topic Re: Controlling off camera speedlite in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

Controlling off camera speedlite

paddle_jim — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 17:29:18 GMT

I shoot with a 7D and use the pop-up flash to control my speedlites. Can anyone tell me what other Canon cameras also have this capability?

Thanks.

Re: Controlling off camera speedlite

digital — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 20:30:06 GMT

Any Canon camera that has a pop-up flash. If no pop-up flash is available then you need either another flash that can be a used as a master or radio/optcial triggers.

Re: Controlling off camera speedlite

digital — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 20:32:51 GMT

Actually tought of something else. If no pop up is avaible you can use an OCF cord that connects to a flash. If that flash is a master then it can fire slaves.

http://ocfgear.com

Re: Controlling off camera speedlite

p4pictures — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 20:11:05 GMT

If you want the camera to actually control the slave flashes automatically then you need to use on of the following cameras.

EOS 7D

EOS 60D

EOS 600D / Rebel T3i

EOS 650D / Rebel T4i

These are the only EOS cameras currently that have what Canon calls an Integrated Speedlite Master aka the pop-up can control off-camera Speedlites automatically.

Brian / p4pictures

Re: Controlling off camera speedlite

jeffh — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 05:13:18 GMT

according to Canon technical support: T3i, T4i, T5i and 70D are EOS SLRs that have integrated Speedlite Control (ISC). They can wirelessly control Speedlites remotely. (such as 580EX2). The earlier SLRs and the SL1 do not. It would be nice to hear from people that actually have those cameras and do remotely control Speedlites.

I have an XT, and a 580EX2, planning on getting one of those that have "ISC"

Anyone?

Re: Controlling off camera speedlite

p4pictures — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 07:08:40 GMT

The list I posted earlier was correct at the time, now you can add

EOS 70D

Rebel T5i / EOS 700D

It seems that the tech support guys didn't mention the older 60D and 7D in their list. I have used both these and can confirm they have integrated speedlite control.

Brian / p4pictures

Re: Controlling off camera speedlite

TCampbell — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 16:51:05 GMT

@digital wrote:
Any Canon camera that has a pop-up flash. If no pop-up flash is available then you need either another flash that can be a used as a master or radio/optcial triggers.

Not all bodies with a pop-up flash can do this. Only the newer bodies. I think it was introduced with the T3i.

Re: Controlling off camera speedlite

jeffh — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 17:42:28 GMT

I think you are right, my XT does not do it, best info I can gather is that T3i was first to do it.

Re: Controlling off camera speedlite

p4pictures — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 08:09:10 GMT

Actually the first with an integrated speedlite transmitter was the EOS 7D, but among the Rebels then the T3i is the first to have ISC.

Brian / p4pictures

Re: Controlling off camera speedlite

amfoto1 — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 18:29:28 GMT

Cameras with built-in wireless flash control use the pop-up flash to emit visible light flashes to "communicate" with the remote flash. The distance they can reach will vary depending upon ambient light and is line-of-sight only. If used continuously for this purpose, after awhile the pop-up flash will shut down to prevent overheating. It will be usable again after it's had some time to cool down.

Cameras without built-in wireless flash can be fitted with one of the larger flashes that can act as a "master" and control off-camera flashes.... Or it can be fitted with an ST-E2 flash controller module. Both these use near IR light to communicate, largely invisible to the eye. It is a bit limited in distance and line-of-sight only, too. These are not subject to the same overheating prevention shut downs as the pop-up flash (though any flash will shut down temporarily too, if worked too hard).

There are now also 600EX-RT flashes and ST-E3-RT, which are radio triggered off camera flash and controller modules. These have the greatest reach and are not limited to line-of-sight only.

There are also third party optical and radio controllers that are merely "dumb" triggers... firing the flash but not really communicating with it or controlling it in any additional way. These can be rather inexpensive, but your flash setup and exposures are manually controlled.

There are a couple third party radio controllers that do offer relatively full off-camera control of the IR-based flashes. These are fairly expensive, but offer TTL flash metering and multi-flash control

Incidentally, the flashes and ST-E2 that communicate in near IR, also can emit a Focus Assist beam that's near-IR and a whole lot less intrusive than the rapid strobe white light of the pop-up flash serving the same purpose. (The ST-E3-RT does not offer a Focus Assist feature).

***********
Alan Myers

San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7D(x2), 50D(x3), some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR & PRINTROOM

Re: Controlling off camera speedlite

TCampbell — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 19:42:13 GMT

I saw a tutorial video by Syl Arena (author of The Speedliter's Handbook) who was doing a product video for Canon. He explained that people commonly have the misconception that it uses IR because the sensor is behind that red plastic commonly seen on IR remote controls. But he says it's actually using visible light. Up until that point, I also thought it was IR.

I have a number of Canon speedlites... not all participate in multi-flash setups, and some can only be slave or only master, and some can be both.

The 430EX II can only be an optical slave. The 580EX II (which was the flagship until it got replaced with the 600EX-RT) as well as the 600EX-RT itself can both be either optical master or optical slave. These are reliable even outdoors IF you remember that the receiver is in the lower part of the flash. e.g take advantage of the fact that the flash head swivels and it's possible to rotate the base so it faces the master flash or camera and rotate the head so it faces your subject (or reflecting surface).

The radio technology in the new 600EX-RT (and the ST-E3-RT master) is basically "the bees knees". I bought a pair of 600EX-RTs and I'm really impressed with that technology. It's not just that it's able to remotely trigger via radio... it offers fairly complete remote control of the off-camera lights without actually having to walk over to the off-camera lights to change their settings. You can even use the radio link to remotely fire another camera (using your primary camera) -- that was never possible before.

If the camera model was released in 2012 or later then the in-camera menu system can basically do full control of the radio system. If it's a model released in prior years then it will have the same control available in the optical system via the on-camera menus (you can still do everything... just not via the in-camera menu -- you have to operate the buttons on the master flash unit.)

Re: Controlling off camera speedlite

amfoto1 — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 20:02:09 GMT

@TCampbell wrote:
I saw a tutorial video by Syl Arena (author of The Speedliter's Handbook) who was doing a product video for Canon. He explained that people commonly have the misconception that it uses IR because the sensor is behind that red plastic commonly seen on IR remote controls. But he says it's actually using visible light. Up until that point, I also thought it was IR.

This is true... and it's why I try to refer to it as "near IR".

Still, it is much, much less intrusive and visible than the white light strobe communication used by the pop-up flash on cameras that have "built-in wireless flash control". I prefer to use an ST-E2 or flash master/slave combo instead, largely for that reason.

I'm still drooling over the RT flashes and module! Haven't made that upgrade yet. But I probably will.

***********
Alan Myers

San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7D(x2), 50D(x3), some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR & PRINTROOM