Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

This may be a stupid question but here it goes. I want to trigger my AB800 strobe and my 580ex on camera with cybersync trigger and one receiver. Can this be done? I was hoping I can use the this item from Flash Zebra (#0138 — Deluxe Canon Hotshoe to Pocket Wizard, CyberSync or Elinchrom Skyport) to connect my 580 to the trigger and have my flash fire and the strobe fire using one trigger and one receiver?

Thanks!

Depending on which camera you have, you can hotshoe the speedlite, and connect the CST or CC into the PC terminal, provided the camera has one. The item you have referred to has a threaded foot, and would not receive TTL communication to pass along to the flash (plus the plug is the wrong size).

If your camera has no PC terminal, Ebay has some adapters that have pass thru TTL contacts and a PC terminal, though that could be kinda wobbly (Flash Zebra actually rejected them due to contact issues)

One last alternative, if you have an EXII model 580, is to use 0064 from Flash Zebra, and put the speedlite into Auto mode (which is different, and arguably worse, than TTL)

TS

I have a Canon 5d I believe that it has a PC terminal, do I need to buy anything extra to link the CST to the PC terminal?

Thank you!

All but the absolute earliest CST's have a PC connection, and were shipped with the cord. Nothing else would be required.

TS

I apologize if I'm hijacking this thread, but I also have a question about using a CST/CSRB with my Canon 580ex II.

First off, the CST. I'm guessing that I have to use the PC cord to connect it to my camera, which is a Canon 30d. My question, the cord that came with the CST does fit into the "flash" port on the camera, but it is extremely loose and falls out. Does that happen with some camera models?

Second, the CSRB. Apparently, the 580ex II doesn't have a normal PC port, so I'll have to buy the hotshoe adapter. Is there anything else I'll need to make these things work?

Kwitort: you can fire the 580 from your camera's hotshoe and trip the AB800 using its built-in slave trigger as long as the slave sensor on the back of the AB800 can "see" the 580's flash. In that case you wouldn't even need the transmitter or receiver. Alternatively, you could also set up the 580 off camera connected to the receiver using a Speedlight foot adapter (found here: http://www.alienbees.com/parts.html) with the CST on the cameras hot shoe and still trip the AB800 using the built in slave triggering sensor. Just make sure you don't have any wire plugged into the AB's sync port as that will disable the sensor.

slonkat: For the loose connection to your 30D, I recommend that you slightly crimp the end of the pc cord to make it fit more snugly. As far as the 580ex II is concerned, it does indeed use a standard PC connection. No additional adaptor is needed.

I myself shoot with 2 x 580ex II's using a CST and 2 x CSRB's instead of my AB800's when the job doesn't call for a lot of power and I want to travel light.

Regards

a few addendums. If you use your 580 to trigger the Bees, be sure the speedlite is on manual mode, and as low power as possible (or if you wish to incorporate it into the set up, the appropriate power for good exposure). Keeping it in TTL mode will pretrigger the bees, and cause an under exposure, due to the preflash.

Yes the 580EXII (not the EX) does have a PC terminal under the rubber flap on the left side (looking at teh back of the light). I have tested this flash with our cords, and it is indeed typically loose. That being said, i have used a PC tip conditioner, and tested with our hot shoe adapters, two cameras we have here, and a Nikon SB800. All have a different fit, however the 580EXII is the loosest of them all. The cameras and HSA's are the snuggest. PC cords have an inherent adjustability to them, and the easist way to fix a loose PC cord is to crimp with a pair of pliers (as suggested).

TS

Thanks cablsurfin and Technical Support. I found the PC jack on the 580, I didn't realize there were two rubber flaps on the side. I only lifted the top one. I hooked everything up and the CST/CSRB work great!