EL-SKYPORTS - 3 Questions....help please !!

[DxS]

Hello people !

So I have universal elinchrom skyports (2 receivers, 1 transmitter), and two Speedlites 580ex (one of them is a 580ex II)

I'm having 3 huge issues...Can someone help ?

1. How can I use high sync with them ? Every time I go over 1/250th of a second, I can see the second curtain, and the image is half black....I have two flashes so it works when I try in infrared, I go over the 1/250th...but it's impossible with the skyports.

2. How can I put it in the 2nd curtain flash mode ? What I mean is that, if I take a picture in 2 seconds, I want the flash to trigger after the time has past, and not first...again it works in infrared with two flash in master/slave, but not with the skyports.

3. How can I make the stroboscope mode work with the skyports ? Again, it works fine in infrared with two flashes in Master/Slave, but I can't make it work with the skyports, when I put in "Multi", nothing happens...

I think it's hard to answer, but if someone knows at least something, please help ! :(

[SkipD]

Hello people !

So I have universal elinchrom skyports (2 receivers, 1 transmitter), and two Speedlites 580ex (one of them is a 580ex II)

I'm having 3 huge issues...Can someone help ?

1. How can I use high sync with them ? Every time I go over 1/250th of a second, I can see the second curtain, and the image is half black....I have two flashes so it works when I try in infrared, I go over the 1/250th...but it's impossible with the skyports.

2. How can I put it in the 2nd curtain flash mode ? What I mean is that, if I take a picture in 2 seconds, I want the flash to trigger after the time has past, and not first...again it works in infrared with two flash in master/slave, but not with the skyports.

3. How can I make the stroboscope mode work with the skyports ? Again, it works fine in infrared with two flashes in Master/Slave, but I can't make it work with the skyports, when I put in "Multi", nothing happens...

I think it's hard to answer, but if someone knows at least something, please help ! :(These things cannot be done when you are not using the magic of information communication between camera and flash - period.

[mattograph]

Hello people !

So I have universal elinchrom skyports (2 receivers, 1 transmitter), and two Speedlites 580ex (one of them is a 580ex II)

I'm having 3 huge issues...Can someone help ?

1. How can I use high sync with them ? Every time I go over 1/250th of a second, I can see the second curtain, and the image is half black....I have two flashes so it works when I try in infrared, I go over the 1/250th...but it's impossible with the skyports.

2. How can I put it in the 2nd curtain flash mode ? What I mean is that, if I take a picture in 2 seconds, I want the flash to trigger after the time has past, and not first...again it works in infrared with two flash in master/slave, but not with the skyports.

3. How can I make the stroboscope mode work with the skyports ? Again, it works fine in infrared with two flashes in Master/Slave, but I can't make it work with the skyports, when I put in "Multi", nothing happens...

I think it's hard to answer, but if someone knows at least something, please help ! :(

Hello

Boy, you aren't gonna like this too much....

1) You can't. You are set at 1/250. There are some hacks out there, I hear, but you would have to go "underground". The high speed sync feature is a ETTL function. This is one of the reasons that folks are so excited about the radio poppers.

2) Hmmmm. I didn't know that 2nd curtain would not work with the skyports. Can't provide much help here, Im afraid.

3) Once again, you can't.

All the skyports are doing is "pushing the button" on the back of the flash for you -- nothing special.

If you are frustrated by this, you sound like you might be a perfect candidate for the poppers.

[tim]

1 & 3 no, 2 i'm surprised it doesn't work but with sync times being so low i'm not too surprised. I don't see a lot of use for 2nd curtain myself anyway.

[DDCSD]

OK, was about to say that Skip was wrong on #2, but tried it myself and I could not get 2nd curtain to work unless I was using my 430EX and had it set on the flash. If I set it by Cfn 15 (on camera) on either my MkIIN or 20D, it would not work. This is with a 540EZ and 430EX. It would fire normally in ETTL (430EX) and manual (both) with it set to 2nd curtain on the cameras.

Why is there a setting on the camera if it does nothing? Am I dong something wrong?

[DDCSD]

And OP, no radio trigger will do the other things that you listed, with the exception of Radio Popper's. www.radiopopper.com

I am still trying to figure out the 2nd curtain deal. :)

[DxS]

Hey, thanks for the help.

