Speedlite 580EXII

[Jchafitz]

Mounting a 580EXII on a T3i & shooting in P.  Flash will inexplicably switch from ETTL mode to TTL, overexposing closer subjects.  Cannot reset to ETTL manually.  Must shut down, remove flash from camera frame, remove batteries and start again. Any thoughts or solutions appreciated.

[Escalante101]

When the 580EX II is set in Manual / Slave Mode the Flash Synchronization Button does not work and no "Group" letter appears.  In ETTL / Slave Mode the Flash Synchronization Button does not work.  Is there some "custom" setting that will permit these matters to resolve themselves or is this a short coming of the unit itself?  On my Canon 80D camera, the Shutter sync. 1st curtain is "grayed out" and there is no way to adjust 1st curtain, 2nd curtain or high speed sync on the camera.  With the relevant button being inoperable as mentioned above, what is a person to do using this unit as a Slave and the on-camera built-in flash as the "Master"?  I guess I will have to address the optical transmission of on-camera flash output settings not transferring to the 580 EX II . . .

[Escalante101]

The Canon 80D flash photography feature appears to have some serious limitations.  First and foremost, if a person sets the "flash output" in the on-camera menu, when the shutter is opened / closed, the information does not transmit to the Speedlight 580EX II when the Speedlite is used as a slave.  Also, There is no "Shutter Sync." available when the flash unit is being used as a "slave" in either ETTL or Manual Mode.  The only time there is any kind of shutter sync. available is when the 580EX II is physically attached to the camera in the hot shoe being used as an external flash.  So, I guess that the on camera menu settings just do not transfer to the Speedlite. . . .  Comments, please.

[Escalante101]

Thank you for your input.  I guess I will order a Vello Off-Camera TTL Cable (33-foot, straight) from B&H Photo.  Only then will I be able to use the 580EX II off-camera and be able to do all the settings on camera, like you can when the 580EX II is attached to the 80D's hot shoe.  It took a lot of experimentation to find out what does and does not work with this particular camera / flash combination.  Watched an older version of Syl Arena's Speedlite informative tutorial, and it took a little while to put two and two together, but the TTL cable is the only thing that will allow someone to set all the flash settings on camera.  I watched a five-part video tutorial on the 580EX II with a Canon 7D.  Well, I do not have $2,500 to buy an upper end Canon camera that will allow a person to adjust flash settings on camera with the flash off-camera, using optical communication.  I have a funny feeling that even if I purhased the 600EX II, I would encounter the exact same set of problems.  The camera model has a lot to do with it.

[kvbarkley]

You actually have it backwards. Higher end EOS cameras do not have built-in flashes, so they cannot be an optical master, only lower end cameras, like my T6S,  are set up to use the built-in flash as an optical master.

Your 80D does not have this functionality.

You can either get an off-camera cord, another 580 EX -II or an ST-E2.

[Escalante101]

Yes, I set up the 580EX II as an off-camera slave yesterday and took some pictures - BUT - the in camera settings on the Flash Control Menu on the Canon 80D do not transfer to the 580EX II, so I guess either you set up all the slave settings independently on the Speedlite - or - you buy the cord.  I watched a five-segment video tutorial on the 580EX II and the Canon 7D made by Manuel Martel.  Segment 5 demonstrates how the in-camera menu flash settings on the Canon 7D transfer to the 580EX II when it is set as a slave and is off camera (not attached to the hot shoe). 

Although it is too late, Canon should have included information regarding which cameras will accept information from the in-camera flash menus in their instruction brochures, and maybe they will consider placing that information online regarding the product information or somewhere.  After thinking about it, they should still do that.  They should put something special on their website or something because there are lots of people who own the Canon Rebel series and the 60D, 70D, etc. that need to know that the in-camera flash settings will "not" transfer to a Speedlite when it is off-camera used as a Slave with the built-in flash being used as the Master.  My guess is that if I bought the 600EX II, I would encounter the same identical situation.  Only cameras like the Mark V series, 7D and up, etc. will transmit the in-camera settings to a slave off-camera.  I think that is a fair and reasonable request.

For novices like myself to have to stumble around to learn such things leaves a rather unpleasant taste in one's mouth.  I know Canon is now building cameras and flashes with radio transmitters which leaves those of us relying on "optical transmission" for wireless flash back in the stone age, but they could have done something for the Canon customers who are purchasing their "less than top-of-the-line" gear.  I plan on buying the Vello 33 foot off-camera TTL cord for the Canon 80D so I can put the flash on a light stand and control it on camera through the External Flash Menu.  Thanks for responding.

[kvbarkley]

The flash settings *do* transfer if you use a Rebel with wireless controller capability, but you don't have as much control as if the camera is attached via cord.

Besides, some settings, like zoom are not needed to be transferred.

[Escalante101]

Thank you.  When I have the Flash Output on Manual on the Canon 80D, using the Built-In flash Settings and the 
580EX II set as a slave, also on Manual Mode, the Flash Output settings did not transfer to the Speedlite when I pressed the shutter button, so I am assuming from this experience, that the only setting on the Built-in flash Settings (Master) will not transfer to the Speedlite.

[kvbarkley]

Again, the 80D cannot use the built-in flash as a master. Other camera's can.

[Escalante101]

Okay, but I can tell you that the Canon 80D built-in flash will trigger the 580EX II off camera set as a slave.  It just will not transmit settings through the optical connection, so until such time as I acquire a TTL cord, my assumption is that I will have to set all the Speedlite settings by hand as long as I am using it as an off-camera slave with the Built-In Flash as the Master.

[RobertTheFat]

---

@Escalante101wrote:

Okay, but I can tell you that the Canon 80D built-in flash will trigger the 580EX II off camera set as a slave.  It just will not transmit settings through the optical connection, so until such time as I acquire a TTL cord, my assumption is that I will have to set all the Speedlite settings by hand as long as I am using it as an off-camera slave with the Built-In Flash as the Master.

---

Probably. Which suggests that it may not be the best idea to try to use the built-in flash as the master.