550ex and Pocket Wizard?

[dennykyser]

Can the 550ex be used with the pocket wizard? I really dont want to buy the ST-E2 when I use to many other strobes and flashes. I have had a hard time getting any shoe to Pc adapter to work with the 550ex? maybe someone has come up with a fix for this by now.

[DaveG]

Can the 550ex be used with the pocket wizard? I really dont want to buy the ST-E2 when I use to many other strobes and flashes. I have had a hard time getting any shoe to Pc adapter to work with the 550ex? maybe someone has come up with a fix for this by now.

I don't think that you can. It looks like most of the radio slaves plug into the flash's PC connector and there isn't one on the 550EX. In any case you'd lose the remote TTL flash automation and be left with manual flash output.

Then you'd be better off buying a Vivivitar 285 which would give you those same variable power manual outputs, would add automatic flash settings, and does have the PC plug in socket.

[JoeTampa]

Dave is right, it cannot be done.

[dennykyser]

At one time I had talked to B&H and they explained that Canon intentionaly made there flashes to where they would not work with non canon acces. This is one think I wish canon would change I love the 550ex but hard to believe you can not use it of camera with other non canon lights.

[scottbergerphoto]

It can be done. You have to use the 550EX in Manual mode. You need to get a custom hot shoe to mini plug cord from http://www.paramountcords.com/Pockwiz.asp There is a standard mounting hole in the hot shoe to mount to a flash bracket or light stand.
The 550EX goes in the hot shoe end of the cord and the mini plug plugs into the pocket wizard receiver. The Pocket Wizard transmitter goes in the camera hot shoe. It works fine. I use it with an umbrella. It makes a nice portable set up.
Scott

[dennykyser]

Scott, thanks for the tip, are you using this with a 550ex? I see it says its compatible with the 540ez?

Can you hook the hot shoe up to a lightstand, cant really tell from the pic. Do you have any other pics of your setup. Denny

[scottbergerphoto]

Scott, thanks for the tip, are you using this with a 550ex? I see it says its compatible with the 540ez?

Can you hook the hot shoe up to a lightstand, cant really tell from the pic. Do you have any other pics of your setup. Denny
It works with the 550EX. I attach the 550EX/hotshoe end to a Multibracket http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=188807&is=REG attached to a lightstand. You remove the multibracket's fake hot shoe and use the stud to attach the custom hot shoe cord. The umbrella also slips into the multibracket. The miniplug goes into the pocket wizard receiver. The flash is manual and beacuse I'm bouncing off an umbrella, I can't use the distance scale on the flash, I use a flash meter.
Regards,
Scott

[GenEOS]

I have read many threads talking about this issue. They all end in...if you are going to have to use the flash in manual mode, why get the 550EX's? You can save some bucks getting 540EZ's or an off-brand flash to use in manual mode. I have seen peopl eusing this set up with PW's, the adapter also has a thread to moun the flash on a light stand..
Go to www.sportsshooter.com and search the message board...you will find a ton of info for setting this up.

I recently used the ST-E2 with 2 550EX's and was really pleased with their functionality. Best of all, I retained E-TTL2. A lot of people blast the ST-E2, because it is not a radio unit, but in the right situations, it works great.

my 2 cents.

[dennykyser]

Well the 550ex is a great flash and on a camera bracket its great. but when needed of camera why should I have to buy another flash just because I want to use it off camera a five feet or so. I believe this is the way to go (meaning the pw cord) then you can use the 550ex with all its capabilites and still use it for a powerful of camera fill when you need total control. The longer I shoot, the more I want control of what everything is doing. I dont want to trust the camera or flash to get it right.

I am not blasting the 550ex, just trying to get the most from it.

[robertwgross]

You are not going to get the most from a 550EX unless you have a full data link between the camera and the flash. Either that means a full off-shoe cable, or it means the Canon wireless link. By the way, the Canon wireless link does not require a second flash unit on the camera. The ST-E2 does that well.

If you are satisfied with getting only partial function out of a 550EX, then you can go with all sorts of simple cables.