I wanna use 2nd curtain to try out some stuff...I wanna try some effects and I cant...

I'm really pissed that nothing works, what are radio poppers? is it something completely apart or do I need the skyports with them ? What I'm asking is, "did I just waste my money?"

Thanks :) i'm gonna cry now

[PacAce]

Hey, thanks for the help.

I wanna use 2nd curtain to try out some stuff...I wanna try some effects and I cant...

I'm really pissed that nothing works, what are radio poppers? is it something completely apart or do I need the skyports with them ? What I'm asking is, "did I just waste my money?"

Thanks :) i'm gonna cry now
2nd curtain sync doesn't work with the flashes in Master/Slave modes either so Radio Poppers aren't going to help you there either, I'm afraid. 2nd curtain sync is only available when the flash is attached directly to the hotshoe or via the off-shoe cord and in "normal" mode (not master or slave).

BTW, Radio Poppers are wireless remote units that attach to your master (or ST-E2) and slave flashes and provide RF wireless communications between the master and the slave instead of IR being used.

[PacAce]

And OP, no radio trigger will do the other things that you listed, with the exception of Radio Popper's. www.radiopopper.com

I am still trying to figure out the 2nd curtain deal. :)

The 2nd curtain sync feature on the camera is only for use with the 420EX and other "lesser" EX flashes which do not have the 2nd curtain sync feature built into the flash itself. On the EX flashes that do have 2nd curtain sync available, 2nd curtain can only be set via the flash.

[DxS]

So to be clear, I can not do any of the things I listed with the skyports ? But I can do them in Infrared ? (except for the 2nd sync which doesnt work in Master/Slave anyway)

[tim]

Yes.

[PacAce]

So to be clear, I can not do any of the things I listed with the skyports ? But I can do them in Infrared ? (except for the 2nd sync which doesnt work in Master/Slave anyway)
Yes, but you already knew that, didn't you, since you said so in your 1st post. Or did you mean to ask if they (1 & 3) can be done with the Radio Popper? If so, the answer is yes (or that's what I'm led to believe).

[DDCSD]

The 2nd curtain sync feature on the camera is only for use with the 420EX and other "lesser" EX flashes which do not have the 2nd curtain sync feature built into the flash itself. On the EX flashes that do have 2nd curtain sync available, 2nd curtain can only be set via the flash.

Hmmmm..... That is a bit annoying. Although, I obviously haven't tried to even use it before. :lol:

So I am wasting my time trying to get it to work with my 540EZ?

Why does it not mention that you must have an EX flash attached in the manual? Surely tripping the flash near the end of the exposure does not depend that much on the type of flash used. (Not blaming you Leo, just complaining out loud.)
http://derekcecil.smugmug.com/photos/337012429_WrTt7-XL.jpg

[FlashZebra]

Hello people !

So I have universal elinchrom skyports (2 receivers, 1 transmitter), and two Speedlites 580ex (one of them is a 580ex II)

I'm having 3 huge issues...Can someone help ?

1. How can I use high sync with them ? Every time I go over 1/250th of a second, I can see the second curtain, and the image is half black....I have two flashes so it works when I try in infrared, I go over the 1/250th...but it's impossible with the skyports.


Read this to understand the limitations of a focal plane shutter. Which is the fundimental limitation here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focal_plane_shutter

Enjoy! Lon

[DDCSD]

OK, reading it again, it does not say that you have to have an EX speedlite, but it almost kinda sorta implies it. But not really. Wish they would just say that It only works with EX flashes.

[PacAce]

Hmmmm..... That is a bit annoying. Although, I obviously haven't tried to even use it before. :lol:

So I am wasting my time trying to get it to work with my 540EZ?

Why does it not mention that you must have an EX flash attached in the manual? Surely tripping the flash near the end of the exposure does not depend that much on the type of flash used. (Not blaming you Leo, just complaining out loud.)
[]http://derekcecil.smugmug.com/photos/337012429_WrTt7-XL.jpg[/]
In order for a flash to go off at 2nd curtain sync, the camera has to have a way of telling the flash when to do that. And that is done via one of the 4 dedicated pins found on the hotshoe. The sync trigger pin (the biggest pin of the 5 pins on the hotshoe) and the PC sync terminal cannot be used to convey that information because they are "on" for the whole duration the shutter is open. And hence the requirement for the flash to be sitting in the hotshoe or connected to it via an off-shoe cord.

