Using T5i with studio flashes

[TransTec]

I'm trying to set my T5i to work with studio flashes. I bought a Vello hotshoe adapter and set it up on the camera. The strobes work, but only if I turn Live View off. If the screen is on, the flashes won't fire.

Hopefully I'm missing something here, because it'd be nice to use the flashes with Live View on.

Thanks.

[Waddizzle]

The light meters differently when you are using LiveView. 

Why would you need LiveView to be active to take a picture?  Depending upon your settings, LiveView can alter your aspect ratio from 3:2, or some other setting/.

[TransTec]

Live View allows for very accurate focusing, using the magnification tool. That's helpful, because a lot of my photos end up being blown up for posters for a client, so accurate focus is helpful.

[ebiggs1]

You need to reset your camera to default, first. It sounds like you may have something set wrong.

You don't know how to use manual mode?

[TransTec]

I have it set in manual mode, but that only gives me a basic flash setting. I'm using the camera in manual mode, with the shutter set for 1/30th of a second and an apperature of 8, ISO 200, manual focus.
But with those settings I don't see anything that lets me turn ETTL off. Could you walk me through it?
Thanks.

[ebiggs1]

The T5i, or any Rebel, doesn't have the more advanced PC Sync port for connecting the camera to external lights like some higer end cameras.  This makes the T5i limited for use in studio environments.  But in manual mode, you say it doesn't allow you to set the flash as you want?  Hmmm.....

You might use the T5i's built-in flash to trigger the main flash or strobe as a slave unit. This should work if the built-in flash is set to manual flash not E-TTL. If the flash is set to E-TTL the camera fires a pre-flash which would trigger the main strobe. If the flash mode on the T5i cannot be changed and is always set to E-TTL that means you will always get a pre-flash. However, this method should work if you use a slave unit which has pre-flash cancellation.  I don't have a Rebel any longer so this is from memory.

My 1 series cameras let me do whatever I want so my memory may be somewhat fuzzy on Rebels!  Not uncommon anymore.

[TransTec · Accepted solution]

It just may not be possible to use Live View with the studio flashes; turning the screen off isn't that big a deal. Thanks anyway.

[Waddizzle]

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@TransTec wrote:
Live View allows for very accurate focusing, using the magnification tool. That's helpful, because a lot of my photos end up being blown up for posters for a client, so accurate focus is helpful.

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I frequently use LiveView to manually set focus, too.  Then, I turn it off to set the exposure and take the shot. 

[TransTec]

I thought about switching Live View on and off, and it's probably the direction I'll take if I can't come up with a way to fire the flash with the Live View on. It'll add a little time to a photo shoot, but it'll still provide a good balance between the critical focus and the studio flash.

[Waddizzle]

"It'll add a little time to a photo shoot, but it'll still provide a good balance between the critical focus and the studio flash. " 

Extensive use of LiveView could take away a little time from your photo shoot by reducing battery life, too.  I make it a point to use it as short a period of time as possible.  Fortunately, the camera has a cutout time that automatically turns it off.