questions about a lighting scenario with PW's?

I have the PW mini/flex combo and I wanted to keep a 580EX II on my 50d and then have a 430 exII on a light stand for a reception. I want to use manual exposure for both of the flashes. My question is, can you adjust the OCF exposure from my main camera and the 580 or will I have to go over to the OCF and adjust it there?

Chrisnuge13 wrote in post #12725677
I have the PW mini/flex combo and I wanted to keep a 580EX II on my 50d and then have a 430 exII on a light stand for a reception. I want to use manual exposure for both of the flashes. My question is, can you adjust the OCF exposure from my main camera and the 580 or will I have to go over to the OCF and adjust it there?

For some reason, I think you're going to have to adjust the OCF from the OCF unit itself, since you have another flash on your camera body. I use 3 Flex TT5s (one on camera and two off camera), coupled with the AC3 Zone Controller. The AC3 allows me to control my OCF output, both in manual and TTL mode, but I can't mount another speedlight onto it.

I wonder, could I put another speedlight on a bracket and just plug it into my main camera, allowing me to use that for a little direct fill light? Hmmm

Chrisnuge13 wrote in post #12725677
I have the PW mini/flex combo and I wanted to keep a 580EX II on my 50d and then have a 430 exII on a light stand for a reception. I want to use manual exposure for both of the flashes. My question is, can you adjust the OCF exposure from my main camera and the 580 or will I have to go over to the OCF and adjust it there?

Well - if you're using manual for both of the flashes, you can adjust the OCF exposure from the main camera and adjust the exposure on the on-camera flash directly.

The one trick is that the on-camera flash can't run through the PW. In other words, you would have to hook it up to your PC port and use a flash bracket. Taping the contacts on the flash might also work (and allow you to use it in the hotshoe), but you would still need to hook it up via PC.

TheBurningCrown wrote in post #12727727
Well - if you're using manual for both of the flashes, you can adjust the OCF exposure from the main camera and adjust the exposure on the on-camera flash directly.

The one trick is that the on-camera flash can't run through the PW. In other words, you would have to hook it up to your PC port and use a flash bracket. Taping the contacts on the flash might also work (and allow you to use it in the hotshoe), but you would still need to hook it up via PC.

Where at on my 50d would I adjust the manual flash exposure?

PhotoMatte wrote in post #12727718
I wonder, could I put another speedlight on a bracket and just plug it into my main camera, allowing me to use that for a little direct fill light? Hmmm

I mount a 580EX on my camera and fire a PW thru a jack in the base. You can get the base for your flash from www.flashzebra.com. You can do the same thing by connecting a PW to the PC port however the connection isn't very tight and is in an awkward place when using your camera.

I fire my OCF's and get a little fill light from the on-camera light.

TheBurningCrown wrote in post #12727727
Well - if you're using manual for both of the flashes, you can adjust the OCF exposure from the main camera and adjust the exposure on the on-camera flash directly.

The one trick is that the on-camera flash can't run through the PW. In other words, you would have to hook it up to your PC port and use a flash bracket. Taping the contacts on the flash might also work (and allow you to use it in the hotshoe), but you would still need to hook it up via PC.

I don't understand either of these comments.
Could you explain them a bit more for me?

ootsk wrote in post #12727918
I don't understand either of these comments.
Could you explain them a bit more for me?

Certainly!

I'm not terribly familiar with the Flex/Mini setup, but from my understanding you can set a "manual" exposure on an off-camera flash using the AC3 flash controller (by leaving the flash in ETTL and having the transmitter send a custom "quench" signal). If the 50D can communicate with the flash in its menus (as it should be able to), then you can set the FEC to correspond to the flash's power level.

I'm not sure if it's possible without an AC3, but the capability is definitely there.

With that set up, your 50D also has a PC sync port as a basic way to trigger flashes (on the side of the body). If you use some type of a flash bracket simply to hold the flash someplace other than the hotshoe, then you can attach the flash to the PC sync port on the side of the body. The camera won't realize the flash exists, so it won't interfere with the Pocketwizard. If you put tape over the foot of the flash so the electrical contacts can't "talk" to the Pocketwizard, so-to-speak, then you can mount the flash on the Pocketwizard's hotshoe instead of on a flash bracket. If you need to use an AC3 to set the exposure of the off-camera flash, then you would obviously need a flash bracket.

In this way, you can have a manual exposure setting on both flashes and control both of them from that camera. Is any of this unclear?

Well, I'll get it, I guess. I didn't realize in your first comment you were talking about the AC3.
I don't have one of these units, so I can't comment.

Thanks!

ootsk wrote in post #12727985
Well, I'll get it, I guess. I didn't realize in your first comment you were talking about the AC3.

Oversight on my part - sorry.

I'm not sure if you can set the firmware in the MiniTT1 to use a "manual" mode signal to the flash instead of ETTL automatic. If you can, then you can use the in-camera menu and don't need to mess with the AC5.

Again - I don't own the PW ETTL radios, so I'm just going off of what I've read.

Why do you need to change the power on the OCF at all?

Set it for, let's say, 1/2 power. Then dial in a camera setting that gives you a correct exposure for that; let's say that's ISO800, f/4. If you need/want to stop down to f/5.6 for some reason, then go to ISO1600 to maintain flash exposure. Likewise, if you need/want to open up to f/2.8, then go to ISO400. Want to use that f/1.4 prime? Go down to ISO100. Easy peasy.

Remember that there are four parameters that alter flash exposure: f/stop, ISO, flash-to-subject distance, and flash power. It's easy to alter the first two, and more difficult to alter the latter two. So make it easy on yourself and stick to playing with aperture and ISO. It's a shame that MiniTT1 does not have AC3-like controls built in. Maybe in the MiniTT2... Until that day, however, I wouldn't worry about playing with OCF power.

Presumably you'll be using the on camera Speedlite to light the subject, and the OCF to light the background. Put the on camera flash in ETTL mode so it follows whatever changes you make to maintain correct exposure with the OCF.