Canon flash and slave

I've searched quite a bit and need some info. I'm buying quantum radio slave 4i set, sender/receiver, and until i can afford a norman or quantum off camera strobe, i'm going to use my 420ex flash off camera, with my 580ex on camera. Used the built in master/slave with the 580 and the results are very limited. If and how do I make the quantum set work with this. the 420ex does not have a pc slot, and the transmitter goes in my pocket while attached to the 580?? PLEASE help.....

With a radio slave you will only get a full power flash with the 420EX. It does not have a manual mode, so you will not be able to set power levels. It will be everything it has on every flash.

I do not think your new radio set has helped you very much with the flash gear that you currently have.

I suggest you go back to the ETTL master/slave setup using the 580 on camera and the 420EX off camera and work with that until you tame the settings and get amicable results. The ETTL will at least allow some proportional output with the 420EX.

Enjoy! Lon

what about another 430, or 580...?

A 430EX or 580EX would work, since they have manual power adjustment. But they are very expensive units to be using as manually adjusted flash. If you want a slave to be triggered with a radio system, consider a Sunpak 383 or Vivitar 285HV. All the power, adjustable down to 1/16, for less than $100.

Perhaps you just need help using the Canon units in wireless E-TTL configuration. If you describe your frustrations in more detail, I'm sure folks here will help you out.

I love the 580ex master/420ex slave combo, it works great, i move more than 25 feet away, it doesn't work and trying to backlight a couple, the signal does not go through the people. I'm shooting another wedding in 3 weeks and want to be set up before then, should i just face the bullet and go with a norman? or maybe by a sunpak flash like you suggested, that might be a good temporary solution....any other great protable strobes all you wedding photographers use? I used to assist two guys and they both had normans...something i can just put in the corner of the reception on a nice 10+foot stand that has a consistent output...thanks for all the replies!