Slave flash snchro problems 300d

wileydude · Jan 11, 2005

I was just curious if any one else has tried using the on camera flash to trigger slave lights in a studio environment! It seems that for what ever reason my slaves are are out of snch 39 out of 40 shots! to test my theory i set my strobes at full power and still i get an average shot of only the onboard flash! like i said i will catch the strobes 1out of 40 times!

Then to really test i aimed both strobes at the camera, and i am not getting any flash recorded on the image! the slave are working fine and i can see them fire every time!

what i have tried
full program..... same result
full manual at various shutter speeds.... same result
i am really out of options and starting to get a little aggrevated!

i borrowed my buddy d70 and shot 60-70 test images... every single one was perfect!
--
http://www.pbase.com/iamwiley

bjjb04 · Jan 11, 2005

wileydude said:
I was just curious if any one else has tried using the on camera
flash to trigger slave lights in a studio environment! It seems
that for what ever reason my slaves are are out of snch 39 out of
40 shots! to test my theory i set my strobes at full power and
still i get an average shot of only the onboard flash! like i said
i will catch the strobes 1out of 40 times!

Then to really test i aimed both strobes at the camera, and i am
not getting any flash recorded on the image! the slave are working
fine and i can see them fire every time!

what i have tried
full program..... same result
full manual at various shutter speeds.... same result
i am really out of options and starting to get a little aggrevated!

i borrowed my buddy d70 and shot 60-70 test images... every single
one was perfect!

The 300D fires a pre-flash which triggers your strobes, and by the time the shutter opens and the real flash goes off your strobes are completely discharged.

If possible, you need to set your strobe system to ignore the first flash from the 300D. If that's not possible, get an old flash that doesn't do any of the E-TTL stuff and is still compatible with Canon's voltage limits for flash triggering, mount it on your hot shoe, aim it away from your subject, and use that to trigger your strobes.

--
BJJB
http://www.pbase.com/bjjb99/

wileydude · Jan 11, 2005

I understand now! However i thought that the preflash was only used during program modes! Thanks for the reply! i think that this will answer it for me.....

thanks again!

bjjb04 said:
wileydude said:

I was just curious if any one else has tried using the on camera
flash to trigger slave lights in a studio environment! It seems
that for what ever reason my slaves are are out of snch 39 out of
40 shots! to test my theory i set my strobes at full power and
still i get an average shot of only the onboard flash! like i said
i will catch the strobes 1out of 40 times!

Then to really test i aimed both strobes at the camera, and i am
not getting any flash recorded on the image! the slave are working
fine and i can see them fire every time!

what i have tried
full program..... same result
full manual at various shutter speeds.... same result
i am really out of options and starting to get a little aggrevated!

i borrowed my buddy d70 and shot 60-70 test images... every single
one was perfect!

Click to expand...

The 300D fires a pre-flash which triggers your strobes, and by the
time the shutter opens and the real flash goes off your strobes are
completely discharged.

If possible, you need to set your strobe system to ignore the first
flash from the 300D. If that's not possible, get an old flash that
doesn't do any of the E-TTL stuff and is still compatible with
Canon's voltage limits for flash triggering, mount it on your hot
shoe, aim it away from your subject, and use that to trigger your
strobes.

--
BJJB
http://www.pbase.com/bjjb99/

--
http://www.pbase.com/iamwiley

River Side · Jan 11, 2005

cuz i think using that the camera need not 'evaluate' exposure at the time of shutter press and may not 'prefire'.. haven't tested that.. i fire my strobes through a cheapo hot-shoe PC connector and wire... the slaves fire wirelessly..

wileydude said:
I was just curious if any one else has tried using the on camera
flash to trigger slave lights in a studio environment! It seems
that for what ever reason my slaves are are out of snch 39 out of
40 shots! to test my theory i set my strobes at full power and
still i get an average shot of only the onboard flash! like i said
i will catch the strobes 1out of 40 times!

