580ex ii : will this setup work?

[tma888]

i recently got a 580ex ii and my cactus v2 remote is on the way from ebay.
i am planning on getting an additional flash like the 430ex as well.

this is what i have in mind.

1) put the cactus transmitter on the camera (40D)
2) put the cactus receiver on the 580ex ii, set it as master
3) then use the 430ex as slave for the 580ex ii


will this work?
what will be the limitation of this setup? (can i still use ettl?)
any other options for me?


pls let me know what you think.

thanks.

[Lotto]

I use that setup, though with the 580EX as master. The limitation: 1) no ETTL, 2) sync speed limted to 1/100-125.

[tma888]

thanks Lotto!

been waiting for a reply hahaha.

im getting the 430ex in a couple of hours from now and just want to make sure its gonna work.

basically, i'll have the 580exii and 430ex off cam.

the trigger will the the cactus on the 40D while the receiver is on the 580exii.

also, if i set the setting in the 580exii, will it transmit the info to the 430ex so that i
dont need to configure the 430ex as well?

thanks!

[Lotto]

Right, leave slave 430 in ETTL mode, set the master to mnaul mode with the ratio turned on, then you can control both the 580 and the 430 manual power outputs from the 580.

[tma888]

Right, leave slave 430 in ETTL mode, set the master to mnaul mode with the ratio turned on, then you can control both the 580 and the 430 manual power outputs from the 580.

thanks buddy!

you're The MAN!!! :lol:

[PacAce]

Don't forget, you'll also need a hotshoe adapter to connect the 580EX II to the RF receiver.

[tma888]

Don't forget, you'll also need a hotshoe adapter to connect the 580EX II to the RF receiver.

PacAce, you mean the receiver that comes with the Cactus V2? :wink:

[PacAce]

PacAce, you mean the receiver that comes with the Cactus V2? :wink:

Yes. One is going to be the transmitter which goes on the camera and the other is the receiver which is connected to the flash. You will need a hotshoe adapter to connect the flash to the receiver if you want to use the 580EX II as a master to the 430EX.

[Curtis N]

Don't forget, you'll also need a hotshoe adapter to connect the 580EX II to the RF receiver.The Cactus V2 receiver has both a hotshoe and a PC socket. So technically the 580EX II could be mounted to it without any additional adapters.

But in a practical sense, this is rather precarious. Not only is the weight of the flash unit supported by the receiver (which isn't very robust), but mounting on a swivel bracket this way would put the flash head a fair distance from the center of the umbrella.

Using a male-male PC cord to connect the Cactus receiver to the PC socket of the 580EX II would work for most purposes, but not if you want to use the 580EX II in master-manual mode. You'll want a hotshoe adapter to use it that way.

It may be easier to buy an additional Cactus receiver for the second flash unit. They aren't very expensive, would allow a faster sync speed, and will not require line-of-sight to make the second flash work. Those gadgets are fickle enough that it would be wise to have a spare, anyway.

[PacAce]

The Cactus V2 receiver has both a hotshoe and a PC socket. So technically the 580EX II could be mounted to it without any additional adapters.

But in a practical sense, this is rather precarious. Not only is the weight of the flash unit supported by the receiver (which isn't very robust), but mounting on a swivel bracket this way would put the flash head a fair distance from the center of the umbrella.

Using a male-male PC cord to connect the Cactus receiver to the PC socket of the 580EX II would work for most purposes, but not if you want to use the 580EX II in master-manual mode. You'll want a hotshoe adapter to use it that way.

It may be easier to buy an additional Cactus receiver for the second flash unit. They aren't very expensive, would allow a faster sync speed, and will not require line-of-sight to make the second flash work. Those gadgets are fickle enough that it would be wise to have a spare, anyway.

Thanks for that info, Curtis. I wasn't aware of that fact.

[BigBlueDodge]

tma,

Just curious why you won't use the built in wirelss capability of the 580ex to fire your 430ex?

[PacAce]

tma,

Just curious why you won't use the built in wirelss capability of the 580ex to fire your 430ex?

He is. But he also want the master off-camera and hence the RF remote to trigger it.

[msowsun]

Right, leave slave 430 in ETTL mode, set the master to manual mode with the ratio turned on, then you can control both the 580 and the 430 manual power outputs from the 580.

I am a little confused.

Why would you leave the 430 in ETTL, if ETTL is not possible using the Catus?

Is that the only way to control the manual output of the 430 slave from the 580 master?

Is there some kind of magic "ETTL" communication between the 580 and 430 even though neither one is talking to the camera?