---Bob Gross---

[dennykyser]

Bob,

what I meant by getting the most out of the 550ex was using it both at its full blown capabilites. (on bracket with off camera shoe cord) and as a fill of camera. I looked at the ST-E2 and may eventually get one but for now when I want to use it as a fill at 2 stops less then available light shouldnt I be able to use my 550ex as a simple fill. If this $35.00 cord lets me do that I am tickled pink, if not I will use my fill with in the 2 feet that my of camera shoe cord will reach, or get a st-e2, or get a vivitar 285.

I just really like the 550ex's power and hate to leave it in the bag the few times I need it used this other way.

[ggustafs]

Denny,

They following link may be helpful... http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=001OtS
with some helpful info re. the 550EX and ST-E2 from Chuck Westfall (Canon USA) and Vincent Laforet (Staff photog w/ New York Times)

[scottbergerphoto]

You are not going to get the most from a 550EX unless you have a full data link between the camera and the flash. Either that means a full off-shoe cable, or it means the Canon wireless link. By the way, the Canon wireless link does not require a second flash unit on the camera. The ST-E2 does that well.

If you are satisfied with getting only partial function out of a 550EX, then you can go with all sorts of simple cables.

---Bob Gross---
Bob,
It's not either or. I use the 550EX in the hotshoe, on a bracket with the Off The Shoe Cord 2, on a stand with an umbrella with the Pocket Wizards, or as a master to a 420EX. It's all about possibilities and flexibility.
Scott

[scottbergerphoto]

Denny,

They following link may be helpful... http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=001OtS
with some helpful info re. the 550EX and ST-E2 from Chuck Westfall (Canon USA) and Vincent Laforet (Staff photog w/ New York Times)
Thanks for that link. The short article by Vincent Laforet was eye opening. He suggests forgetting about setting actual flash ratios on the Master. He advises dialing in +FEC on the slave and + or -FEC on the master for the look you want. It makes it alot simpler.
Scott

[ggustafs]

Bob,
It's not either or. I use the 550EX in the hotshoe, on a bracket with the Off The Shoe Cord 2, on a stand with an umbrella with the Pocket Wizards, or as a master to a 420EX. It's all about possibilities and flexibility.
Scott

Scott,

I kinda agree with you there. While I use the ST-E2 often and find it very useful. It doesn't have all the capabilities of control of slaves that using a 550EX has. On those occasions using the "Off the Shoe Cord 2" with a 550EX acting as master works.

[ggustafs]

Denny,

They following link may be helpful... http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=001OtS
with some helpful info re. the 550EX and ST-E2 from Chuck Westfall (Canon USA) and Vincent Laforet (Staff photog w/ New York Times)
Thanks for that link. The short article by Vincent Laforet was eye opening. He suggests forgetting about setting actual flash ratios on the Master. He advises dialing in +FEC on the slave and + or -FEC on the master for the look you want. It makes it alot simpler.
Scott

Here's a link to the original article by Laforet on SportsShooter.com "Show Me the Light: lighting with the Canon 550EX flashes" http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/450

[scottbergerphoto]

Denny,

They following link may be helpful... http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=001OtS
with some helpful info re. the 550EX and ST-E2 from Chuck Westfall (Canon USA) and Vincent Laforet (Staff photog w/ New York Times)
Thanks for that link. The short article by Vincent Laforet was eye opening. He suggests forgetting about setting actual flash ratios on the Master. He advises dialing in +FEC on the slave and + or -FEC on the master for the look you want. It makes it alot simpler.
Scott

Here's a link to the original article by Laforet on SportsShooter.com "Show Me the Light: lighting with the Canon 550EX flashes" http://www.sportsshooter.com/news/450
Thanks,
Scott

[slin100]

Scott is right, "It can be done." I have the Paramount Cords Miniphone to Hot Shoe female cable and it works great with the 550EX. The nice thing about the cable is that the hot shoe is insulated so that only the main triggering pin on the flash is used. The other 4 pins are not shorted out, as can happen with other, cheaper cables.