any tips/tricks of using non-canon flashes for liveview[450D] shooting?

[iamdogdog]

Hi all,

This is a very sad story, my good friend's father has passed away recently and I offered him my help to shoot all of his father's belongs for memory. Here is what I found out(I am very stupid I think):

I built a DIY light tent for him and I placed 2 manual flashed on both the right and left side of the tent, planning to trigger them by radio wireless trigger. I then hook up my 450D to my laptop and then we use the liveview screen to magnify and then focus on the first object(a gold coin). And then we clicked the shutter button. Boom, no flash was happening, tried it the second time, boom, no flash again, what the heck!! Then we disabled the liveview and click the shutter, boom, flashes were coming on.

So my questions is when shooting liveview with magifying focusing while wanting to maintain off camera lighting, we have to use a canon speedlite setting to 1/128 upward just to trigger those non-canon flashes opticallly? Are there any simply setup that you use? I always thought that macro shooting is simple and never would thought I need 3 flashes to do such a simple thing? Am I missing something totally here? Thanks for your advise.

[doubledragon]

sounds like you are making it more complicated than it needs to be.
Why don't you simplify your setup?
for instance: use the viewfinder and forget liveview tethered to your computer, what triggers are you using BTW?

[b00ty]

correct me if i'm wrong....but I believe the hotshoe is disabled during live view by default. You need to go into your Live View function settings and disable Silent Shoot.

[iamdogdog]

Hi b00ty,
In my 450D, there is no silent mode[at least I am not aware of]. When liveview is on, all non-canon flash is being disabled. But if you have a canon flash[eg 580ex], it will still be fired, what a SCAM.


Hi doubledragon,
I am using yungnuo trigger. I didn't know that I can use my computer without using the liveview, but I will try. 1 thing I need from live view is I am able to magnify the subject by 10times.

[egordon99]

I have the Xsi (450D), a Cactus transmitter that mounts on the hotshoe, a Cactus receiver, and my two speedlights. I'd be very suprised if the "fire" signal isn't transmitted on the hotshoe when you're in LiveView. I'll try it out tonight because I'm curious.

That said, I'm pretty sure there's a "Silent Shoot" mode under LiveView settings....

http://www.google.com/search?q=Xsi+%22Silent+shoot%22&rls=com.microsoft:*&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1

:lol:

The FIRST hit from that Google link is now THIS thread ;)

[MX-ActionShots]

Hmmm, I'm going to try this with my XSi tonight also!

[watt100]

I tried my XSi with live view and a manual flash (YN460) - it did NOT fire when taking a pic in Tv, Av or manual and using live view but it did fire using auto and P mode
strange ...

[spikeystitch]

I found this out on my 5dmk2. I use cybersyncs for my trigger and unfortunately with live-view on I was unable to trigger my 580exII. I haven't tried turning the silet shoot mode to off, something I'll give a try in the next few days

[RDKirk]

I tried my XSi with live view and a manual flash (YN460) - it did NOT fire when taking a pic in Tv, Av or manual and using live view but it did fire using auto and P mode
strange ...

I'll bet silent shoot is automatically deactivated in auto and P mode.

[iamdogdog]

It's good that I am not alone. It's bad that we can only trigger canon flash during liveview in 450D. I have a feeling that liveview is usually used for macro and canon wants us to buy canon macro speedlite.

Btw, I tried hooking up my 450D with my laptop, without using the liveview mode, I can't see the viewfinder on my laptop screen. Anyone has success?

[MX-ActionShots]

OK-- I just tested this out with my XSi, 580EX ll and CyberSyncs.
In Live View, any mode, the flash does not fire!

Also, no where in the custom function settings, can I find the "silent shoot" mode?? Where am I missing that, if I am??

[watt100]

OK-- I just tested this out with my XSi, 580EX ll and CyberSyncs.
In Live View, any mode, the flash does not fire!

Also, no where in the custom function settings, can I find the "silent shoot" mode?? Where am I missing that, if I am??

I don't see any "silent shoot" mode on the XSi custom functions

[b00ty]

hmm...sorry im not familar with the 450d menus or functions. I know my 40 has a silent shooting mode though.

[Curtis N]

Btw, I tried hooking up my 450D with my laptop, without using the liveview mode, I can't see the viewfinder on my laptop screen. Anyone has success?Think about it. If you're not in liveview mode, the shutter is closed and the mirror is in front of it.

I don't have any solutions for you and can't figure out why Canon designed the camera to work as you describe. So it looks like you have two options:
1) Use a dedicated flash on low power to trigger the slaves.
2) Compose and focus through the viewfinder, which is pretty much what every macro shooter had to do until a few years ago.

[egordon99]

OK, Tried my Cactus V4 trigger with my 430EXII. On my Xsi in LiveView mode, it wouldn't fire (camera in M). There was no "Silent Shoot" mode available in either CF or LV functions.

On my 40D, I COULD get the trigger to fire in LiveView with Silent Shoot disabled.

Not sure if any of that helps though :(

[watt100]

Think about it. If you're not in liveview mode, the shutter is closed and the mirror is in front of it.

I don't have any solutions for you and can't figure out why Canon designed the camera to work as you describe. So it looks like you have two options:
1) Use a dedicated flash on low power to trigger the slaves.
2) Compose and focus through the viewfinder, which is pretty much what every macro shooter had to do until a few years ago.

or use cheap "YN460" flashes on auto or P mode with a sync cord, no ettl but it works with live view on my XSi

[Curtis N]

or use cheap "YN460" flashes on auto or P mode with a sync cord, no ettl but it works with live view on my XSiI don't think that's a viable solution. With manual flash, you need to be able to control the aperture.