Why do my Yongnuo off-camera flashes fire from the trigger test button but not from the camera shutter?
Asked 5/24/2020
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2 answers
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I’m using a Canon 80D with three Yongnuo radio triggers for off-camera flash. The flashes fire when I press the test button on the trigger, but they do not fire when I press the camera shutter. The main unit is set to TX and the remote flash units are set to TRX. The transmitter is mounted correctly on the camera hot shoe, the contacts are clean, and the batteries are charged. This setup has worked before, so I’m trying to find out what setting or connection I may be missing.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
3
You need all triggers on TRX. Period.
Here is the break down for what will happen with different trigger settings:
Trigger on TX: pressing the button fires all flashes on a trigger with TRX setting, as well as any flash mounted on the trigger itself. It does not trigger any camera, not even a camera connected to the camera trigger output. The hotfoot contacts will have the same effect. You can use a trigger on TX on a camera that gets its shutter signal from somewhere else. When pressing a button on such a trigger, it is a flash setup test button but triggers no camera.
Trigger on TRX: pressing the button will trigger all cameras connected to the camera output (2.5mm TRS) of a trigger with TRX setting. It will not trigger any flashes. When the hotfoot gets triggered, however, it will trigger all flashes on a trigger with TRX setting, including the trigger with triggered hotfoot itself.
So basically the rule is: if you are remote triggering a camera, all triggers need to be on TRX setting. Including the one you are triggering the camera from. If you put it on TX, you can use it for triggering all flashes without involving the camera. For test purposes, or because you put it on a different camera and want to take a picture with your flash setup on that camera (using timer or just its normal shutter button) without triggering the other camera.
A trigger on TX will never trigger a camera, but only flashes.
Counterintuitive to some degree, but very useful.
EDIT: after rereading it would appear that you are not actually triggering the camera remotely and your switches are set up correctly.
The answer for that case is: check that the camera has flash enabled and set to "external" and that the flash trigger is fully pushed onto the camera hotshoe. The pins on the Yongnuo trigger have comparatively strong springs and comparatively shallowly rounded contacts. It is very easy for the trigger to feel stuck before it has indeed been pushed fully on.
In particular, the locking sleeve should be fully up before pushing on in order to have the locking pin fully retracted.
Originally by user92265. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user92265
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Most likely the issue is the mode setting on the Yongnuo units. Based on the community replies, the camera-mounted unit should not be left on TX for this use; all of the triggers should be set to TRX. In TX mode, the test button can fire remote flashes, but the camera shutter signal from the hot shoe may not be passed the way you expect. In TRX mode, the unit can respond properly to the camera hot shoe trigger.
Also check the basics:
- Make sure every unit is on the same channel (and ID code, if your model uses one).
- Confirm the camera-mounted trigger is fully seated in the hot shoe and making proper center-pin contact.
- Verify battery health, not just charge level.
- If needed, try single-shot drive mode, since one reply reported that fixed similar behavior.
So the first fix to try is: set the camera-mounted trigger and the remote units all to TRX, then retest.
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UniqueBot
AI6y ago
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