[Ultimate CC]

does anyone have a link to the hotshoe adaptor needed...

[PacAce]

I am a little confused.

Why would you leave the 430 in ETTL, if ETTL is not possible using the Catus?

Is that the only way to control the manual output of the 430 slave from the 580 master?

Is there some kind of magic "ETTL" communication between the 580 and 430 even though neither one is talking to the camera?

When you operate the master and slave in manual mode, you can set the slave from the master or directly on the slave itself. If set on the master, the slave can be left in ETTL mode. It'll automatically switch to manual mode when the master sends the command signal to the slave. If you set the slave directly on the slave, then it'll, of course, need to be set to manual mode first.

[msowsun]

When you operate the master and slave in manual mode, you can set the slave from the master or directly on the slave itself. If set on the master, the slave can be left in ETTL mode. It'll automatically switch to manual mode when the master sends the command signal to the slave. If you set the slave directly on the slave, then it'll, of course, need to be set to manual mode first.

OK thanks, So whatever mode the master is in, the slave will automatically set itself to the same mode? Is that right? (I only have one flash and haven't bothered to read that part of the manual)

[PacAce]

OK thanks, So whatever mode the master is in, the slave will automatically set itself to the same mode? Is that right?

Yes, as long as both are in ETTL wireless remote mode.

[msowsun]

But if the 580 is off camera using a Cactus trigger, can it still be in ETTL mode?

[PacAce]

But if the 580 is off camera using a Cactus trigger, can it still be in ETTL mode?

I had a feeling I was going to confuse you when I used the term "ETTL" in my previous post. What I meant by it was not ETTL mode as opposed to Manual mode, but rather, the ETTL wireless configuration mode where one EX flash serves as a master and one or more other EX flashes serve as slaves. Sorry for the confusion.

But you are correct. If the master is going to be triggered via an RF remote, the master has to be in manual mode.

[msowsun]

I had a feeling I was going to confuse you when I used the term "ETTL" in my previous post. What I meant by it was not ETTL mode as opposed to Manual mode, but rather, the ETTL wireless configuration mode where one EX flash serves as a master and one or more other EX flashes serve as slaves. Sorry for the confusion.

But you are correct. If the master is going to be triggered via an RF remote, the master has to be in manual mode.

OK, I got it now. Thanks for clearing it all up. :)

[tma888]

Wow! thank you guys for all the ideas that you have put in to this particular thread.

I went to the store today to pick up the 430ex. however, while trying out the 580 & 430 off cam combination, this is what happened...

1-we set the 580ex ii as Master, channel 1
2-we set the 430ex as Slave, channel 1/group A
3-both flashes are in ETTL mode
4-both flashes are off-cam (on stand)

when i pressed the pilot button on the 580ex, it fires but there was about a 1 second
delay before the 430ex fires. the 2 flashes did not fire at the same time.

we tried again, checked all setting, but still the same 1 second delay for the 430ex.

then we mounted the 580ex on the 40D, set it as Master, ETTL channel 1, then we look
a shot and that was the only time the 2 flashes were then in sync with each other.

after playing around with the settings, i found that the only way the 580ex and 430ex
would fire in sync while off cam is if we set the 580ex as ETTL and the 430ex as Manual.

i just dont understand why the 580ex ii and the 430ex would not fire at the same time while
off cam in ETTL mode....

care to let me understand again?

thanks.

[Curtis N]

The master and each slave will fire separately when you use the test button. This makes it easier to see if they're all working.

Fire the master via hotshoe adapter and it'll work.

[PacAce]

Wow! thank you guys for all the ideas that you have put in to this particular thread.

I went to the store today to pick up the 430ex. however, while trying out the 580 & 430 off cam combination, this is what happened...

1-we set the 580ex ii as Master, channel 1
2-we set the 430ex as Slave, channel 1/group A
3-both flashes are in ETTL mode
4-both flashes are off-cam (on stand)

when i pressed the pilot button on the 580ex, it fires but there was about a 1 second
delay before the 430ex fires. the 2 flashes did not fire at the same time.

we tried again, checked all setting, but still the same 1 second delay for the 430ex.

then we mounted the 580ex on the 40D, set it as Master, ETTL channel 1, then we look
a shot and that was the only time the 2 flashes were then in sync with each other.

after playing around with the settings, i found that the only way the 580ex and 430ex
would fire in sync while off cam is if we set the 580ex as ETTL and the 430ex as Manual.

i just dont understand why the 580ex ii and the 430ex would not fire at the same time while
off cam in ETTL mode....

care to let me understand again?

thanks.
You have to set the master to Manual mode, not ETTL mode.