Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

I use Canon equipment. I would like to use an on camera flash for fill while using one or two flashes as cross flash. I have a Canon 580ex II for the on camera and a 420 for one of the off camera. Is there a way to hook up the transmitter so that when the on camera flash is fired it triggers the off camera flash(es). I have tried plugging the transmitter into the flash and into the camera with no success. Does the flash need to be in a certain mode for this to work? Or, am I approaching this wrong?

If the camera has a built in PC socket, it should work to trigger the CST, even if a flash is in the hotshoe. PC sockets on Canon flashes will not trigger a CST as it is an PC in and not PC out. Nikons work in either direction. If the PC connection of camera is not working, there may be a menu setting that need to be changed, or a faulty component somewhere (camera, cord, transmitter) that needs troubleshooting to determine.