Stupid Question - Nikon with Canon??

[RAitch]

Can you use any brand of TTL flash with the Canon DRebel XT?
More specifically, can you use the Nikon SB-28 Speedlight with the XT? I'm wondering if they have different connectors or something... but I'm an external flash dummy.

A buddy of mine is selling his flash but I haven't had a chance to look at it. My first guess was that they will be incompatable, but I thought I should ask the question.

Thanks.

[scottbergerphoto]

You can only use Nikon flashes on Canon cameras in Manual Mode or if they have an Auto-thyristor mode as some of the older ones do. No ETTL.

[RAitch]

That's what I was expecting.
Oh well... I was hoping to get a cheap (yet good) flash for my XT. I know he takes good care of his stuff and barely used it.

Oh well. If anybody is looking to get rid of a 4 series Canon Speedlight.....

[COKE CAN]

Get a Sigma 500 super

[Leorooster]

Is it comparable with the Canon 580ex? I am looking for a flash, but don't know which on is better. Thanks.

Get a Sigma 500 super

[CyberPet]

What, you can hook up the Nikon flash with the Canon 350D? *shocked*
So nothing will blow up?? *getting new ideas here*

[Wazza]

But it's like putting a Toyota part onto a Ferrari. :p

[CyberPet]

No but imagine.... you set the Nikon SB28 (got one of those) to manual (done that before) and have the Canon 420EX to fire as a slave. Hmmm.... I need to play with that!!

You *sure* nothing will blow up??

[KevC]

No but imagine.... you set the Nikon SB28 (got one of those) to manual (done that before) and have the Canon 420EX to fire as a slave. Hmmm.... I need to play with that!!

You *sure* nothing will blow up??

Hehe. Just make sure that the hotshoe voltage on the SB28s is less than 6v... don't want *anything* to blow up ;)

I don't know about the 420EX firing as slave though. It is optically or radio (can't recall) triggered by *other* Canon flashes. So no dice...

... *unless* you find a optical trigger for it... but then you'll hafta avoid the preflash of the Nikon (if any) *and* you have to reset the 420EX after every fire... Canon flashes are dumb like that.

[RAitch]

No but imagine.... you set the Nikon SB28 (got one of those) to manual (done that before) and have the Canon 420EX to fire as a slave. Hmmm.... I need to play with that!!

You *sure* nothing will blow up??

Why wouldn't you swap those around and have the Nikon fire as a slave? That way you don't need to worry about voltage and stuff blowing up.

Damn... I can't afford a new 420EX AND extension tubes.

[scottbergerphoto]

The 420EX will not work as an optical slave. It will only work in ETTL, No Manual Mode. If you are going to use it as the main flash and the Nikon as slave, you need to buy a Wein Digital Optical Slave that ignores a preflash and attach it to the Nikon flash hot shoe.

[CyberPet]

The reason why I was thinking about the "switching around" was that I then don't need to buy a hotshoe for the Nikon and the fact that the 420EX doesn't work in manual, makes the whole idea pretty dead to beging with.

But *if* the Nikon could fire from the Canon body (and not fry itself or the Canon), then it should work to trigger the 420EX, right? Since you have to set the Nikon flash manually anyway, you can control the output a bit better.

I'm probably just dreaming... until I can afford a 580EX :D

[robertwgross]

But *if* the Nikon could fire from the Canon body (and not fry itself or the Canon), then it should work to trigger the 420EX, right? Since you have to set the Nikon flash manually anyway, you can control the output a bit better.

The Canon 420EX still does not operate as an optical slave. It will work as a Canon wireless slave, but you don't have any Canon wireless master to control it.

So, I agree, it's a dream.

---Bob Gross---

[FlyingPete]

The Canon 420EX still does not operate as an optical slave. It will work as a Canon wireless slave, but you don't have any Canon wireless master to control it.

So, I agree, it's a dream.

---Bob Gross---

Yep I have tried the 420EX (and 380EX) as an optical slave, you need to turn it off and on again each time it is triggered, which defeats the purpose somewhat. It also always fires fill tilt, so recycle times are not that good, and battery life takes a hammering.