580EX IR to 430EX

I am looking at purchasing a 580EX II to drive my 430EX off camera.

I have played with this set up at my local camera store a while back, but cant remember or trust the answer from the salesman.

When slaving the 430EX, it automatically turns on the focus assist red lamps to blink every second.

I read that the masters (580) focus assist can not be turned off in camera when in wireless mode.
The flash bible suggests using light blocking tape to stop this light.

Is there a way to electronically turn off the focus lamps on both units?
Does it only turn on in lower light?

Hi Ross, I'm sorry but I don't have the answer to your question. Actually, I was about to post a question similar to your's. I hope you don't mind me riding your thread, maybe we will help each other out with these Q's.

My question is this....I too am thinking of getting the 580ex but to slave my 420ex. I'm replacing the 420ex because only the VERTICAL assistant beams emits when I put it into slave mode. It also only emits the vertical strobe when I'm shooting in M, Av, Tv, or P (same results using 20D & 40D so it's not the camera) which doesn't help me in low light situations when it comes to focusing, so I'm pretty sure it's busted. Does anyone know how to fix it other than send to Canon? (which is about the price of a new 420ex)

So, will a 580ex mounted on a 20d or 40d fire a 420ex even if the 420ex only emits 1 assist beam instead of 2?

Also, this is my first post ever and I must say I enjoy reading all the posts in this forum. I read many of them about the 580ex II and after taking ski race photos last night I most certainly need the new flash.

You can turn off the focus assist beam of the master via the camera or the 580 cf, but slave beam can not be turn off.

Is there a point to it other than a visual indicator that the strobe is on?
After all you are supposed to have that face of the strobe facing the master and the other the subject.

Ross McT. wrote in post #4724438
Is there a point to it other than a visual indicator that the strobe is on?
After all you are supposed to have that face of the strobe facing the master and the other the subject.

Nope. All it serves, as you said, is to let you know that the slave is on and active. Unfortunately, there's no way to turn it off when used as a slave.

Ryan Miner wrote in post #4723959
Hi Ross, I'm sorry but I don't have the answer to your question. Actually, I was about to post a question similar to your's. I hope you don't mind me riding your thread, maybe we will help each other out with these Q's.

My question is this....I too am thinking of getting the 580ex but to slave my 420ex. I'm replacing the 420ex because only the VERTICAL assistant beams emits when I put it into slave mode. It also only emits the vertical strobe when I'm shooting in M, Av, Tv, or P (same results using 20D & 40D so it's not the camera) which doesn't help me in low light situations when it comes to focusing, so I'm pretty sure it's busted. Does anyone know how to fix it other than send to Canon? (which is about the price of a new 420ex)

So, will a 580ex mounted on a 20d or 40d fire a 420ex even if the 420ex only emits 1 assist beam instead of 2?

Also, this is my first post ever and I must say I enjoy reading all the posts in this forum. I read many of them about the 580ex II and after taking ski race photos last night I most certainly need the new flash.

The master doesn't really care about that blinking AF light emitted by the slave. The slave is blinking for your own benefit only, to let you know that it's on and active.

BTW, re the AF beam, have you tried using the other AF points on the camera. Depending on the AF point selected, the flash may emit a vertical pattern, a horizontal pattern or both.

My 420EX only emits a vertical pattern in Slave mode. Used with my 30D, it also only emits a vertical pattern when using the center AF point or the AF point above and below the center AF pont. When using the left most or the right most AF point, the 420EX emits both the vertical and the horizontal patterns. There is no AF pattern when any of the 4 AF points between the center AF point and the right most or left most AF point is selected. There may be nothing wrong with your 420EX after all.

Yep, what they said.

Also, the sensor needs to be facing the Master for BEST results, but you'll find that it will usually bounce the signal around quite nicely in inside, even if facing almost totally in the wrong direction, even around a corner. Hope that helps.

I'm just thinking that having the focus assist blinking away during a ceremony, wedding, family gathering etc. would be rather obnoxious.

Thanks guys,
I'll probably say the heck to IR ETTL and go back to full manual via wizards.

Thanks PaceAce.....you are correct about the focus lights depending on which focus position being used. The other thing that I discovered is the lights don't turn on when focusing with AlServo. So, the flash isn't broken! Thanks!

If a bit of black gaffers tape doesn't do it for you to block out the blinking AF light, then the geek way would be to install a nice little slide switch in the side of the flash that would allow the AF light to to turned on when the flash is used on camera, and the AF light is needed, or turned off so the blink is not seen.

umm.. interesting. OP, do you have a 20D or 40D? i would like to know cuz i just got a 580EX-2 and im dying to do what you are trying to do.

Yep, it's a flash ready indicator. Go ahead, dial up ISO 100, manual f/22 and 1/200th, and take a picture. Oops, underexposed, but I bet your 430 fired at max power. Now, watch the red blinky - it won't blinky until the flash is ready again. I may not keep an eye on this regularly, but it's useful to keep a sense of battery status, general power levels, etc.

hunghimself wrote in post #4769613
umm.. interesting. OP, do you have a 20D or 40D? i would like to know cuz i just got a 580EX-2 and im dying to do what you are trying to do.

I have a XT.
Moving the flash off camera is my goal. If in the process, I could dial the flash remotely great, if not no biggie. I'd rather have control of the flash in a manor in which I can predict the outcome. Not the inconsistent ETTL world anyways.

For the time being, I've picked up a set of poverty wizards.
If I win the lotto or can't stand the inconsistencies they are prone to, I'll pick up a set of pocket wizards.