Newbie question about off camera flash setup

Hi guys,

Pretty new to DSLRs and such, and we are trying to decide on a flash.

We have the 70D with the 18-135 kit lens, but the wife is very interested in macro photography. We are looking at the two Canon 100mm lenses, but everything I have read says that lighting is just as important to macro photos as the lens. I don't want to jump into a lens ring flash right away, so I am looking at the Speedlites.

We are considering the 4XX, the 5XX and the 600 Speedlites.

I get that these flashes can be the master and trigger other off camera flashes when installed on the hot shoe of the camera, but, and here is my question (FINALLY),

Can this flash be used by itself off camera and still be triggered by just the camera? I think it can, but I want to make sure.

And if it can, can it be used in both manual and ETTL modes? I mean, if she is doing some small macro stuff, can she set the flash nearby and have the camera automatically flash the subject when needed?

Thank you on advance for your responses,
Michael

The canon 430, 580, and 600 can be triggered by the 7Ds flash and use ETTL. If you do not need ETTL though, you could always pick up a yn-560II or III for about $80 and that also can be triggered, but it is fully a manual flash. I personally only find ETTL valuable for doing events where I am constantly changing locations, but if something is static and staying in 1 spot, I prefer manual. I shoot my 580 and 430 in manual most of the time :P

At the same time though, I am not sure if the macro guys use ETTL or manual more.

So a simple answer:
1. Can this flash be used by itself off camera and still be triggered by just the camera? - YES
2. can it be used in both manual and ETTL modes? - YES (when you set the flash to manual you choose the power, then when it sees the flash from the camera it goes off at that power) (For ETTL the 7D fires a pre-flash for ETTL and then the actual flash)

Thank you, sir.

Follow up question, you said,

Dos this mean that there is line of sight required from pop up flash to off camera flash sensor? I guess what I am asking is that while the 600ex-rt has radio capability, I am guessing that the 70D camera body does not? The radios can only be used from master to slave flashes?

Michael

Yes. If it is indoors though it is likely to bounce around and trigger it. I never had issues using the pop up commander until I tried to do it outdoors and through the window of a car. At that point I ended up buying triggers.

For a manual flash you can use less expensive manual triggers. But for ETTL and high speed sync you will need something along the lines of the 622c triggers (about $90 a pair, this is what I use).

It is my understanding that the radio transmitter in the 600 flashes is for the transmission between multiple 600s or having a radio trigger that will work with the system in the flash. The 70D does not have a radio transmitter built in and will only use the pop up flash as a line of sight commander or you can use the add on triggers.

Groovy. Thanks so much!

Michael

Dynalmadman wrote in post #16404526
Groovy. Thanks so much!

Michael

No problem

Follow up question, now that I have been playing with the setup.

I have to 600ex off camera, set to ETTL, triggered by on camera flash.

I have the on camera flash set to manual, firing both the on camera flash and wirelessly firing the 600ex.

This works, I can change the output of the 600ex from the camera settings. I can also change the output of the on camera flash...

...to a point. When using these settings, the power of the pop up flash is limited to a max power output of 1/4. I am not sure if I have something wrong, or this is the way it is supposed to be?

Is there a reason that you don't want the pop up at full power when itis triggering an off camera flash?

Here is the manual page

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …01292417@N03/11​499856346/

With that setup, my 7D is the same way, but I don't know the reason. Possibly, a fair amount of the popup flash's reserve is used to set up and trigger the remotes, leaving 1/4 power available for the actual exposure. Just a guess.

Yongnuo has a ring flash you might want to look into.

http://www.hkyongnuo.c​om/e-detail.php?ID=31