shoe...I use it myself when birding in flat light (Better Beamer attached)

Bob
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Oh yes of course. I meant the onboard doesn't support it, either for itself or when controlling a wireless external flash.
 
Canon Bob said:
I can't claim to have checked the specific spectrum myself but the User Manual for my ST-E2 (Specifications table at the back) states the transmission method to be "Infrared pulse".

Bob
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I think that whether the ST-E2 is IR or semi-IR or not is moot. But it's basically a small flash gun inside providing the signals.

Canon Bob said:
The 7D does support HSS with an ST-E2 or 550/580EX on the shoe...I use it myself when birding in flat light (Better Beamer attached)

Bob
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HSS is a flash gun function, not a camera function, so you get HSS with most EOS cameras (maybe depending on age) with the right gun. I think most of the better guns on sale currently do HSS, including non-Canon brands.

The other big advantage of the ST-E2 I've just remembered is much faster recycling than with the on-board. I recall Chuck Westfall saying that half of the on-board's flash capacity was expended just with the pre-flash.
 
HoppyUK said:
That's my understanding of it too. Bearing in mind that there is virtually no IR in flash light anyway, if a full IR filter was put over it, the output would be completely blocked.
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Nope.

Nikon even have a special device that fits on the hot shoe to filter everything except the IR frequencies when you're using the in-built flash for remote control.
 
hollis_f said:
Nope.

Nikon even have a special device that fits on the hot shoe to filter everything except the IR frequencies when you're using the in-built flash for remote control.
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So, if you fit one of these filters over the flash, it is completely invisible? You can't see even a dark red spot of flash through it? Because if it is indeed an IR block filter that would be the case.

My Elinchrom IR trigger has filter over the front and that glows red/purple. Its purpose is to prevent the flash intruding on the image, or disatracting the subject, while still triggering the flash. It's semi-IR.
 
either way, it works great - i love it, prolonged 580ex2 handholding kills your arm though lol - might get a brolly
 
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