[PacAce]

OK, reading it again, it does not say that you have to have an EX speedlite, but it almost kinda sorta implies it. But not really. Wish they would just say that It only works with EX flashes.

Actually, 2nd curtain sync is available with any EX compatible flash like the Sigma EF 500 DG Super and the Metz 58 AF-1C.

[DDCSD]

Actually, 2nd curtain sync is available with any EX compatible flash like the Sigma EF 500 DG Super and the Metz 58 AF-1C.

Yes, sorry. I figured the 3rd party options would allow it also.

In order for a flash to go off at 2nd curtain sync, the camera has to have a way of telling the flash when to do that. And that is done via one of the 4 dedicated pins found on the hotshoe. The sync trigger pin (the biggest pin of the 5 pins on the hotshoe) and the PC sync terminal cannot be used to convey that information because they are "on" for the whole duration the shutter is open. And hence the requirement for the flash to be sitting in the hotshoe or connected to it via an off-shoe cord.

I am probably way off here, but I figured it was as simple as the camera triggering the flash (via the sync trigger pin) towards the end of the exposure instead of at the beginning.

My 540EZ has the other 4 pins, so it would have been nice if they allowed it on that as well. However, we know how Canon is with their flashes being backwards-compatible.

That and mentioning in the manual that it would not work with anything other than EX compatible flashes.

[PacAce]

Yes, sorry. I figured the 3rd party options would allow it also.



I am probably way off here, but I figured it was as simple as the camera triggering the flash (via the sync trigger pin) towards the end of the exposure instead of at the beginning.

My 540EZ has the other 4 pins, so it would have been nice if they allowed it on that as well. However, we know how Canon is with their flashes being backwards-compatible.

That and mentioning in the manual that it would not work with anything other than EX compatible flashes.
I don't have the 540EZ but I do have an EZ compatible flash (made by Sigma). It works fine in 2nd curtain sync mode (set on the flash, not the camera) with my 1D3 camera but it doesn't work at all (2nd curtain or not) with my 30D. :confused:

But I agree with you about the 540EZ. You'd think that it should work for you in 2nd curtain mode, too.

[DDCSD]

I don't have the 540EZ but I do have an EZ compatible flash (made by Sigma). It works fine in 2nd curtain sync mode (set on the flash, not the camera) with my 1D3 camera but it doesn't work at all (2nd curtain or not) with my 30D. :confused:

But I agree with you about the 540EZ. You'd think that it should work for you in 2nd curtain mode, too.

Well....... the 540EZ actually does have a 2nd curtain setting. I hadn't even looked for it, but if you hold down the - and + buttons it will come up. I was used to how easy it was to find with my 430EX. Glad that last one I bought came with a manual!

It works. I'll shut the heck up now.

Still don't understand why setting it in the camera doesn't over-ride the flash setting, like FEC does. Now I'm looking for things to complain about. ;)

[PacAce]

Well....... the 540EZ actually does have a 2nd curtain setting. I hadn't even looked for it, but if you hold down the - and + buttons it will come up. I was used to how easy it was to find with my 430EX. Glad that last one I bought came with a manual!

It works. I'll shut the heck up now.

Still don't understand why setting it in the camera doesn't over-ride the flash setting, like FEC does. Now I'm looking for things to complain about. ;)
Ahh! But the FEC on the camera does not override the FEC on the flash. Only if FEC on the flash is set to 0 (i.e. FEC is not set) will the FEC on the camera work. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a 0 curtain sync (it's either 1st or 2nd), unless the feature is not available on the camera, so whatever is set on the flash overrides that set on the camera. :p

[DDCSD]

Ahh! But the FEC on the camera does not override the FEC on the flash. Only if FEC on the flash is set to 0 (i.e. FEC is not set) will the FEC on the camera work. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a 0 curtain sync (it's either 1st or 2nd), unless the feature is not available on the camera, so whatever is set on the flash overrides that set on the camera. :p

Always gotta point out the technicalities, eh? ;)