Using RF-602 as flash trigger AND wireless shutter release.

I just received my RF-602 set (1 transmitter, 3 receivers) about an hour ago and I immediately started testing it out.

Placing a receiver in the hot shoe and using the transmitter for wireless shutter release works great. Likewise, placing the transmitter in the hot shoe and triggering a wireless flash works just fine.

However, when using the transmitter with a receiver in the hot shoe and another on the flash the images are completely black. The flash fires and the shutter is released, but no light is in the image.

Is this not possible with this setup, or am I doing something incorrectly?

Some additional information. I just set up for ambient room light (f/2.8 1/80 ISO 1600) and took a shot. Then fired the flash with the setup described above at 1/4 power and then again at 1/1 power while leaving the exposure settings the same and each histogram looked exactly the same as the ambient light shot.

You need two sets to do this as I understand it. One to activate the shutter, one to fire the flash.

professoryeti wrote in post #10236966
I just received my RF-602 set (1 transmitter, 3 receivers) about an hour ago and I immediately started testing it out.

Placing a receiver in the hot shoe and using the transmitter for wireless shutter release works great. Likewise, placing the transmitter in the hot shoe and triggering a wireless flash works just fine.

However, when using the transmitter with a receiver in the hot shoe and another on the flash the images are completely black. The flash fires and the shutter is released, but no light is in the image.

Is this not possible with this setup, or am I doing something incorrectly?

The way your post is worded, I think you are doing something incorrectly. You need two transmitters and two receivers(on different channels) to remotely trigger your camera and have the camera trigger a flash. The transmit receive pairs have to be on different channels. For example Channel A receiver is connected to your camera PC sync port. The Channel A transmitter would be used to remotely trigger the camera. The Channel B transmitter would be mounted on the camera hotshoe, and the Channel B reciever would be connected to the flash you wanted to trigger. If you attempt to have one trigger fire the camera, and the flash, it can not work. You are asking the flash and the camera to fire at the same time...AND THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN. It takes mili seconds for the response time when you tell the shutter to trigger. There are multiple posts about this subject on the board, that may state it in a more understandable fashion.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

110yd

Thanks for the responses guys, that makes perfect sense. I assumed that since it was capable of doing either, it would be capable of doing BOTH, which it is, but not with the equipment I have now.

Transmitter goes in the hot shoe on your camera, not a receiver. Attach a receiver to each speedlight you want to operate. Should be simple enough for regular flash operation.
Hope this helps.

You need two transmitters, each on its own channel.
Then 1 receiver for the camera and another receiver set to the second channel for the lights.
The transmitter for the lights goes on the hot shoe.
The transmitter for the camera goes in your hot little hand.
You push the button, that fires the camera, camera sync circuit fires the transmitter on the hot shoe to fire the lights.

Trying to do it the way you did, the lights fire at the same time the camera shutter sequence starts which means the lights are fires and dark by the time the mirror goes up and the curtains open.

Follow DMWards advice. Two sets, one dedicated for the shutter, the other for the lights, both sets on different channels.

Works a treat for me.

Another tip - at a recent wedding, I set a remote camera up in the stall at a wedding, pointing at the B+G. When I clicked the shutter on my main camera, the remote camera also captured the exact same moment from a different perspective.

N00b question: When using a 3rd party trigger like these RF-602's, do you still have any ETTL capability?

troutbreath wrote in post #10239740
N00b question: When using a 3rd party trigger like these RF-602's, do you still have any ETTL capability?

Nope,,,you'll have to set your flash and camera to manual..

You can either guestimate the flash exposure by chimping or use a flash meter for a more accurate reading..

yogestee wrote in post #10239803
Nope,,,you'll have to set your flash and camera to manual..

You can either guestimate the flash exposure by chimping or use a flash meter for a more accurate reading..

Thanks. That is what is was suspecting, but have not messed around with these things yet. And, quite frankly, I need all the help I can get when I use my flash. I picked up a cord so I can get my 580EXII off the camera for a few shots. That's about as adventurous as I have been with flash.

troutbreath wrote in post #10239828
Thanks. That is what is was suspecting, but have not messed around with these things yet. And, quite frankly, I need all the help I can get when I use my flash. I picked up a cord so I can get my 580EXII off the camera for a few shots. That's about as adventurous as I have been with flash.

It's dead easy to use manual off camera flash.. I also find when the flash is in manual my exposures are more consistant than using ETTL..

Since getting a set of RF-602 triggers/receivers my Canon ST-E2 has remained in my bag..

yogestee wrote in post #10240635
It's dead easy to use manual off camera flash.. I also find when the flash is in manual my exposures are more consistant than using ETTL..

Since getting a set of RF-602 triggers/receivers my Canon ST-E2 has remained in my bag..

Good feedback, Jurgen. You're making me a bit more confident. Fortunately, with these RF-602, I'm not looking at mortgaging the house again to see how I do with them.

troutbreath wrote in post #10241353
Good feedback, Jurgen. You're making me a bit more confident. Fortunately, with these RF-602, I'm not looking at mortgaging the house again to see how I do with them.

I don't think using flash manually is any more daunting than using the camera itself in manual. Not that I'm any kind of expert, I've only been using manual flash for a few weeks now, but really once you're set up, 2-3 test shots and a few quick fixes and you're set. And like Jurgen said, it's far more consistent than ETTL. Maybe it will be more of a pain as I add strobes, but with just two flashguns I've become pretty confident with manual.