Then to really test i aimed both strobes at the camera, and i am
not getting any flash recorded on the image! the slave are working
fine and i can see them fire every time!

what i have tried
full program..... same result
full manual at various shutter speeds.... same result
i am really out of options and starting to get a little aggrevated!

i borrowed my buddy d70 and shot 60-70 test images... every single
one was perfect!
--
http://www.pbase.com/iamwiley

Eddysign · Jan 11, 2005

Yes you can use the FEL to prevent the preflash.

As long as you hold down the * button it won't fire a preflash anymore (only the first time you press that button).

It works very well.

I bought two second hand flashes for only a few euro's and a normal flashtrigger (who doesnt ignore the preflash).
Now i only need a trick to prevent me from getting a sore thumb.

wileydude · Jan 11, 2005

This was something i was considering! but every cheapo hotshoe mount that i have come cross was not all that cheap

thanks!

River Side said:
wileydude said:

I was just curious if any one else has tried using the on camera
flash to trigger slave lights in a studio environment! It seems
that for what ever reason my slaves are are out of snch 39 out of
40 shots! to test my theory i set my strobes at full power and
still i get an average shot of only the onboard flash! like i said
i will catch the strobes 1out of 40 times!

Then to really test i aimed both strobes at the camera, and i am
not getting any flash recorded on the image! the slave are working
fine and i can see them fire every time!

what i have tried
full program..... same result
full manual at various shutter speeds.... same result
i am really out of options and starting to get a little aggrevated!

i borrowed my buddy d70 and shot 60-70 test images... every single
one was perfect!
--
http://www.pbase.com/iamwiley

Click to expand...

--
http://www.pbase.com/iamwiley

wileydude · Jan 11, 2005

WOW, i am going to have to give this a try! thanks!

Eddysign said:
Yes you can use the FEL to prevent the preflash.
As long as you hold down the * button it won't fire a preflash
anymore (only the first time you press that button).

It works very well.
I bought two second hand flashes for only a few euro's and a normal
flashtrigger (who doesnt ignore the preflash).
Now i only need a trick to prevent me from getting a sore thumb.

--
http://www.pbase.com/iamwiley

Eddysign · Jan 11, 2005

The flashtrigger i got was about 20 Euro.
There are so called digital flashtriggers, those ignore the preflash.
Get them instead if you can and save yourself from a sore thumb.

Have fun.

wileydude · Jan 11, 2005

Just wanted to thank you all! problem solved! thanks so much

wileydude said:
I was just curious if any one else has tried using the on camera
flash to trigger slave lights in a studio environment! It seems
that for what ever reason my slaves are are out of snch 39 out of
40 shots! to test my theory i set my strobes at full power and
still i get an average shot of only the onboard flash! like i said
i will catch the strobes 1out of 40 times!

Then to really test i aimed both strobes at the camera, and i am
not getting any flash recorded on the image! the slave are working
fine and i can see them fire every time!

what i have tried
full program..... same result
full manual at various shutter speeds.... same result
i am really out of options and starting to get a little aggrevated!

i borrowed my buddy d70 and shot 60-70 test images... every single
one was perfect!
--
http://www.pbase.com/iamwiley

--
http://www.pbase.com/iamwiley

Doug Kerr · Jan 11, 2005

Hi, dude,

wileydude said:
I was just curious if any one else has tried using the on camera
flash to trigger slave lights in a studio environment! It seems
that for what ever reason my slaves are are out of snch 39 out of
40 shots! to test my theory i set my strobes at full power and
still i get an average shot of only the onboard flash! like i said
i will catch the strobes 1out of 40 times!

A normal optically-triggered studio strobe will fire prematurely when the 300D onboard flash gives its metering preflash (before the shutter is open).

To use the onboard flash to optically trigger a strobe, you must disable any bulit-in optical remote trigger and use a special separate optical trigger that can be programmed to ignore the preflash.

Best regards,

Doug

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Slave flash snchro problems 300d

wileydude

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