ST-E3-RT won't fire remote flashes when triggered on 1DX

[kmggdc]

My first post to this forum, hopeing to find an answer.

Had a photoshoot yesterday and ran into problems.  Set up was 1DX with ST-E3-RT transmitter firing 5 remote 600EX-RT's.  This was for headshots so all the speedlites were within 12' of the camera.

After about 60 shots, I started to get intermittent flash firing.  I'd have to trigger the camera several times to get the speedlites to actually fire.  I just figured the transmitter batteries were getting low.  However then the speedlites stopped firing completely, no matter how long I waited.  So started looking at what was wrong.  The ready lite was on the transmitter, so I manually pushed it and all flashes fired.  However, when I triggered the camera shutter, nothing.  I removed the flash and reinstalled it; cycled power on and off on both the trans and camera.  Out of frustration and no ideas what to do, I slipped the transmitter off my 1DX (which is only a year old and gets used once every couple weeks) and put on my 5D mkIII and all started working.  

When I started successfully and consistently reshooting I did notice that one of my speedlites was not firing and those batteries had gone dead.  So I replaced them and finished the shoot.  

After packing up and wondering what the issue could be; I wondered if the 1DX somehow can detect a remote flash battery being dead and thus not fire the flashes (some sort of built-in) safety or warning.  However I can't find anything about this or any idea what could have gone wrong.

Any suggestions or ideas is welcome.

Thanks

[Waddizzle]

"Had kitchen photo shoot yesterday and that was using my 5d Mk III.  Ends up I had the same issue.  Maybe I never noticed it before.  But it seems that when one of the flashes is dead or batteries are slow to recharge; the ST-E3-RT won't fire the rest of the group (at least most of the time).  The camera fires, but not the flashes."

If you were the design engineer, would you want the camera to fire all the flashes if one was failing? 

Or, would you design it to have none of them flash if one of them is failing, or has failed?

[kmggdc]

Agreed, I would want the system to stop firing alerting me to a flash failure or dead battery.

I just find it odd that this isn't mentioned anywhere.  When you have 6 remote flashes scattered around a set up, and the system stops working; it would be good to have an indicator or a bullet point in the manual.

Didn't mean to sound like I was complaining as much as I was confused initially.

Thanks

[Waddizzle]

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@kmggdc wrote:

Agreed, I would want the system to stop firing alerting me to a flash failure or dead battery.

I just find it odd that this isn't mentioned anywhere.  When you have 6 remote flashes scattered around a set up, and the system stops working; it would be good to have an indicator or a bullet point in the manual.

Didn't mean to sound like I was complaining as much as I was confused initially.

Thanks

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I have driven the same SUV since 2007, and I have discovered a few undocumented features, which seem to be added for operator convenience and notification when something has failed.  None of it documented in the owner's manual.

Not only do I get a low tire pressure warning, it will tell me which tire is failing.  I have noticed it tells me which lamp has failed, either on the exterior or interior.  For example, it will tell me that my right-rear parking lamp has failed.  It warned me about airbag pressure being low following an accident, right down to the specific airbag.  None of these intelligent warnings are documented anywhere. 

I really liked the lamp failure and tire pressure warnings, which is probably why I've been driving it since 2007.

[kmggdc · Accepted solution]

Just to follow up on my original post and question.  

After another long photo shoot; and being aware of the issues; I now realize that the ST-E3-RT will not fire if a speedlite is not ready to fire; so if batteries are low and cycle times are long or if one of the flashes is dead; the flashes will not fire.

Put new batteries into the dead speedlite and you are back in business.

Have to say I never noticed this; but I only use a Multi (6 in this case) speedlite set up on rare occassions so I guess battery failure is more likely.  I will mark this as solved; thanks for everyones comments and help.