Remote flash question

Ok, so I'm thinking about a st-e2 for my 580 and 420 so I can use both off camera during portraits, etc...especially those outside where I may need more then one angle of fill flash....
my question is this....is there a better option to st-e2? I've heard the IR isn't that great and needs a direct line of sight, thus being off a bit on the receiving flash may not allow it to register....
Are there radio wave setups of the same type of device?
Thanks...

If you want to work your flashes in ETTL mode, your only options are the ST-E2 and the 580EX/550EX as the masters. And they both work with IR. The 580EX/550EX has a longer reach than the ST-E2 but is still limited to LOS outdoors.

You can use radio devices, such as the Pocket Wizard, but then you'll be working the flashes in manual mode and that leaves the 420EX out of the picture since it won't do manual.

Oh...I see, thanks Leo....but is the 580's IR really stronger then ST-E2? IN that case, I might as well just fork over a bit more cash and just get another 580 huh? I don't see the benefit then in getting the st-e2 minus the price difference....

Think it was in the EOS sticky where it was mentioned the ST-E2 has a smaller angle of coverage and I see PacAce comment regarding reach ... the published material that comes with the ST-E2 if I recall from a sticky or link is not accurate regarding angle of coveragr... wish I could point to the location where I saw this ... was over a year ago when I saw this.

I just checked the specs for the 580EX and the ST-E2 and it looks like I have mispoken about the range of the ST-E2. According to the specs published in the Canon product website, they both have a coverage of +/-40 degrees horizontal and +/- 30 degrees vertical and a transmission range of 8-10 m outdoors (12-15m indoors). Sorry for the previous misinformation and thanks, pcDigiMan, for pointing that out.

Are those coverage ratings deviation from straight forward? So if I have a slave flash 90 degrees from the camera (right beside me) are you saying it won't fire? Do the flashes have to be withing the 40/30 degree angles? If so, isn't that pretty useless?

Theoretically, yes, that's exactly what that's saying. However, when working indoors, lights get bounced around all over the place by walls, ceilings and objects in the room and as long as the slave can see the flash emitted by the master, it'll work just fine, even if it's situated behind the master.

Outdoors it's a different story, though.

Thanks for all the input....then what's the best set up or way to go when shooting outdoors since there is nothing to bounce the signal off of? Pocket wizards seem interesting but with the transmitter, and 2 receivers it adds up real quick...

but you wont regret if you go to pocket wizard and I been there already having a ST-E2 (good stuff too) but you have limitation outdoor and I think E-TTl is useless when you use wirelessly b'cos you can't control the output of flash not like manual you can set each flash output like in the studio. (your 420EX is out for PW) any way you can manually the ST-E2 put a tape of the four pin. just my opinion only.

Chris
Israel

Well that blows!

On a side comment... just guessing here... do you really need 2 PW receivers? Can't you set-up a 550 or 580 on the receiver and put your other flashes on slave mode to be triggered by the 550/580? Would that work?
Then you'd just have to control the output of the slave flash with the on-flash settings.

ooohh Rich..that's a good idea....does anyone know if you can just do it that way and thus eliminate the need to buy multiple receivers?? Looks like I'll be selling my 420 and trying to find another 580/PW...

By the way, what are the big differences b/w 580/550? If I've already got a 580, can i just get a 550 and slave that? I guess I don't know the practical difference b/w those 2 models.../

Your 420 can slave off of a 550 or 580... but it lacks manual settings.
I'm sure others can reply with more information re the 550/580 differences... probably just power output, cycle time, and options (just guessing).

Yes, AAMOF, you can do that. However, the slave flash will need to be set to manual mode, as does the master flash triggered by the PW, so that leaves out the 420EX. And, of course, you'll need LOF from master to slave if outdoors. And there's also a max sync issue, too, where you may not be able to use the max sync speed but a shutter speed a stop slower.

I think both the 550 and 580 have about the same amount of raw output power. There may be a trivial difference, but the way the 580 uses the power allows it to seem a lot more powerful (info in the next paragraph).

I suspect the only significant difference in these two units is one particular feature. The 580 takes into consideration the camera sensor size for more efficient flash coverage when the flash head zooms in coordination with the attached lens. So, on Canon “cropped sensor” cameras, the 580 can squeeze out a bit more range (over the 550). On “full frame” Canon cameras the 580 would not be afford this advantage (over the 550).

Enjoy! Lon

so then what are most people's complaints and cons about getting the pocket wizard system then?