Canon 580EX II Master Setting Mystery Solved

http://www.steeletraining.com Photographer Phil Steele explains how to set the Canon 580EX II Speedlite flash in Master Mode to control remote, off-camera flashes.

580EX II at Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NP3DJW?ie=UTF8&tag=steelevisions-20&...

Also see my video course on shooting headshots and portraits on a budget with small flashes at SteeleTraining.com.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• canon 580EX
• canon flash
• 580EX master
• wireless
• flash photography
• flash photo
• speedlite
• strobist
• lighting
• photography
• tutorial
• training
• tips

[tafftaff44]

I have the canon 60d and i want to buy just one flash for off camera shooting... i know that if i wanted to do that i would have to get a pocket wizard but they are too expensive, so i was wndering if there was a setting on either the 430ex ii or the 580ex ii that would allow me too set the flash where i want it and have it sync to the camera with out a pocket wizard or using a master flash to communicate.

[steeletraining]

@tafftaff44 - You are in luck, because the 60D is one of the new Canons that can use the built-in pop-up flash as a master to trigger off-camera flashes. So, buy your 580EX or 430EX (I would get the less expensive 430 myself) and use the built-in flash to trigger it. Cheers, Phil

[Normanskie]

Very informative video. Can I use 1 x 580 off camera and 2 x 430s off camera and will still act as master and 2 slaves or does the 530 have to be on camera, thank you.

[steeletraining]

@Normanskie - If you have the 580 on a shoe cord, so it essentially thinks it is "on" the camera, this could work. Otherwise you use the 580 on camera as the master to control the remotes.

[MrCJ1988]

Hey thanks for the video!

A question for you: can we use the flashgun as wireless in manual mode or only ETTL?

Thank you.

[steeletraining]

@MrCJ1988 - Yes, you can use the flashes wirelessly in manual power mode. On the master unit, you can specify the manual power of each different flashes (or flash groups). It's kind of tricky, you set the master in M mode after configuring it as a master. The slaves don't appear to be in M mode until after they get the first pre-flash commands from the master on your first shot. Until then they look as if they are in ETTL mode. This confused me for a long time!

[dniisemrcelo]

@steeletraining Hey Phil, I have a T3i and 580EX, do i need anything else to set the flash on, like a hot shoe or receiver?

[bblove302]

I have a 50D and I'm trying to use it off the camera - you know with the shoe stand that it comes with. I've turned on the wireless setting on my camera but when I fire my camera the flash doesn't fire.

[MaxwellBlue]

Hi... Sorry if this has been asked already... Is there a menu function on my 5D mark II that would allow me to use the 580 EX II as an off camera flash? Or do I have to buy a pocket wizard to do this?

I know cheaper models have such as the 60d and 7d have pop-up flashes, that allow you to use speedlites as off-camera flashes, but would simply buying the 580 EX II, on it's own, provide me with this same function?...

[CampFireFilmsInc]

Question: was that a 430ex and not an exII in your video? Because the exII doesn't have that "on & off" button below the lock.

[Retired152]

Thanks so much for the video. I just picked up a 2nd hand 580 exII with no manual and couldn't figure this out without your help...thanks again.

[harjinderthind]

Thanks so much for another great video. I am learning a lot from you.

Regards, Harjinder

[FunnyBoysFilms]

@tafftaff44 The Canon EOS 7D is the first camera body to be able to control Speedlites wirelessly without the use of a Master Speedlite or IR transmitter; two other current EOS models, the 60D and 600D/Rebel T3i, also have wireless flash capabilities.

[sasktank]

i have the 580ex2 and i HATE the menu and button system,it mustive been designed by chimps

[mlm1014]

good stuff. i like the racer x t-shirt. i heard one may be able to trigger old vivitar 283s with the 580ex. is this true?