Remote trigger of Canon Speedlight

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jezza8

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I was planning on upgrading my 420EX flash to a 430EX (either Mk I or II). I will want to use it on camera and off via remote trigger (SkyPort wireless and optical). However I have found with my existing 420EX that it has this problem where it will trigger once from an optical slave, but to trigger a 2nd time you have to switch the flash off and on again, no good for a multi flash set up. Interestingly an older 430 EZ doesn't have this problem.

Can anyone tell me please if the 430 EX (Mk I or II) has this same problem with remote triggers? I am also interested if the 550EX and 580EX have this problem?
 
I own a 430ex and 580ex and have triggered them both with radio flash triggers from a 20d and 5d.

The built in system that enables a 580 to fire the 430 is far from reliable, I'd strongly recommend using radio triggers.
 
By optical slave do you mean on eof those little cubes with the window that your flashgun attaches to and you use the on camera flash to activate it?

Wireless is the way to go. I have a set of those cheap Cactus triggers from ebay and with my crappy old Centon flash I used to struggle with reliability. Interestingly since I got my 430 EX II the reliabilty and range has gone way up. I guess the 430 EXII is more sensitive to the signal that comes through the receiver. In any case the system has become rock solid and I can get the flash firing easily out to twenty metres (haven't tried it beyond this yet).
 
Interesting as I have a 580 and older 420 flash gun and don't have problems with triggering. I've just bought an ST-E2 so I can use the flashes off the camera as well.
 
I have decided on Skyport Wireless triggers, so will see how this goes. Although to save some money I was planning on just the one skyport receiver to start with and some optical triggers for the other off camera flash units. However I have read that the Canon EX flash units have a problem where they will only trigger once from the optical slave, then need to be powered off/on to trigger again. I have experienced this on my 420 EX. Canon units are unique in having this problem. As far as I can see only the latest 580EX II (and older EZ units) don't have this problem.

Interesting subseasniper that you have no problem triggering your 430 EXII, is this with the cactus? Have you ever tried this with an optical trigger?

I also have an older 430 EZ which doesn't have the optical trigger problem, but then this auto sleeps after 90 sec and there appear to be no way to stop it doing so, (unlike the 430 EX where this can be disabled) so that's another gotcha for off camera use!

Why does this off camera flash thing have to be so complicated with Canon flash!:bang:
 
Jezza, my triggers are so cheap they weren't evem listed as Cactus on ebay, they look and work exactly the same so I presume they are cactus triggers.

I did have an optical trigger a while but lost it. TBH it was pretty rubbish and the firing was not totally reliable.

Off camera flash is not complicated, even if you lose TTL. Just change your flash power on manual mode or if you can't be bothered walking to your flash change the aperture, it will only take one or two test shots to get the exposure spot on.
 
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