580ii talkin' to a 430

[Lawnboy]

How do I eliminate the red light?

[40Dude6aedyk]

Tape over the red light. I doubt the slave or master needs it. It's for you to see it's in slave mode. Just leave sensor untaped.
Or perhaps use radio triggers, but still tape over the red light.

[Lawnboy]

Doesn't the 430 need to receive the infrared signal from the 580 in order to fire? It was a 6sec shutter, do you think this may have caused it?

[40Dude6aedyk]

Yes, the speedlite need to receive the signal by light, but the 580EXII does not emit red light when its flash is firing. I believe the red light you see is the red flashing light of the 430EX in slave mode. The sensor of the 430 EX is not the red flashing light. They are probably adjacent to one another like on the 580EX. So tape over the red light, but don't tape over the sensor.

You can easily see the flashing red light: turn on your 430EX and put it in slave mode. What do you see?

[Lawnboy]

Thanks, I see, after the flash fired the red light came on in the 430 to inform me that it was ready again. thanks again

[40Dude6aedyk]

I don't have a 430EX, but the flash-recharged (i.e. pilot) LED is not the light I was talking about. Does your 430EX have a large blinking red light when it is on in SLAVE MODE? The light should not blink when it is NOT in slave mode.

[CliveyBoy]

The 430EX does blink the AF-Assist light once a second, when in slave mode. The lower red lens can be completely covered to minimize the problem in these circumstances.