Stop 7D Built-in Flash???

[JimmySlo]

I have a Canon 7D and a 430EX II. I understand that I can make the 430 fire wirelessly WITHOUT the 7D built-in flash firing. But no matter what setting I have it on, when the 430 fires, the built-in fires with it. What am I missing?? Please help! Thanks!!!

[alexsimpson]

doesnt the built in flash trigger the 430 ?

If its like the CLS on Nikon - is not "wireless" triggering ....its optical / triggered by the on camera flash

[JimmySlo]

Huh. Maybe that's the case. I thought it was more of an infrared trigger or something... But I guess it makes sense. They call it "wireless" but maybe that's Canon's interpretation. It's too bad cuz in my tests, the built-in flash actually lightens the subject. I guess I can't really get artistic with the lighting, say, when I want to light solely from the 430. Anyways. Thanks!

[alexsimpson]

i cant really help with a canon but on the nikon you change the flash mode for the built in flash to "commander mode" - when its set to this mode it barely lights a shot - it just fires enough light to trigger the off camera flash.

Dont give up on it too easy - you can get some pretty good / artistic shots with a single off camera flash

[inkista]

LIke CLS, it's optical, but not dumb optical (i.e., eTTL II signalling is involved, like Morse code, rather than see-burst-then-fire). "Optical" usually means "dumb optical" and "wireless" usually means the light-based TTL bells'n'whistles things (CLS, Canon proprietary signaling, etc.) where you retain TTL and high-speed sync capabilities.

Originally Posted by JimmySlo

I thought it was more of an infrared trigger or something...

Only the ST-E2 is infrared. The other masters (580EXII, and 7D pop-up) are mostly near-infrared, but still visible light.

They call it "wireless" but maybe that's Canon's interpretation.

Well, there aren't any wires between the camera and the remote flash. It's wireless the way your tv remote is wireless

Make sure you've got it set it to Flash control > Built-in flash func setting > Wireless func > External flash only.

The flash will still fire in the shot, but it will be at the lowest ratio/power setting (Nikon CLS does this too, when the pop-up is set to --. This burst is needed to trigger for the firing). If you're working very close in to your subject, you may still see it, so my only advice would be to put on a longer lens and step back a bit, or find a way to cover the pop-up with an infrared filter of some kind.