Rebel xti off camera flash

[dblightsey]

What set up are xti usersusing? I just want one on a tripod off camera. Not expensive. Right now I'm using an opteka flash and have no problems. What cord or remote setup etc. I've read strobist need more clarification on what works for xti.

Thanks in advance

[Ett]

Well, I don't have that camera, but when you're doing off-camera flash, it doesn't matter

I use 4 LumoPro LP160 flashes (as recommended by David Hobby himself), and I have a couple of shoot-through umbrellas, a few softboxes, and triggers I got off ebay.

I also have the light stands, umbrella swivels, and all that good stuff you need for the lights.

[dblightsey]

Appreciate it man. I'm wondering though with that setup you have will it work with my xti or do I need any kind of adapter for the remote / camera to make it work? I don't want to east money. Will off camera work with my opteka speed blitz?

[lputman]

Your main thing you need to work out is how you are going to trigger the flash. I have one of these, Paul C. Buff - CyberSync Trigger Transmitter and 2 of these, Paul C. Buff - CyberSync Receivers. I also bought this, Paul C. Buff - Speedlight Foot Adapter, as one of my flashes doesn't have a pc sync jack. With this set-up, I was able to trigger a 580EXII and a 430EX.

You can go as cheap as this, Amazon.com: CowboyStudio NPT-04, 4 Channel Wireless Hot Shoe Flash Trigger Receiver: Camera & Photo.

[inkista]

Three handicaps with the XTi when it comes to off-camera flash triggering.

1. There's no PC port on the camera (so anything that relies on a PC port for triggering will require a hotshoe adapter on the camera).
2. There's no way to tell the pop-up flash to be in Manual mode (vs. eTTL II) and not emit a pre-flash. (So, "dumb" optical slaves are mostly out, unless they can ignore a pre-flash).
3. There's no wireless eTTL master in the pop-up flash. (So, to use the Canon proprietary wireless sytems, you'll need a master unit on the camera hotshoe, an ST-E2, 550EX, 580EX or 580EX II. This gets expensive).

Cheapest, and easiest way to trigger flashes off-camera would be to use cheap radio triggers (Cactus V5s, RF-603s, whatever), or a sync cable, using hotshoe adapters on your camera and possibly on the flash (depending on the flash).

Both of those two methods (cord and radio triggers) typically are going to rob you of all eTTL goodies: you have to shoot with the lights in manual, you have to walk up to the flash and dial in the power on the flash's back, you can't command from the camera back, and you won't have high-speed sync. These things are more inconveniences that issues with Strobist shooting. But it does mean, that if you don't plan on using a speedlight on-camera as well, you could go a lot cheaper and get manual-only flashes (LP-160, YN-560, etc.).

However, if you do want to do on-camera bouncing and run'n'gun event stuff, it might be better to get a TTL-capable unit, for both on- and off- camera use for greater versatility.

[Doug Sundseth]

If you want to go cabled, you should be able to use an E-TTL capable cable attached to the hot shoe to use E-TTL off camera a bit.

[bhursey]

Originally Posted by inkista

Three handicaps with the XTi when it comes to off-camera flash triggering.
[LIST=1]
[*]There's no way to tell the pop-up flash to be in Manual mode (vs. eTTL II) and not emit a pre-flash. (So, "dumb" optical slaves are mostly out, unless they can ignore a pre-flash).

You can push the exposure lock buttion on the back it will fier to test the exposure with a pre flash. The next flash fire within I think 15 seconds will be a single pulse. That will trigger your off camera flash. Also you can use a LP160 which has a pre flash ignore slave mode.