Off-camera flash with 80D

[Roo]

I am new to flash photography. My camera is an 80D and I have a 430EX II. I would like to find a way to fire the flash off-camera without having to fire the camera’s pop-up flash. Any ideas?

[diverhank]

There is no other way without getting a ST-E2-RT transmitter which mounts on the hot shoe.  You can't see the light emitting from it but it's essentially the same as your built-in flash.

[RobertTheFat]

Isn't it only the 430-EX III that has RT capability? I was under the impression that optical transmission is the only option with the 430-EX II.

[diverhank]

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@RobertTheFat wrote:

Isn't it only the 430-EX III that has RT capability? I was under the impression that optical transmission is the only option with the 430-EX II.

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Yes that's right.  That's why I mentioned the ST-E2-RT not the ST-E3-RT.  The E2 transmits optical info only which the 430 EX II can do.

[RobertTheFat]

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@diverhank wrote:

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@RobertTheFat wrote:

Isn't it only the 430-EX III that has RT capability? I was under the impression that optical transmission is the only option with the 430-EX II.

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Yes that's right.  That's why I mentioned the ST-E2-RT not the ST-E3-RT.  The E2 transmits optical info only which the 430 EX II can do.

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Hmmm,,, I don't find an ST-E2-RT, only an ST-E2. Which actually doesn't surprise me much, because I always thought that RT stands for "radio transmission". Is there a radio-capable version of the ST-E2?

[diverhank]

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@RobertTheFat wrote:

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@diverhank wrote:

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@RobertTheFat wrote:

Isn't it only the 430-EX III that has RT capability? I was under the impression that optical transmission is the only option with the 430-EX II.

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Yes that's right.  That's why I mentioned the ST-E2-RT not the ST-E3-RT.  The E2 transmits optical info only which the 430 EX II can do.

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Hmmm,,, I don't find an ST-E2-RT, only an ST-E2. Which actually doesn't surprise me much, because I always thought that RT stands for "radio transmission". Is there a radio-capable version of the ST-E2?

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Oh...I see what you're getting at.  I just worked off memory...Sorry...you're correct it's just ST-E2...I guess I don't sweat the minor details that much.

[Roo]

Ah, too bad ... Thank you for your response, though.

One more question: Do you know if the ST-E2-RT transmitter emits a light as bright as the flash?

[diverhank]

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@Roo wrote:

Ah, too bad ... Thank you for your response, though.

One more question: Do you know if the ST-E2-RT transmitter emits a light as bright as the flash?

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As I recalled, you can't see it, at least it's not noticeable as the photographer looking through the viewfinder.

[Roo]

Thank you!

[TCampbell]

Pop-up your on-camer flash.

Go into the camera menu and tell it to "disable" your flash.

Use it normally.

What you'll find is that you SEE the on-camera flash fire... but when you inspect your images you wont see any light from it.

The camera will use the on-camera flash ONLY to communicate with the external speedlite (which all happens while the camera shutter is still close... a fraction of a second before the shutter opens) but when the camera shutter opens only the off-camera flash will fire.

You get the benefit of off-camera flash without having to worry about what the on-camera flash will do to your shot.

I know it seems strange to turn on a flash, tell the camera menu to "disable" it, and still see it fire... just know that it is only firing to communicate (optically) with the off-camera flash units and it only happens when the shutter is still closed.