Mixing strobes with a speedlite

I recently got a great deal on two Alien Bees B800 strobes with the radio transmitters. I already own a 580exii. When I tried to mix the two in ETTL mode, I'm only seeing the 580 in the images. I think that's due to the pre-flash setting off the strobes. I switched it to manual, and now it's intermittent when I see both in the images.

I'm assuming I will need to switch to something like radio poppers to get the system to work, so my question is this: Has anyone else has this issue and solved it without the additional purchase of radio triggers? If I do need triggers, what would work best to set off both types of flash?

Thanks!

If you like the radios that trigger your ABs (?Cybersyncs) then stay with those. Then either, buy more Receivers & 'Speedlite hot-shoe adapters' for your 580Exiis - or - buy 'Ex friendly' add-on optical slave units for your Speedlites. Either way, 580ExIIs must be strictly M flash (with Canon Wireless disabled).

need more info.

are you saying the 580 is on camera?

what does the rest of the set up look like?

Cybersyncs from paul buff are a nice mixture or reliability and value. You could also get a set of the ynrf602 triggers for a bit less. BTW radio poppers is a name brand, and you dont want them.

yep. more info is needed. the you are triggering the strobes optically, is there a chance that the light from 580ex is not hitting the sensors on the strobes?

Shawn_BS wrote in post #17691911
I'm only seeing the 580 in the images. I think that's due to the pre-flash setting off the strobes. I switched it to manual, and now it's intermittent when I see both in the images.

I'm assuming I will need to switch to something like radio poppers to get the system to work, so my question is this: Has anyone else has this issue and solved it without the additional purchase of radio triggers? If I do need triggers, what would work best to set off both types of flash?

Thanks!

I have the same issue with 600EX-RT with 2 Rovelights....When i take photos - All i see is 600EX light..for some reason.... I havent tried it with radio trigger.I didnt mess with any settings....I will try it and let u know.

As mentioned above, the first thing to do is switch to Manual, otherwise the TTL pre-flash will trigger the strobe prematurely.

The ABs automatically go into optical slave mode when powered on and will fire on the 580's preflash UNLESS you install a null jumper plug in the ABs trigger cable socket. When shipped new, they come with the plug. If you don't have them, Radio Shack sells solder on plugs, just use one of those without any cable soldered on to it. You need to do this even if you use Buff's own radio triggers that connect via the RJ11 phone cable connect port.

I too have a couple of AB800s and am mixing in my 580EX II. Currently I'm using the ABs for main and fill with the 580 (snooted) as a hair light. I have a YN622 on the 580 with YN622 TX on the camera. All lights are in manual mode. I have no issues triggering the ABs with the 580 configured like this.

I'm using the cybersyncs for the AB, but they don't set off the 580.

And I know, I interned at a photo studio a few years ago and they called all the triggers "radio poppers" so it's just a term I still use in general. I should have clarified that. Thanks!

I'm using the AB as key and fill, the speedlite is my hair light.

When I shoot in manual, it only goes off about half the time.

That was my main question, essentially. Would I need to get triggers to use them together. I have the cybersyncs from Buff, but the speedlite isn't firing with them.

Shawn_BS wrote in post #17693771
That was my main question, essentially. Would I need to get triggers to use them together. I have the cybersyncs from Buff, but the speedlite isn't firing with them.

How is the speedlite configured, do you have a cybersync connected to it?

No, and it's in manual mode

Shawn_BS wrote in post #17693790
No, and it's in manual mode

It would need to be in manual mode, but how is it supposed to be triggered?