600 ex wireless control

Hello everyone,
I just picked up 3 600ex rt flashes and the st-e3 transmitter. If I am shooting with all three wireless, can I use the transmitter to tell any one of the flashes as not to fire? I am shooting with a 5d Mark 2.

For example...I am a real estate photographer. I shoot a room and put flash A on the stariway steps to camera left, set up flash B as my key light and bounce C off the wall to camera right. I decide that I want to shoot only with flashes B and C. Can I change a setting on the transmitter so that flash A doesn't fire or flash b or c doesn't fire?

Any suggestions or info would be greatly appreciated.
James

jgovernali wrote in post #15750996
Hello everyone,
I just picked up 3 600ex rt flashes and the st-e3 transmitter. If I am shooting with all three wireless, can I use the transmitter to tell any one of the flashes as not to fire? I am shooting with a 5d Mark 2.

For example...I am a real estate photographer. I shoot a room and put flash A on the stariway steps to camera left, set up flash B as my key light and bounce C off the wall to camera right. I decide that I want to shoot only with flashes B and C. Can I change a setting on the transmitter so that flash A doesn't fire or flash b or c doesn't fire?

Any suggestions or info would be greatly appreciated.
James

You would be able to if you had a 2012 or later camera but, unfortunately, it will not be possible using the 5D mk II since the Group mode is not supported on that camera. (Group mode allows you to control the settings of each group independently of each other including turning a group off.)

You could turn off one group (Group C) by using only A:B instead of A:B:C.

If you're shooting in manual you can cycle through and only turn on A or A/B or A/B/C.

It cycles in order of A, then A and B, then A and B and C. You just need to keep the flash you want off in the C channel.

Thank you everyone. I appreciate the advice. The fact that there is functionality restrictions on pre 2012 cameras is ridiculous. That is simply a firmware update that cannon needs to provide to its customers. I will be writing a letter. Thanks again.

I am not sure about the limitations with older cameras but I am doing something similar like you do. I set each flash as a group A, B, C and from the camera I can select power ratios or which ones to turn off.

jgovernali wrote in post #15752539
Thank you everyone. I appreciate the advice. The fact that there is functionality restrictions on pre 2012 cameras is ridiculous. That is simply a firmware update that cannon needs to provide to its customers. I will be writing a letter. Thanks again.

I was under the impression there were hotshoe changes on the 2012 models to accommodate the 600's additional contacts. So I don't believe it is "all" firmware. I could be mistaken, though.

mike1812 wrote in post #15753221
I was under the impression there were hotshoe changes on the 2012 models to accommodate the 600's additional contacts. So I don't believe it is "all" firmware. I could be mistaken, though.

I don't think the hotshoe on the 2012 and later EOS models are any different from the earlier EOS cameras. What is different is the firmware logic in the cameras that handles the flash operation. They'd have to update the firmware on all the earlier EOS models to accomodate the new features of the 600EX/RT and I doubt Canon will do that.

Of course, there could be differences in the circuitry that supports the flash operation and that cannot be changed via a firmware upgrade. Maybe that's what you meant.

^^Nah, I haven't had enough coffee yet this morning. I recalled that they improved the hot-shoe design on the 600EX, but after looking around, I see that it was just to improve the contact with the camera hot-shoe (because of some problems with previous flashes losing connectivity). So yes, likely just firmware upgrades would enable usage. But then if they sent out firmware upgrades, customers wouldn't have an extra reason to buy a 5D3 or 1DX, would they?

Alien Gin, What Camera are you using?

We'll never know, since Canon will not tell us, but it's also possible that there actually is something different in the communication cicuitry driving the data interchange between the camera and the flash. If so, that explains why only newer models are compatible with all functions in the new flashes.
But it could also be just marketing...

I really don't know what 'data' would be being sent, other than fire this much power, NOW!

Does the camera know if you place a 600EX-RT in the hotshoe vs. a 450EXII or a 580EXII? I don't know for sure, but I highly doubt it. If the data exchange were different I don't know that newer bodies would be backwards compatible with the older flashes. Additionally, the older bodies can also still use the 600EX-RT, but with a few limitations of the 600EX-RT feature set.

Having said that, I certainly think that it's much more of a marketing tactic - but I follow what I'd believe is their logic. I think that Canon COULD [fundamentally] release firmware updates so that the older bodies could support the new functionality, but there is no reason that they should invest the time and money doing so when it would provide minimal gain. It's simply much easier for them to say, buy a new body and get new features! This may mean a 1DX or 5D3 today, but there will be more 2012-later bodies soon enough. What it really means to me is... if you don't want to pay for either of the bodies mentioned above, you'll just have to wait for less expensive models to be released.

Seeing as the 5D MkII has been discontinued, I doubt you'll see any firmware updates going forward. I always shoot manual and have 3 600 EX-RT flashes. I'm quite happy to be able to adjust each flash individually on my ST-E3. Unless you are shooting more than 3 flashes and use ETTL, there is nothing to miss by using the older bodies.

Danny Michael wrote in post #15759549
Seeing as the 5D MkII has been discontinued, I doubt you'll see any firmware updates going forward. I always shoot manual and have 3 600 EX-RT flashes. I'm quite happy to be able to adjust each flash individually on my ST-E3. Unless you are shooting more than 3 flashes and use ETTL, there is nothing to miss by using the older bodies.

This is part of the reason that I've thought about upgrading to 600s myself. Unfortunately, it's low on my priority list right now - not only regarding gear, but generally as well. We've got a baby on the way! While I don't shoot OFTEN, when I do it's usually 15-30 shots, consisting of a few different setups and poses... during which, I HATE spending time walking back and forth (even if it's just a few times) when I'm metering and need to adjust flash power. I feel like I spend as much time walking back and forth + adjusting flash power as I do shooting.

I currently shoot manual with CyberSync triggers, but I've yet to run into a scenario where I would have needed more than 3 groups. I use that term loosely since I know it has a slightly different meaning now with the 600s.

That said, as mentioned above, you still have A:B:C control. So am I correct to assume that you can still associate multiple flashes to each of these groups? Basically, what I'm asking is: Could I setup flash A at 1/4 power, flash B at 1/16 power, and have (2 or more) flashes at 1/2 power set as group C?

drvnbysound wrote in post #15760044
Basically, what I'm asking is: Could I setup flash A at 1/4 power, flash B at 1/16 power, and have (2 or more) flashes at 1/2 power set as group C?

As far as I know, using Canon's optical system or third party radio triggers that utilize Canon's optical control protocol, the only practical limit on the number of flashes in each group is the size of your wallet.