Wireless Transmitter for Canon 580

I am looking for a good wireless transmitter to control my Canon 580EX, and then let that trigger my White Lightening WL 5000 as a slave.

What are my choices? What luck are others having doing this?

I have looked at the Smith - Victor RTK-4 and the Canon ST-E2, which will work better for this and still work as ETTL?

Looks like the SV is much cheaper ($84 @B&H vs. $220 for Canon).

If you try and trigger a studio strobe optically using ETTL the preflash will set of the strobe before the shutter's open. It doesn't work.

If you want ETTL for your 580 you'll need a cord or radio slave for the strobe, which has to be in manual. I use skyports, hooked up via the PC port of the camera.

Good point.

But if I use one of these two transmitters and use 580 in manual, assume it would work and it will fire studio flash as slave?

Just won't be able to us ETTL??

Yep 580 in manual mode will trigger it. Using that transmitter with the radio system and the flash in ETTL or manual will be fine too.

tim wrote in post #6187056
Yep 580 in manual mode will trigger it. Using that transmitter with the radio system and the flash in ETTL or manual will be fine too.

OK now trying to decide between the Canon ST-E2, the Skyport, or the Pocket wizard Plus II. But still have some questions.

I THINK the Canon ST-E2 will only control a Canon Flash, not the studio flash. But I know the 580EX could be on Master and studio on Slave, but don't think I could use it to control the studio without the canon 580??

I think the Skyport comes with both transmitter and receiver so I could use it to control either 580 or studio flash, but sounds like it does not come with cable for 580 (but does for studio).

Not sure how the PocketWizard works. Looks like it only has one piece, so will it control or trigger either the 580 or studio??

ST-E2 will only control Canon EX flashes. If you use wireless ETTL then the preflash will trigger the studio strobes before the shutter is open. In manual they'll be fine, they'll trigger the studio flash fine. I don't know why you'd be using ETTL at the same time as a studio strobe anyway.

The skyport kit comes with a transmitter and receiver. With this in the PC port you could use wireless ETTL with the receiver on the studio strobe. You can get a hotshoe to 3.5mm plug from flash zebra or from B&H pretty cheaply.

canon shooter wrote in post #6216825
Not sure how the PocketWizard works. Looks like it only has one piece, so will it control or trigger either the 580 or studio??

Yes, it will fire either. You would have to buy one for the camera, then one for every flash you want it to fire (or use splitter cords, not always recommended)

If you decide to go with one of the wireless trigger options as opposed to the ST-E2 you will lose your ettl (auto), but will gain distance and reliability. The infared systems work well in line of sight (sometimes can bounce off walls). In exchange you will gain distance and reliability. Also as far as I know you can't trigger a stuido flash with the infared (could be wrong, this wouldn't be hard to make..but i'm sure it wouldn't work with ettl either)

Alienbee's cybersyncs and the skyports are a bit cheaper solutions. I'vear heard great things about the skyports but havn't used them and can't speak from any experience. I'm currently using the cybersync's with 430ex and I coudln't be happier.

tim wrote in post #6216917
ST-E2 will only control Canon EX flashes. If you use wireless ETTL then the preflash will trigger the studio strobes before the shutter is open. In manual they'll be fine, they'll trigger the studio flash fine. I don't know why you'd be using ETTL at the same time as a studio strobe anyway.

The skyport kit comes with a transmitter and receiver. With this in the PC port you could use wireless ETTL with the receiver on the studio strobe. You can get a hotshoe to 3.5mm plug from flash zebra or from B&H pretty cheaply.

Well if I shoot in Manual and use Flash meter for exosure with the Canon ST-E2, it should trigger the 580 fine and if the 580 is in "Master" mode, it should trigger the studio??

On the Skyport sound like it comes with cable to plug directly into studio without any computer being involved?? Then the 580 could be in "Slave" mode and it would be triggered by the studio??

Sorry to ask so many questions but want to make sure I buy the right product so that I can trigger the the 580 and/or the studio

canon shooter wrote in post #6217219
Well if I shoot in Manual and use Flash meter for exosure with the Canon ST-E2, it should trigger the 580 fine and if the 580 is in "Master" mode, it should trigger the studio??

On the Skyport sound like it comes with cable to plug directly into studio without any computer being involved?? Then the 580 could be in "Slave" mode and it would be triggered by the studio??

Sorry to ask so many questions but want to make sure I buy the right product so that I can trigger the the 580 and/or the studio

skyport should plug into any of the flashes (adapter might be required) and that will trigger it. If its plugged into the 580 and the studio has a optical slave built in then yes it would fire, if not it would need a receiver as well.

just looked up the White Lightening WL 5000...looks like it does have a optical slave built in.

so for expample if you put the skyport transmitter on your camera, then plugged the receiver into your flash...when that flash fires (580ex) it should fire your studio (wl5000).

If you later on wanted to get another skyport, if you plugged that in it would disable the optical slave on the WL5000 and would be triggered by the skyport (better range and reliability)

canon shooter wrote in post #6217219
Well if I shoot in Manual and use Flash meter for exosure with the Canon ST-E2, it should trigger the 580 fine and if the 580 is in "Master" mode, it should trigger the studio??

On the Skyport sound like it comes with cable to plug directly into studio without any computer being involved?? Then the 580 could be in "Slave" mode and it would be triggered by the studio??

Sorry to ask so many questions but want to make sure I buy the right product so that I can trigger the the 580 and/or the studio

Canon ETTL wireless remote and optical slave triggering do not mix, even if the EX flash is operated in manual mode. The reason is because the ST-E2 or the master flash will prematurely trigger the studio strobes. The only way to prevent this is to trigger the EX flash with an RF remote (i.e. SkyPort, PW, etc.) or a sync cable.

tim wrote in post #6216917
ST-E2 will only control Canon EX flashes. If you use wireless ETTL then the preflash will trigger the studio strobes before the shutter is open. In manual they'll be fine, they'll trigger the studio flash fine. I don't know why you'd be using ETTL at the same time as a studio strobe anyway.

The skyport kit comes with a transmitter and receiver. With this in the PC port you could use wireless ETTL with the receiver on the studio strobe. You can get a hotshoe to 3.5mm plug from flash zebra or from B&H pretty cheaply.

Tim, can you use the 3.5mm plug to fire the 580 in ETTL or manual?

I've never tried wireless ETTL in manual, but I bet Pacace is right. I have used strobes and 580's together, but all triggered using skyports.

canon shooter wrote in post #6217409
Tim, can you use the 3.5mm plug to fire the 580 in ETTL or manual?

Any slave of any type, studio or speedlite, can only operate in manual when ratio slaves are used. RadioPoppers are the only exception I know of, as they're not a simple radio slave.

tim wrote in post #6186997
If you try and trigger a studio strobe optically using ETTL the preflash will set of the strobe before the shutter's open. It doesn't work.

If you want ETTL for your 580 you'll need a cord or radio slave for the strobe, which has to be in manual. I use skyports, hooked up via the PC port of the camera.

Tim, so the set up you are talking about here is a Skyport on camera with receiver on studio, and then the 580 in Slave??

Assume with this set up you use a flash meter??