How can I remotely adjust a Canon 580EX II off-camera without replacing my flash?

Asked 1/22/2016

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I use Cactus V5 triggers now and want to upgrade to a wireless setup that lets me change flash settings remotely for off-camera use. My main flash is a Canon 580EX II, and I’d like to keep using it rather than replace it. I also have a Yongnuo YN560, though I’m okay not using that one.

I shoot weddings, so being able to adjust power/settings without walking back to each light is important. I know there are TTL-capable radio trigger systems from several brands, but I’d prefer to avoid very expensive options if possible. Is there a transmitter/receiver/transceiver setup that works well with the Canon 580EX II for remote control?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

10y ago

2 Answers

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There are a large number of options available to you all over the price/reliability spectrum. You basically just want TTL-capable triggers for Canon. The difference between using them and using manual-only triggers like the V5s, is that you may be limited on what lights or other triggers play nice together, and integrating studio strobes might be more of a pain.

There are triggering options from Yongnuo, Phottix, Pixel, Godox, RadioPopper, and PocketWizard, to name just a few, but you're very much NOT limited to only PocketWizard choices, and in the case of the 580EXII, you're probably better off not using PocketWizard, given the radio interference issues Canon 580EX and 580EXII shooters have had with them. All the other RF TTL triggers out there operate on 2.4GHz, though, and don't exhibit this problem.

Yongnuo

As a cheap hobbyist and 580EXII owner, my solution was to go for the YN-568EX, Yongnuo 622 transceivers, and a dedicated transmitter (YN-622-TX), and I recently added a YN-685 (built-in receiver) to my setup. But, while inexpensive, the drawbacks of this are that all my RF-602 triggers don't play well unless I stack a transmitter on a 622, so a 560III/IV wouldn't integrate well, and the MkI 430EX and 580EX I have can only be controlled via ratios. You also pretty much need a camera that's Digic 4 or later (has the flash control menus). Yongnuo is frustrating in that they have three separate triggering systems (603, 622, and RT) none of which plays with the others.

As you know, you also could get YN-560III/IV or (when it comes out) the YN-660, and use a YN-560-TX to remote power control them. Selling the 580EXII could get you multiple cheapie Yongnuos, but reliability/build quality may become an issue, especially under hard pro use.

Canon's RT system

There is also Canon's own RT system. The 600EX-RT not only has a number of third-party clones popping up, but also 3rd party triggers to integrate other lights (including a 580EXII) into the RT system. But, of course, without an RT unit to begin with, you can't take advantage of having triggers built in, and remote-controlling the power on studio strobes is not possible.

RadioPopper

Phottix and RadioPopper are at the higher end of the price scale for triggers, but they both make manual triggers that interoperate with their TTL ones. For expansion over time, or to have a lower-priced simpler trigger for non-TTL flashes, and for reliability, this can be more useful. In addition, RadioPopper now has modules for older Sekonic meters, as well as the Paul Buff Einstein, so if you think you'll expand to studio strobes and would like to remotely control the power level on one, that's one way.

Phottix

Phottix, otoh, has gone a different route and built a TTL studio strobe with a built-in Odin receiver, as well as their own Mitros+ TTL flashes with built-in RF receivers. And LumoPro now builds an all-manual but remote-power controllable LP180R--with a built-in Odin receiver. So, other ways to expand your system.

Godox

Godox's lights are now both manual-only with power control and TTL with appropriate triggers, but they're mostly interesting in that they offer bare-bulb flashes (Wistro AD line)--think of it as sort of halfway between a speedlight and a studio strobe. The head unit is only a bit bulkier than a speedlight (external battery pack required), but it's much more powerful than a speedlight, and because it's bare bulb, the character of the light (and the modifiers you can use) are more like a studio strobe.

Godox also uses Lithium battery packs in their barebulb flashes and speedlights, which makes battery management hecka easier than a huge pile of AAs, and better recycle times.

Considerations

As a pro, you want to consider not just what you need now, but what kind of upgrade path you may eventually want, because the triggering system you purchase can determine a lot of other choices down the line.

A really good website to research all the options that are out there, and to keep up with the high-speed churn of new products arriving on the scene, is the Flash Havoc blog. Their (not 100% up-to-date) guide on TTL triggers is here: http://flashhavoc.com/flash-trigger-guide-ttl/

Originally by user27440. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user27440

10y ago

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AI Answer

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Yes. What you need is a Canon-compatible radio trigger system that supports remote control of TTL flashes. You are not limited to PocketWizard; other brands mentioned include Yongnuo, Phottix, Pixel, Godox, and RadioPopper.

For your specific setup, a strong fit is the Cactus V6. According to the shared experience here, it works with the Canon 580EX II and is backward-compatible with Cactus V5 units, so you may be able to keep using your existing V5 triggers in the system. The V6 does not provide full wireless TTL metering from the camera, but it can remotely control compatible TTL flashes by leveraging the flash’s own TTL-capable interface, which solves the main problem of walking to the light to change settings.

Also note that the Canon 580EX/580EX II has been reported to have radio interference issues with PocketWizard, so other 2.4 GHz trigger systems may be the safer choice.

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10y ago

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