Why is my Canon 580EX II slave firing after the exposure instead of with the master?
Asked 11/4/2012
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2 answers
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I’m trying to use two Canon Speedlite 580EX II flashes with Canon’s optical wireless system so the on-camera master triggers the off-camera slave, while the master also contributes some fill light. Both flashes are on the same channel, and I’ve tried different group settings, line-of-sight positioning, battery changes, and mounting arrangements. The issue is that the master fires when I press the shutter, but the slave fires 1–2 seconds later, after the exposure is already over. What settings or conditions could cause this delayed firing, and how can I troubleshoot it?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
1
I have found with working with a Canon 580EXII and a 430EX that you require line of sight between the flashes to fire correctly when the 580EXII is the master. A way around this is to get a 3rd party wireless flash controller or in the newer canon DSLRs have wireless control from the on body flash which can get around some minor corners as the flash lights up the area and hit the IR receiver on the flash. the on camera flash will flash before the shutter opens so it doesnt effect the photo.
Originally by user6327. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user6327
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A delayed slave fire with Canon optical wireless usually points to setup or triggering issues rather than a bad flash.
Things to check:
- Ensure clear line of sight between the master and the slave’s optical sensor. Canon’s built-in wireless system depends on optical/IR communication and can misfire or lag if the sensor can’t “see” the master well.
- If you’re testing in E-TTL, make sure the camera isn’t waiting on metering/exposure conditions. One community suggestion was that testing with the lens cap on can make the camera wait for sufficient light.
- On the master/transmitter, disable any unused flash groups. One answer reported that leaving extra groups enabled caused flash timing/latency problems; turning off all groups except the one in use fixed it.
If you want more reliable off-camera triggering, a dedicated radio trigger system is often a better solution than Canon optical wireless, especially when line of sight is difficult.
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