Mixing manual flash with eTTL flash

[bobbyz]

Can I have a off camera flash like 540ez in manual mode and tigger it with my on camera flash in eTTL mode, using radio triggers?

[rudy_216]

Do you have a PC connector on your camera? If so then I would think you can.

All the control signals would have been sent before the X-sync signal so a flash triggered then would not interfere. I have not tried this yet but based on my examination of Canon's Patent and their timing diagrams I think it will work.

[jeromego]

Can I have a off camera flash like 540ez in manual mode and tigger it with my on camera flash in eTTL mode, using radio triggers?

:confused:
are you gonna be using a bracket with a hotshoe adapter? otherwise, where will you put your wireless triggering device if you have another on camera flash on your body?
btw, when you say on cam flash in ettl, are you talking about the pop up flash or another speedlight?

[rudy_216]

:confused:
are you gonna be using a bracket with a hotshoe adapter? otherwise, where will you put your wireless triggering device if you have another on camera flash on your body?
btw, when you say on cam flash in ettl, are you talking about the pop up flash or another speedlight?

Great questions. I didn't even think of those issues.

I did try it with the setup I thought of. One 580EX on Camera acting as Master. On 580EX to the right as a wireless slave (Canon wireless). And on the background, triggered with RF triggers, a 420EZ.

First the Ambient level.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3546/3513228011_44233bce0f_o.jpg

Then the 580EX Master and 580EX slave.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3368/3513228019_5876505331_o.jpg

And finally with the PC port RF triggered 420EZ background light.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3615/3513228021_796bd1d4e3_o.jpg

Obviously the subject and the exposure is far from perfect but I was only interested in seeing if it would work. And it does.

Maybe not what the OP was thinking but if you only used on camera flash and a PC port triggered off camera flash it should still work.

[rudy_216]

OK I did a variation. First shot is with the built in on camera flash in Program mode. The second I included a PC port triggered 420EZ (with a green gel).

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3387/3513268467_733c263d50_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3539/3513268457_26b591b988_o.jpg

So as you can see the external flash did not interfere with the ettl on camera flash exposure.

[bobbyz]

Thanks a lot for those test shots.

Sorry I wasn't clear in my original post. I haven't owned a camera without a sync port. And my camera doesn't have pop flash. I just wanted to use my on camera 550ex in bounced mode using eTTL with my 540ez in manual mode set to low power. I think I should try it tonight.

[rudy_216]

If you are triggering the 540EZ through the PC sync port it should work.

[jeromego]

what i do in weddings is i have my cybersync CST (wireless trigger) on a a hotshoe/coldshoe adapter mounted on the left side of my flash bracket and my 580EX2 also on the bracket right above the camera with the ETTL cord. and a syncport cable from the CST to the PC port on my 5D2 to trigger the strobe that ive set up with the CSRB wireless receiver.
this way i can trigger both the 580ex2 using ettl and the strobe in the corner of the room.
im not sure if this is the best way to do it but it works. im actually still looking for another way to do this if there is.
what i did before was used a syncport cable from the CST to the pc port of the 580ex2 but it cant trigger the 580ex2. but this is possible with the nikon flashes with pc port.