Issues triggering two 600EX-RT with an ST-E3-RT

[Betude]

I have two Canon speedlights, one is a 600EX-RT and the other is an 600EXII-RT and I've triggered both through the ST-E3-RT but now I can't get them to trigger. They're both linked (green lights on all three units) and they'll trigger when I press the test flash button on the controller but when I press the shutter on the camera, nothing. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

[diverhank]

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@Betude wrote:

I have two Canon speedlights, one is a 600EX-RT and the other is an 600EXII-RT and I've triggered both through the ST-E3-RT but now I can't get them to trigger. They're both linked (green lights on all three units) and they'll trigger when I press the test flash button on the controller but when I press the shutter on the camera, nothing. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

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It seems obvious to me that the ST-E3-RT is not connecting with the camera. By the way, which camera is it that you are using?

Try mounting one of 600EX-RT on the camera hot shoe and see if it will fire. That will eliminate the possibility that the camera fails to send out the flash firing signal.  If it fires then you need to see whether the ST-E3-RT is making the connection.  One way to tell is to control the ST-E3-RT from the camera.  Try changing the settings from the camera and confirm the changes are reflected on the ST-E3-RT.

[Betude]

Good call on that. I did try connecting one of the flashes to the camera and that is working. I'm using a 5D Mark III. I'm able to change the E3 settings in camera? Where do I do that? 

[diverhank · Accepted solution]

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@Betude wrote:

Good call on that. I did try connecting one of the flashes to the camera and that is working. I'm using a 5D Mark III. I'm able to change the E3 settings in camera? Where do I do that? 

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Page 191-196 of the instruction manual.  Here's the first page:

You will see the menu much like what can be seen on the ST-E3.  What you change on camera will be reflected on the ST-E3 if you have proper communication.

[Betude]

Thank you both for your suggestions/solutions. I think it's a connectivity issue with the ST-E3. Yesterday I was digging through the external speedlight settings on my camera while the ST-E3 was attached and wasn't able to get into the bottom half of the menus. Today I'm able to get into those menus. I'll have to try it out a few more times to see if the ST-E3 continues to not connect and if so I'll be sending it back to get another one. Thanks again. 

[TCampbell]

Also check that the flashes are configured to belong to the same flash "group" that you've selected for firing.  For example... if all the units are assigned in Group 'A' but your ST-E3-RT or camera are set to fire Group 'B' then no group 'A' flash would fire.  I think the default is to fire group 'ALL' (so group letters don't matter).  If you look at the LCD screen on the transmitter you should see "ETTL" in the upper left corner and the word "ALL" in a box.  If instead you see "Gr" in the upper left corner then your system is in "Group" mode and can independently control which groups fire (and how much power they fire.)

Other things to check are that the five small contacts on the transmitter foot aren't jammed (they are spring-loaded pins so you should be able to push them in with your finger... and they should spring right back out when released.)  

I've also just occasionally run across those who have issues only to discover the flash wasn't slid all the forward into the hot-shoe (so the pins on the foot were not actually matched up to the contact points on the hot-shoe).

With the transmitter fully inserted and the locking level clamped, use your fingers to gently test if there is any play / wobble in the transmitter.  it should be a fairly snug fit and offer very little play.  The old Speedlite 580EX II's had an issue many years back where some internal screws would get loose and allowed some play in the connection between the flash and the camera body.  This resulted in the pins not making good contact and the flash would not consistently fire.  Canon took care of the issue and I have never heard of any other units having this problem.