Is this normal?

So I hooked up a 580EX to a hotshoe -> sync cord -> another hotshoe then to an XTI. I'm shooting manual for camera and flash. When I don't have the lens pointed to the sun then the flash always fires. As soon as I have the sun in the picture, the flash won't fire. Is this what it's suppose to do or am I missing a setting somehow? Thanks!

The camera being pointed at the sun (not a very good idea, btw) should not prevent the flash from firing. How are you determining that the flash isn't firing when the camera is pointed at the sun?

PacAce wrote in post #5719260
The camera being pointed at the sun (not a very good idea, btw) should not prevent the flash from firing. How are you determining that the flash isn't firing when the camera is pointed at the sun?

His pictures are dark?

Titus213 wrote in post #5719336
His pictures are dark?

Is that from the camera closing down for the sun?

Yes, they are dark. When the sun is not in frame the flash fires and I get a good shot but once the sun is in the frame the flash does not fire. I get a cool photo of the sun but the model in the dark. Any ideas?

majs wrote in post #5720912
Yes, they are dark. When the sun is not in frame the flash fires and I get a good shot but once the sun is in the frame the flash does not fire. I get a cool photo of the sun but the model in the dark. Any ideas?

Are you absolutely sure that the flash is not firing? It may be firing but you just can't tell because the camera is too stopped down due to the sun. If the sun light isn't even showing in the picture (you did say the picture is dark, didn't you), would you expect a lowly flash to?

Do you have a sample picture we can look at so we know exactly what you are talking about?

What happens with the flash in ETTL? You can then adjust the FEC to suit your tastes.

Leo's correct - a picture is worth a thousand words. With exif 10,000.

Pure speculation on my part, but the most likely scenario:

You have a sync cord connection problem somewhere. The fact that it failed with the camera aimed at the sun is purely coincidence.