New member with some questions

Hey everyone hoping for some help, I'm just now getting into different styles of photography (mainly automotive) and love the low light and night time natural light but i want to had flash to it.

I have a 5D mkii and just picked up a 420ex for cheap it works great when it's on the hot shoe but what about wireless? It didn't come with the manual so I don't know how to sync it and use it wireless, do i need triggers adapters etc...? When i go into the cameras menu under external flash and the flash is set to low speed, and slave, the 3 options (below) in menu all say "incompatible flash or flash is not turned on" accept when the flash is on the hot shoe, then i can only go into the flash function settings menu the other two still say incompatible

flash function settings
flash c.Fn settings
clear all C.Fn settings


HELP PLEASE!!


Here is my style of shooting that i have been doing for a few years now

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Pac wrote in post #15831846
Hey everyone hoping for some help, I'm just now getting into different styles of photography (mainly automotive) and love the low light and night time natural light but i want to had flash to it.

I have a 5D mkii and just picked up a 420ex for cheap it works great when it's on the hot shoe but what about wireless? It didn't come with the manual so I don't know how to sync it and use it wireless, do i need triggers adapters etc...? When i go into the cameras menu under external flash and the flash is set to low speed, and slave, the 3 options (below) in menu all say "incompatible flash or flash is not turned on" accept when the flash is on the hot shoe, then i can only go into the flash function settings menu the other two still say incompatible

flash function settings
flash c.Fn settings
clear all C.Fn settings


HELP PLEASE!!


Here is my style of shooting that i have been doing for a few years now

IMAGE LINK: http://s907.photobucke​t.com …6934_zps5fa4aa0​4.jpg.html

Here's a link that will guide you to a downloadable version of the 420EXs' instruction manual.

The flash and camera need some way to talk, be it a cord or radio triggers. But no matter what, when the flash is off camera, it needs some way to communicate with the camera. The camera doesn't know there is a flash present, and has no way of controlling it even if it did, unless there is some way for the two to communicate.

The way you make them communicate I'd up to you. There are plenty of options including manual trigger, ETTL triggers, ETTL cords, and PC cords. Which one to get depends on what you're looking to do

Good place to start is right HERE as it contains a plethora of information.

Welcome. The 5D2 does not have a pop up flash. If it did you could use optical transmission to fire your 430 (not the best method anyway). In this case like gremlim said you need radio triggers or an off camera cable. Do you want ETTL or will manual flash? Less expensive with manual flash and it is not that hard to do. More consistent exposures.

Here is a OCF that gives you ETTL for starters, if that is the path you want to take. There are places that sell these for less.

http://ocfgear.com

Tons and tons of options here. I found Yongnuo RF-602's a good, cheap way to get started with off-camera flash ($24 on Amazon!). They won't give you ETTL capability, but they are dirt cheap and reliable.

Welcome you to this forum.

Or pick up a cheap flash that has good pro features with good responsive Slave (Optical function) for off the camera speed light.
Here is an eg: L I N K
Price is crazy on amazon and fluctuates. It is frequently seen under $34 before shipping.

The 420ex does not make a very good off camera flash because it is an eTTL only flash. It does not have a manual mode.

It is also too old to make full use of the in camera flash menu as you have already discovered. Heck even the 580ex and the 430ex cannot make full use and they are much newer. It takes the 580ex II or 430ex II or newer flashes to be fully compatible with the in camera flash menu.

The 420ex still makes a great on camera flash when used in eTTL and using FEC on the camera to adjust the power. After that it is pretty limited. It does make a good slave to another Canon master flash. I still use mine for that.

The Rf 602 triggers mentioned above are not of much use unless you do not mind the flash firing at full power all the time. As mentioned, there is no manual mode and no controls on the back of the flash. Well there is a HSS switch and an on/off switch.

welcome to the forum.

yes, you will need wireless triggers in order to use your flash off-camera. in addition, you may also want a way to soften the light from the flashes....have a way to mount the flashes (unless you have someone that's going to hand-hold it), etc.

check out the link in my signature for newbie off-camera flash suggestions. It's a list of gear and links/prices. it's what I started out with, and most of the stuff I still use.

do a search here and you will find a plethora of information on off-camera flash techniques.

You need to get a set of YN-622 to be able to use your 420ex off camera, in ettl mode. You can then also set FEC up or down for some 'manual' adjustment. the YN-622 have an extensive thread here, but click on the first page and check out the link to the english expanded manual Clive has put togther. you can get them for about $90 a pair, the photo gadget on ebay is reliable, if a bit slow shipping. You need one for the camera hot shoe, and one for each flash. The 602 or 603's can also piggy back on if you have true manual flashes with no ettl.