Add a sync port to 580 EX (DIY)

Yes you can hook up the radio trigger while the flash is connected to the hot shoe.

Does this work in Ettl mode or will the slave get fired on the pre flash?

If you want, the on camera flash can be in ETTL mode and the slaves off the trigger on manual mode, of course you have to set up the camera exposure accordingly. The slaves will not be affected by preflash as long as they are not on optical slave sensors.

Im hacking it tonight!!

After 2 days of screwing with this, it is done. My 430 EX is now modded. This was pretty difficult because of the fact that Canon packed the inside with electronics.

This is a picture of the underside of the flash. Towards the right there is an area that is chipped away. At first I thought this was enough material removed but I soon discovered that I needed more room. There is a metal bar that is exposed. It comes out pretty easily. I needed to grind 60% of the width of that bar in that section for the extra milimeter that I needed.

Well done Pmolan... Congratulation on your Mod.. I hope you enjoy using your new toy.. Thanks to lotto for starting this thread...

Maybe next is we can see the results of these mods...

The wire that comes with the cactus reciever is that the wire that you would connect to the sync? If it is mine isnt making the flash fire.

I attempted this on a Opteka EF 600DG Super. I assume this is similar to the sigma's. Anyways, It went pretty well. The base of the foot doesn't have a lot of room so I had to take the body apart. 2 screws by the swivel and the top of the case comes off. This was neccessary to unplug the foot as it was tucked away in the corner. So I put the sync port on the side of the flash. Other than drilling in the wrong spot I have install and that works. My only problem is now the camera will not trigger the flash. I can use my wireless trigger using the sync port as well as the cactus hotshoe port to fire it wirelessly. Put it on camera and nothing? Does anyone have any idea's why it will fire on the hot shoe of the cactus but not the hot shoe on the camera?

Thanks,
Mike

Go over your contacts again... It seems to me that one may be touching in a manner not to friendly with your flash. I did this on my sigma 530... turned out i forgot to put a pin back in on the bottom.

psycorpse wrote in post #7618395
I attempted this on a Opteka EF 600DG Super. I assume this is similar to the sigma's. Anyways, It went pretty well. The base of the foot doesn't have a lot of room so I had to take the body apart. 2 screws by the swivel and the top of the case comes off. This was neccessary to unplug the foot as it was tucked away in the corner. So I put the sync port on the side of the flash. Other than drilling in the wrong spot I have install and that works. My only problem is now the camera will not trigger the flash. I can use my wireless trigger using the sync port as well as the cactus hotshoe port to fire it wirelessly. Put it on camera and nothing? Does anyone have any idea's why it will fire on the hot shoe of the cactus but not the hot shoe on the camera?

Thanks,
Mike

I will give that a shot and look at my contacts and pins.

Thanks,

Got me 2 540ez flashes, will be adding sync ports to them and use as off camera flash. I figured better to get 540's than Vivitar 285's...

Great mod, 10 minutes and my 580EX became PW compatible!
Will link to your post from my blog.
Thanks.

I would like to attempt this mod adding a sync jack to my Nissin di622 flash. I know where the connection to the center (hot) terminal of the flash goes. but I cant seem to find where the shield(ground) connection would go.

bill_bates28 wrote in post #7648760
I would like to attempt this mod adding a sync jack to my Nissin di622 flash. I know where the connection to the center (hot) terminal of the flash goes. but I cant seem to find where the shield(ground) connection would go.

If you look inside the rail of your flash, you should see a small metal tab in it. That is what completes your circuit. Whatever that is connected inside the flash is what you connect the ground side to.

DDCSD wrote in post #7648899
If you look inside the rail of your flash, you should see a small metal tab in it. That is what completes your circuit. Whatever that is connected inside the flash is what you connect the ground side to.

I just frinished taking it apart and the ground was marked on the board once I got out my old glasses thanks for the help.