7D/5D Rear Curtain Sync...

I tried searching and couldnt find any info regarding this issue, and Canon was absolutely no help to a friend of mine... but why are you not able to rear curtain sync with ANY strobe on the 5D2 and 7D? On my friends 5D you can... he uses Bowens Geminis and is able to rear curtain, on my Nikons I was able to do so with my Alien Bees, But on the 5D2 and 7D you can only do it with certain Canon on camera flashes.

Any ideas why this is or if there's any way around it?

303villain wrote in post #8917652
I tried searching and couldnt find any info regarding this issue, and Canon was absolutely no help to a friend of mine... but why are you not able to rear curtain sync with ANY strobe on the 5D2 and 7D? On my friends 5D you can... he uses Bowens Geminis and is able to rear curtain, on my Nikons I was able to do so with my Alien Bees, But on the 5D2 and 7D you can only do it with certain Canon on camera flashes.

Any ideas why this is or if there's any way around it?

How were you triggering the AB lights with your Nikon? Were you using the hotshoe or the PC port on the camera or were they triggered optically using the built-in flash in manual mode?

And how is your friend with the 5D doing it because the 5D shouldn't be able to do it either?

Triggering with pocket wizards. The 5D(classic) can rear curtain sync... just not the mark 2

303villain wrote in post #8918190
Triggering with pocket wizards. The 5D(classic) can rear curtain sync... just not the mark 2

I'm assuming you're referring to the standard PW like the Plus II and not the new ones (TT1/TT5)? That's interesting that you say the 5D can rear curtain sync with strobes. If that's true (and I have my doubts), it must be the only EOS camera that can do that.

If you're talking about the Flash Function Settings on the 5D II and 7D, those are actually the on-camera controls for an attached, supported, Speedlite EX model. The Second Curtain Sync CF on the 5D is a totally distinct function that works with any flash wired to the camera (in this case via the PWs).

It gets even more confusing with the 1D3, where there are both the Second Curtain Sync CF (which controls when the camera sends the signal, to any flash) and the Flash Functions Setting (which supports only selected Speedlite EX flashes). I don't know what would happen if you set the camera to "Second Curtain" via the CF, and set the flash to "Second Curtain" via either the flash' menu or the camera's Flash Function Settings. Would it wait indefinately after receiving the camera's "trigger" from the release of the second curtain, or are the supplemental contacts used to send all shutter timing info to Speedlite EX flashes, making the CF setting irrelevant? And would that mean that you could get both First and Second Curtain flash by setting the on-camera Speedlite to First Curtain (either in Speedlite or via Flash Functions) and the CF to Second Curtain (with a flash connected to the PC socket) or vice versa?

Jon wrote in post #8918338
If you're talking about the Flash Function Settings on the 5D II and 7D, those are actually the on-camera controls for an attached, supported, Speedlite EX model. The Second Curtain Sync CF on the 5D is a totally distinct function that works with any flash wired to the camera (in this case via the PWs).

It gets even more confusing with the 1D3, where there are both the Second Curtain Sync CF (which controls when the camera sends the signal, to any flash) and the Flash Functions Setting (which supports only selected Speedlite EX flashes). I don't know what would happen if you set the camera to "Second Curtain" via the CF, and set the flash to "Second Curtain" via either the flash' menu or the camera's Flash Function Settings. Would it wait indefinately after receiving the camera's "trigger" from the release of the second curtain, or are the supplemental contacts used to send all shutter timing info to Speedlite EX flashes, making the CF setting irrelevant? And would that mean that you could get both First and Second Curtain flash by setting the on-camera Speedlite to First Curtain (either in Speedlite or via Flash Functions) and the CF to Second Curtain (with a flash connected to the PC socket) or vice versa?

When 2nd curtain sync is set on the flash via the flash control or the flash menu control on the camera, that take precedence and whatever is set on the camera via the custom function is ignored. The custom function on the camera is basically useless for setting 1st or 2nd curtain sync for any flash other than the 420EX and other EX compatible flash units that do not have the 2nd curtain feature on the flash itself.

On the EOS bodies, 2nd curtain sync is available only with compatible dedicated flash units mounted or connected to the hotshoe. 2nd curtain sync signal is not available through the PC port. But triggering 1st curtain sync (via the PC port) and 2nd curtain sync would be possible, though.

Well whatever the case may be, I have DEFINITELY done rear curtain syncs with shutter drags on a classic 5d, and possibly even my 20D way back when, but there's no way to do it on the 7d or mk2 unless using specific canon flashes on camera. Makes no sense to me.

303villain wrote in post #8921228
Well whatever the case may be, I have DEFINITELY done rear curtain syncs with shutter drags on a classic 5d, and possibly even my 20D way back when, but there's no way to do it on the 7d or mk2 unless using specific canon flashes on camera. Makes no sense to me.

I'm not convinced this is possible- I've tried with 5d classic, AB800 triggering with PW plus II's and it doesn't work. Unless you know some secret I'm can't figure out.

You'll have to show me Dana

Jake

303villain wrote in post #8917652
I tried searching and couldnt find any info regarding this issue, and Canon was absolutely no help to a friend of mine... but why are you not able to rear curtain sync with ANY strobe on the 5D2 and 7D? On my friends 5D you can... he uses Bowens Geminis and is able to rear curtain, on my Nikons I was able to do so with my Alien Bees, But on the 5D2 and 7D you can only do it with certain Canon on camera flashes.

Any ideas why this is or if there's any way around it?

so do you know which flash I should use with my 7D to do the rear curtain flash?

charlieaughenbaugh wrote in post #10099792
so do you know which flash I should use with my 7D to do the rear curtain flash?

Any Canon E-TTL compatible flash will be able to do rear curtain sync with the 7D.

I've definitely done rear curtain sync's using my 30D w/ PW Plus (and Plus II) attached to Nikon SB25, Sunpak 544 & others. Can't believe that Canon has disabled this feature on newer & especially more pro bodies.
Does anyone know a way around this or should I be looking at switching back to Nikon?

acetomato wrote in post #10707464
I've definitely done rear curtain sync's using my 30D w/ PW Plus (and Plus II) attached to Nikon SB25, Sunpak 544 & others. Can't believe that Canon has disabled this feature on newer & especially more pro bodies.
Does anyone know a way around this or should I be looking at switching back to Nikon?

Are you sure you've actually used 2nd curtain sync with your 30D? Setting 2nd curtain sync on the camera (or the flash) does not necessarily mean that 2nd curtain sync was being used.

I couldn't get it to work on my older 1D Mark II with my ancient Speedlites using the custom function. It fires on the 1st curtain pre-fire not the 2nd curtain. The proper new Speedlites understand the prefire and the 2nd curtain sync.

wow. the 5d really does have rear sync.

CF 15: Shutter curtain sync
0: 1st curtain sync (flash fires after shutter opens)
1: 2nd curtain sync (flash fires before shutter closes)

Marloon wrote in post #10708059
wow. the 5d really does have rear sync.

CF 15: Shutter curtain sync
0: 1st curtain sync (flash fires after shutter opens)
1: 2nd curtain sync (flash fires before shutter closes)

Actually, all the digital EOS cameras have the 2nd curtain sync capability. But that doesn't mean that 2nd curtain sync will work with all flashes or strobes.