Canon 580EX-II and the off camera cord (sync speed)

I know that if you go with a PC cord, you lose E-TTL and that's fine. I'm learning to use manual flash options anyways.

My question is about what you lose in terms of max sync speed. With the 580EX-II on camera, I tested and can shoot up to 1/8000th with the flash. When connected via camera PC to hotshoe adapter connected to the 580EX-II (thanks flashzebra, i love 'em!), I only get 1/400th maximum shutter speed. If I try to shoot 1/500, I get a black band across the bottom of the frame.

The Canon OC-E3 is a 2' off-camera shoe cord that maintains E-TTL, but does it also allow me the same 1/8000 flash speed in manual mode as if the flash were on camera? The stuff I got from flashzebra is great and I'm having lots of fun with it and have the ability now to control my 430EX as a slave from the 580EX-II... but for those occassions where I want to "overpower the sun"... what are my options for off-camera flash?

If so, is there a 5 meter version of this OC-E3?

What is the fastest a pair of PocketWizards will allow me to shoot, keeping my Canon 1D MkIII and 580EX-II in sync?

Thanks in advance.

i know i olny get 1/250 on my 30D on cam or off with pc cord, off shoe cord or Pw's...

If the 580EX is attached to the hotshoe, with or without an off-shoe cord, you can shoot at any shutter speed available on the camera as long as the flash is in high speed sync mode. But when the flash is connected via a PC sync cable or wireless using a PW or similar remotes, the max sync speed you can use is 1/250 without getting a dark band at the bottom of the frame.

PacAce wrote in post #4082837
If the 580EX is attached to the hotshoe, with or without an off-shoe cord, you can shoot at any shutter speed available on the camera as long as the flash is in high speed sync mode. But when the flash is connected via a PC sync cable or wireless using a PW or similar remotes, the max sync speed you can use is 1/250 without getting a dark band at the bottom of the frame.

Hmmm, I seem to be getting good images at 1/400 using the PC sync cable. Am I not looking at my photos properly?

So if I buy that OC-E3 cable for a whopping $75... I will get arms length off-camera flash shooting at up to 1/8000th? Cool.

Should I then assume that there really is no 5 meter version of this OC-E3? Basically there is no way to get faster than 1/400 (or 1/250) with the flash more than 2 feet away?

euge.lee wrote in post #4082883
Hmmm, I seem to be getting good images at 1/400 using the PC sync cable. Am I not looking at my photos properly?

Post one with EXIF intact. We'll see.

euge.lee wrote in post #4082883
Hmmm, I seem to be getting good images at 1/400 using the PC sync cable. Am I not looking at my photos properly?

So if I buy that OC-E3 cable for a whopping $75... I will get arms length off-camera flash shooting at up to 1/8000th? Cool.

Should I then assume that there really is no 5 meter version of this OC-E3? Basically there is no way to get faster than 1/400 (or 1/250) with the flash more than 2 feet away?

If you are taking the shot where the ambient lighting is high enough to contribute to the exposure, you may not be able to see the band where the flash is excluded. Reduce the ambient lighting and you will be able to see the band.

If the OC-E3 is too short for your needs, you can have it extended. There's a DIY thread stickied at the top of this forum which has a link to a thread that shows you how to do that.

Curtis N wrote in post #4082907
Post one with EXIF intact. We'll see.

PacAce wrote in post #4082975
If you are taking the shot where the ambient lighting is high enough to contribute to the exposure, you may not be able to see the band where the flash is excluded. Reduce the ambient lighting and you will be able to see the band.

Here you go. The pic without flash is completely black... so this is definitely "flash assisted".

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

I see the black band at the very bottom edge of the 1/400th image.

Oh and stated sync speeds aren't always the max you can get away with, as you've discovered.

cdifoto wrote in post #4083046
I see the black band at the very bottom edge of the 1/400th image.

WOW, you are correct! Now that I look, it's barely there. So 1/320th is probably the safest bet?

Anyhow, I guess I'm off to buy a OC-E3 cable for now... need (aka "want") a short length "hand held off camera" cable anyways... and the ability to shoot at 1/8000 is cool. I dunno if I need it longer, but nice to know there's a DIY for it.

THANKS EVERYONE.... this place is great.

The "cool" ability to shoot at 1/8000th comes at a price. You lose a LOT of flash power and therefore range. In fact, you lose so much power at that speed that it becomes impractical.

The OCC-2 is still available, works just as well as the newer OC-E3 version, and is about $25 less. It can be modified as a DIY project, or have someone like me do it for you either with a fixed length straight or coiled cable, or a variable length cable using a set of molded mini-DIN connectors and extensions to make any length you wish.

jmb4370 wrote in post #4083616
The OCC-2 is still available, works just as well as the newer OC-E3 version, and is about $25 less.

It's also built $25 crappier. The metal foot and threads alone are worth the $25 premium. And the price difference isn't even that big at Adorama. $67 for the Cord 3.

euge.lee wrote in post #4082883
So if I buy that OC-E3 cable for a whopping $75... I will get arms length off-camera flash shooting at up to 1/8000th? Cool.

There are less expensive alternatives such as this 3 foot cord by Cameta, but if you read the reviews, it looks like this may be a case of "you get what you pay for".

Mark-B wrote in post #4085088
There are less expensive alternatives such as this 3 foot cord by Cameta, but if you read the reviews, it looks like this may be a case of "you get what you pay for".

Thanks. I ended up just getting the OC-E3. Not that I "need' weather sealing but considering I have a Canon 1D MkIII and 580EX-II... it seemed logical. The cable rang up for $100 at Samy's (in store) but they were kind enough to sell it to me for $79.

I appreciate everyone's input. So I now have a cable for hand-holding off camera (with full TTL and hi sync speed) and a simpler non-TTL setup for 5 meter remote shooting via camera PC sync to the hot shoe of the 580EX-II.

PS. The hotshoe adapter on the 580EX-II rather than the PC sync on the flash so that I can still shoot in master/manual if I ever wanted to slave my 430EX.