New ST-E2???

[thompo]

Anyone heard anything??

I dont see why you have to buy a 580ex II to access the new flash menu's on the 40/50/5dmkii etc.

Why spend a lot of money on a flash, to access a brilliant control menu then 9 times out of 10 tell the flash on camera not to fire!

I want to see a master unit that gives the 580exII control but without the flash head, oh and about £150 off the price :D

Or will they be building the control of off camera flash into the bodies, same Nikon's CLS system??

[alt4852]

we can only hope. =/

[amfoto1]

Personally I prefer to have the off camera flash control in a separate module, not built into the camera.

ST-E2 really needs to be replaced with a radio controller, instead of IR. Right now we're limited to line-of-sight only.

Of course, that ain't gonna happen because all the flashes would need to be changed to RF communication, too.

Has anyone tried any of the third party RF controllers/triggers that supposedly relay all or most of the functions of ETTL?

I'd bet that if and when we see an ST-E2"N", it mostly just adds the "improved weather sealing" around the foot and an "improved dust seal" on the battery door... Oh and a 30% higher list price.

Damn, there I go getting cynical again!

[MR do little]

Or will they be building the control of off camera flash into the bodies, same Nikon's CLS system??

Nikon has both (SU-800) naturally since their pro bodies like Canon dont have a onboard flash.

The Canon ST-E2 is a toy compared to the SU-800, so if they want to keep trying catching up to Nikons CLS they better get something that works and dont limit the photographer.

[Tiberius]

The ST-E2 falls behind the 580EX II in several areas.

The 580 has a swivel/tilt head, so you can get a slave to fire anywhere, even behind you.

The 580 also controls Group C, the ST-E2 doesn't.

The 580 allows manual control of the slaves from the camera, the ST-E2 doesn't.

And as you said, the ST-E2 doesn't allow any fill flash from the camera position.

So as long as you only want two groups, no manual control, no on camera fill flash and the position of the salves limited to in front of the camera, then an ST-E2 is fine.

[lazer-jock]

It looks like the new 7D might have wireless E-TTL through its built-in flash (a la Nikon). The ST-E2 may be getting phased out completely rather than updated.

[MR do little]

It looks like the new 7D might have wireless E-TTL through its built-in flash (a la Nikon). The ST-E2 may be getting phased out completely rather than updated.

Wich would cripple Canons flash system even more.