Will old speelite work on new eos cameras

[Stephonia]

I have several older Speedlite flashes  was wondering if they will work on y EOS 800D I tried the 550ex but it did not seen to sync right  any thought  much appreciated 

[RobertTheFat · Accepted solution]

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@MikeSowsun wrote:

Any “EX” series flash should be compatible with current Canon digital cameras. Your 550EX should work in ETTL mode. Try clearing any custom settings on the flash.  Older EX flash units are not compatible with the in-camera flash menu and all flash settings are done by pressing buttons on the flash itself. 

Older “EZ” series were designed for film cameras and are not compatible, but some can be used in Manual mode. 

Interestingly enough, if you go back to older “Auto Thyristor” film flashes from the 60’s and 70’s, they are compatible. They have built-in sensors that read the reflected light at the front of the flash and adjust the flash power automatically. You just need to manually set the aperture, ISO, and shutter speed on your digital camera to match the “Auto” setting on the flash. 

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If I'm not mistaken, modern EX flashes have that capability too. It can be useful when you want to override ETTL mode's tendency to treat all flash as fill. But IIRC, it's not exactly obvious how to select that feature. (It's not as straightforward as switching between manual and ETTL, for example.) You have to read the manual carefully.

[MikeSowsun]

Any “EX” series flash should be compatible with current Canon digital cameras. Your 550EX should work in ETTL mode. Try clearing any custom settings on the flash.  Older EX flash units are not compatible with the in-camera flash menu and all flash settings are done by pressing buttons on the flash itself. 

Older “EZ” series were designed for film cameras and are not compatible, but some can be used in Manual mode. 

Interestingly enough, if you go back to older “Auto Thyristor” film flashes from the 60’s and 70’s, they are compatible. They have built-in sensors that read the reflected light at the front of the flash and adjust the flash power automatically. You just need to manually set the aperture, ISO, and shutter speed on your digital camera to match the “Auto” setting on the flash. 

[RobertTheFat · Accepted solution]

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@MikeSowsun wrote:

Any “EX” series flash should be compatible with current Canon digital cameras. Your 550EX should work in ETTL mode. Try clearing any custom settings on the flash.  Older EX flash units are not compatible with the in-camera flash menu and all flash settings are done by pressing buttons on the flash itself. 

Older “EZ” series were designed for film cameras and are not compatible, but some can be used in Manual mode. 

Interestingly enough, if you go back to older “Auto Thyristor” film flashes from the 60’s and 70’s, they are compatible. They have built-in sensors that read the reflected light at the front of the flash and adjust the flash power automatically. You just need to manually set the aperture, ISO, and shutter speed on your digital camera to match the “Auto” setting on the flash. 

---

If I'm not mistaken, modern EX flashes have that capability too. It can be useful when you want to override ETTL mode's tendency to treat all flash as fill. But IIRC, it's not exactly obvious how to select that feature. (It's not as straightforward as switching between manual and ETTL, for example.) You have to read the manual carefully.

[MikeSowsun]

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@RobertTheFat wrote:

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If I'm not mistaken, modern EX flashes have that capability too. It can be useful when you want to override ETTL mode's tendency to treat all flash as fill. But IIRC, it's not exactly obvious how to select that feature. (It's not as straightforward as switching between manual and ETTL, for example.) You have to read the manual carefully.

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Only the high end models like the 580EX II and 600EX-RT have the option for Auto Thyristor metering. It is found in the custom functions as “Auto External Flash Metering”.

[Stephonia · Accepted solution]

Wow Sir thank you so very much. Out side of this forum is there anywhere where I could have found that information I have "Tons" of others questions . Or can I just ask you ?
Thank you

[MikeSowsun]

This is a good place to ask questions, but almost any photography forum can be useful too.