Another question about my STE-2

[Sarawak]

Hi guys again. You answered a previous question about my flash controller very quickly, so here's another for you to ponder.

I'm using a STE-2 on my 5DIII. I have a couple of 580EXII flash units. The controller will fire them remotely as it's designed to do. If I have a flash on the hotshoe I can control its functions through the camera menu, but as the flash is in front of me I just adjust the flash itself. The question is - how can I adjust the flash settings through the STE-2 when the flash units are remote? The control screen in the camera body loses some of it's functions when I try do adjust the flash units remotely. It's a bit of a nuisance having to go walkies all the time to two separate units when I want to adjust flash settings.

Does anyone know of a tweak to let me adjust the flash through the controller? If not is there a separate controller that will allow me to use the in camera menu to do remote adjustment?

I hope you can help me again, I'm not really that good with all these techy adjustment things!

Sara W.

[CountDavid]

Re: Another question about my STE-2

Not sure I will be able too help as I know nothing about the 5D.
To start off - what sort of adjustments are you trying to make?

David

[Sarawak]

Re: Another question about my STE-2

Thanks for your reply. I'm trying to do the full range. If the flash is set to ETTL then maybe I want to try Manual. If it is on manual I would like to change the power levels. Just the usual sort of adjustments that can be done with a hot shoe fixed flash but which the STE-2 won't let me carry out.

[mistral105]

Re: Another question about my STE-2

Hi Sara - you need to set the 580 Ex as slaves and the ST-E2 then acts as a master on the camera body - You need to check the 580 instruction book to see how to set them up as slaves - you can have one as slave A and the other as slave B - that way you can use the STE2 to set separate power levels if you wish to. Then use the External speedlight control menu on the 5DMKIII - go to flash function settings - then scroll down to wireless set - you can then set up ETTL or manual and the rations between the flashes. Hope that helps.

Regards John

[Sarawak]

Re: Another question about my STE-2

Thank you for your reply. I have had the flash set as slave - it won't work off camera any other way. I've just tried again, and it doesn't make any difference. The camera doesn't accept the STE-2 as being fully compatible. The only control I have through the menu is as a ETTL unit. If I want to go to manual settings I have to go to the units themselves, which may be some distance away, and a nuisance to get to. Every time I want to make an adjustment I have to do it on the flash units, rather than the simple way of using the menu.

Has anyone used these Yonguno units I keep hearing about?

Regards

Sara

[CountDavid]

Re: Another question about my STE-2

Hi again- seems like you are making some knowledge progress. If you need the ST-E2 instruction manual you can download a copy form the Canon site http://downloads.canon.com/ cpr/software/camera/ST-E2.pdf.
Hope this will be of help.

David

[mistral105]

Re: Another question about my STE-2

Hi Sara - having read your last post - I would suggest removing the STE2 - put one of the 580 flashes on the camera and set it as a master - then set the other flash as slave - then use the external speedlite control on the 5DMKIII and see if yuo can get them working that way first.

Regards John

[Sarawak]

Re: Another question about my STE-2

Hi Sara - having read your last post - I would suggest removing the STE2 - put one of the 580 flashes on the camera and set it as a master - then set the other flash as slave - then use the external speedlite control on the 5DMKIII and see if yuo can get them working that way first.

Regards John

Thank you for your reply. I had considered doing that but a) that will need three flashes as I am trying to use 2 flashes off camera, and b) I don't want any fill in light at all from the front.

I can borrow a third flash, but as I understand things I would have to set the on camera flash as master, and the other two as slaves. As I understand things the communication bit between flashes is located in the flash head itself, so I couldn't even turn the head round, or blank it off, because then the slaves wouldn't be triggered. Apparently the sensors are behind the red plastic bit, but the transmitters are behind the clear plastic in the head. Maybe I'm misinformed - does anyone know otherwise?

Even the STE3 doesn't seem to overcome this problem, and Canon seem to have got this very wrong.

I've been trawling the web and have found a similar question elsewhere. The suggested solution is a pair of Yongnuo 622 units. In October they are releasing a hot shoe version of the STE2/3 which will still allow the use of the camera menu to control the flash units. These units are very highly regarded by all who use them, and I think I can live without the Canon logo - especially if it doesn't do what I want!

Thanks again for your help,

Sara.

[mistral105]

Re: Another question about my STE-2

Hi Sara - I suggested trying out the above so you could check that you can get the simplest set up of one flash on camera and one slave to work. The slave flash needs to be able to see the master flash which sends out a series of preflashes to communicate the settings to the slave. You can check the slave is set up correctly as a red light flashes every second or so on the front of the flash. Then go onto using the STE2 and 2 flashes off camera. I have used the STE2 and up to 4 flashes off camera - it does work. I have just upgraded to the STE3 and 600EXs - they are fantastic. Regards John

[Sarawak]

Re: Another question about my STE-2

Oh I see! I had not thought of doing it that way. Very clever. I'll give it a try.

[mistral105]

Re: Another question about my STE-2

Good luck - Regards John