External Flash Only

I have a Canon 80D, and just bought a Yongnuo YN510EX flash from Ebay (£10.50 !!) purely for the purpose of using it as an off camera flash. I have managed to set it up to fire when the on board Canon Flash fires, but would ideally like to try to fire it without the on board one firing also. (Just doing some close up abstract pics and want side light without direct). I am new to Flash photography - Does anyone know i this is possible? And if so what am I missing to get it to work. If not possible then fair enough, for £10 it's a useful accessory. Thanks Phil

I have a Canon 80D, and just bought a Yongnuo YN510EX flash from Ebay (£10.50 !!) purely for the purpose of using it as an off camera flash.

I have managed to set it up to fire when the on board Canon Flash fires, but would ideally like to try to fire it without the on board one firing also. (Just doing some close up abstract pics and want side light without direct).

I am new to Flash photography - Does anyone know i this is possible? And if so what am I missing to get it to work. If not possible then fair enough, for £10 it's a useful accessory.

Thanks

Phil

Yes... a simple wireless trigger and receiver will do the trick, you do not need all the bells and whistles so a cheap set from ebay or amazon will be fine. Normally I would recommend Godox but they would be overkill, so perhaps something like this.... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00A47U22U/ref=dp_cerb_1

Yes... a simple wireless trigger and receiver will do the trick, you do not need all the bells and whistles so a cheap set from ebay or amazon will be fine. Normally I would recommend Godox but they would be overkill, so perhaps something like this....

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00A47U22U/ref=dp_cerb_1

Ah ok Philh04 - so it can't be done without additional bits then ...

Ah ok Philh04 - so it can't be done without additional bits then ...

Hi Phil, I have some flash triggers that I use with my Yongnuo flashes. One goes on the camera's hotshoe and the other attaches to the flash. These will fire your flash whenever you take a photo. They are available on eBay and amaz0n so search for Yongnuo flash triggers for Canon. Mine do not support TTL so I set the power myself and I have found I have to set the shutter speed on my camera's to just below the flash sync speed so 1/200th rather than 1/250th or 1/160th rather than 1/200th on my D5000 otherwise I will get a black bar in the image. This I think is due to the triggers being slightly slow and the second curtain is already closing when the flash fires. You may not get this though but this is usually the cause if you get some triggers. You.can get a cable to do the same job but then you are limited to where the flash can go and triggers are good if you want to start getting modifiers such as a softbox on a light stand. The other thing I have done is to put some card in front of my camera's flash. This can help block the on camera flash from affecting the exposure as it will fire to trigger your flash off-camera with the shutter open and reflective objects will show it. Eddie.

Hi Phil,

I have some flash triggers that I use with my Yongnuo flashes. One goes on the camera's hotshoe and the other attaches to the flash. These will fire your flash whenever you take a photo. They are available on eBay and amaz0n so search for Yongnuo flash triggers for Canon.

Mine do not support TTL so I set the power myself and I have found I have to set the shutter speed on my camera's to just below the flash sync speed so 1/200th rather than 1/250th or 1/160th rather than 1/200th on my D5000 otherwise I will get a black bar in the image. This I think is due to the triggers being slightly slow and the second curtain is already closing when the flash fires. You may not get this though but this is usually the cause if you get some triggers.

You.can get a cable to do the same job but then you are limited to where the flash can go and triggers are good if you want to start getting modifiers such as a softbox on a light stand.

The other thing I have done is to put some card in front of my camera's flash. This can help block the on camera flash from affecting the exposure as it will fire to trigger your flash off-camera with the shutter open and reflective objects will show it.

Eddie.

[quote][i]Yes... a simple wireless trigger and receiver will do the trick,[/i][/quote] I've got a set of Neweer trigger/receivers,; in fact, I've got two. Mine each came with a cheap TTL Neweer flash but I can confirm that they do, in fact also work with a Nikon flash, so presumably, as long as they're intended for your hotshoe etc., they're not brand dependent.

Quote:Yes... a simple wireless trigger and receiver will do the trick,

I've got a set of Neweer trigger/receivers,; in fact, I've got two.

Mine each came with a cheap TTL Neweer flash but I can confirm that they do, in fact also work with a Nikon flash, so presumably, as long as they're intended for your hotshoe etc., they're not brand dependent.

Thanks Eddie and Clown - I'll look at getting the triggers.

Thanks Eddie and Clown - I'll look at getting the triggers.

[quote] The other thing I have done is to put some card in front of my camera's flash. This can help block the on camera flash from affecting the exposure as it will fire to trigger your flash off-camera with the shutter open and reflective objects will show it. Eddie.[/quote] On canon cameras like the 80D the flash will not pop up to fire if you are on a mode such as P,Av,Tv - though usually for the set-up described M would be best with you setting the ISO yourself, typically to a low value such as 100. Cheap radio triggers are great. I've used [link=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Yongnuo-RF603CII-RF603II-remote-trigger/dp/B00HRTCPOG/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1HKKMCGVEUYWI&keywords=trigger+yongnuo&qid=1570450621&sprefix=trigger+y%2Celectronics%2C134&sr=8-4]Yongnuo [/link] ones in the past and been very happy. its more reliable it if you can using these slightly more expensive ones. I'm also now looking at the Godox ones as they don't look as expensive as i imagined.

Quote:
The other thing I have done is to put some card in front of my camera's flash. This can help block the on camera flash from affecting the exposure as it will fire to trigger your flash off-camera with the shutter open and reflective objects will show it.
Eddie.

On canon cameras like the 80D the flash will not pop up to fire if you are on a mode such as P,Av,Tv - though usually for the set-up described M would be best with you setting the ISO yourself, typically to a low value such as 100.


Cheap radio triggers are great.

I've used Yongnuo ones in the past and been very happy. its more reliable it if you can using these slightly more expensive ones. I'm also now looking at the Godox ones as they don't look as expensive as i imagined.

[quote] On canon cameras like the 80D the flash will not pop up to fire if you are on a mode such as P,Av,Tv  [/quote] With the Nikon CLS system the camera's flash can control a flashgun in commander mode with TTL but It goes of when the shutter is open. Similarly a flashgun set to slave can be triggered by the camera's flash usually set to manual and 1/128th. With reflective items like cutlery it can affect the exposure even at ISO100 and a small aperture and with macro with the camera quite close to the subject 1/128th can add quite a bit so triggers can save a bit of a headache.

Quote: On canon cameras like the 80D the flash will not pop up to fire if you are on a mode such as P,Av,Tv 


With the Nikon CLS system the camera's flash can control a flashgun in commander mode with TTL but It goes of when the shutter is open. Similarly a flashgun set to slave can be triggered by the camera's flash usually set to manual and 1/128th.

With reflective items like cutlery it can affect the exposure even at ISO100 and a small aperture and with macro with the camera quite close to the subject 1/128th can add quite a bit so triggers can save a bit of a headache.