420Ex without ST-E2

[burgoid]

hey i was wondering weather it is possible to use the 420EX without the ST-E2 if so how?
cheers Dave

[tim]

Attach it to the top of your camera in the hotshoe mount. Alternately you control it remotely with a 550EX/580EX acting as a master mounted on the camera.

[burgoid]

ok so the only way to control it off the camera is with the ST-E2

[tim]

Yes, or a higher model flash as a controller, which can work out economical - 550EX is a similar price to a STE2, and it goes "flash" too. If you're looking for a cheap way, then no, sorry. The Sigma Super DG 500 has an optical trigger, which none of the Canon units have.

[RockSlut]

There is also the Canon off-shoe cord II. It's about 1m long. It will only work in TTL, not ETTL as far as I am aware, but it is certainly cheaper than buting another flash or the ST-E2.

[CyberDyneSystems]

There are three ways to trigger it wirelessly.

STE2
550EX
580ex

... that's it.

[tim]

There is also the Canon off-shoe cord II. It's about 1m long. It will only work in TTL, not ETTL as far as I am aware, but it is certainly cheaper than buting another flash or the ST-E2.

The cord works in ETTL/ETTL2 - it's the same as having the flash on the camera.

[DavidEB]

there's a fourth way to trigger off-camera:
Sigma 500 super
the sigma ring macro flash is also reported to work.

also, if the cord isn't long enough for you, you can open it up, crimp the wires into a female network adapter (one for each end) and then use an cat-5 cable to connect. works for me.

[burgoid]

thanks for the help guys i think i might look into that cord a bit more.