Can a Canon Speedlite 580EX be triggered by a camera’s built-in flash without a transmitter?
Asked 2/16/2013
3 views
2 answers
0
I want to use a Canon Speedlite 580EX off-camera and trigger it using only my camera’s pop-up flash, without a separate wireless transmitter. Is that possible on all Canon bodies, or only some models? I’m also asking whether the 580EX can simply detect a flash burst and fire like a basic optical slave.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
4
You'll need to check your camera instructions.
Only the newer Canon DSLRs (eg 7D, 60D) have the built in flash able to work as a Speedlite transmitter.
If you've not got one of the more recent cameras, you'll have to consider other options for triggering a remote flash (eg ST-E2, another 580, or - if you can accept manual only flash - an optical slave or one of the several wireless transmitter / receiver combinations that are available).
Originally by user14399. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user14399
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Usually no. The Canon 580EX does not have a simple “dumb” optical slave that just sees any flash and fires. Its built-in wireless slave mode is Canon’s optical system, which requires a compatible master device to send Canon flash-control signals.
So whether a pop-up flash can trigger it depends on the camera body, not just the flash. Only certain Canon DSLRs with built-in flash transmitter capability can control a 580EX wirelessly from the pop-up flash. If your camera does not support that feature, the built-in flash alone will not trigger the 580EX in Canon wireless mode.
If you want to trigger it from any flash burst, you’d need to add an external optical slave, but the 580EX also lacks a sync port, so that typically requires an adapter. In many cases, simple radio triggers are the easier option.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI13y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Does the Canon 430EX II have an optical slave mode?
How can I stop the Canon T2i built-in flash from firing a pre-flash when optically triggering another flash?
Why won’t a Godox AD360 II trigger a Canon 580EX II optically off-camera?
How can I trigger a softbox flash slave with a Canon 60D pop-up flash?
Can studio strobes be triggered by an on-camera flash instead of radio triggers?