Premium

Hi, folks.

I am hoping someone can help me out, as I am fairly sure this MUST be an easily resolved problem.

I have just bought two interfit flash heads having read good reviews online. The problem is that the camera is not 'catching' the flash ! Wierd. Taking a photo of the flash heads, it is quite clear that their flash has not been captured by the camera, even though I could see them triggering !

I am just using the cell thing ... the flash heads respond to seeing the camera flash. I suspect this might be the problem, and I do intend buying a wireless trigger system ASAP, but, in the short term, is there something that I should do ? I am using a Canon 1000d, and can't see anything in the menu that might help other than 1st and 2nd curtain. I gather that I should be using the 1st curtain setting for fashion photography ... am I right with this assumption ?

Also ... triggers .... what do you other togs recommend ?

Hope to hear from folks soon !

Simon.

Manager

Hi Simon,

Whats your shutter speed? If your shutter is too fast, then you'll miss the flash.

As for triggers, I've always used these things: bit.ly/zq7MHs - I've probably had over 40,000 actuations with a set of those and they've always been faultless.

James

Simon, if you're using the built in flash to trigger your flash heads they're probably being triggered by the initial preflash that the camera uses for metering, so theyre firing before your shutter opens. I dont shoot Canon so I dont know how you'd turn this off.

You might find a solution here

photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=634757

Premium

Paul.

Thanks for the link ... seems like my problem is not unique !!! Loads of suggestions there, and good to know that I'm not just being 'stoopid' !!! James ... thanks also for the link to the trigger ... I'll buy those and given them a bash ! Thanks for ther recommendation !

Best wishes.

Simon.

TopMember

Several points raised there. The most likely explanation is that you have the pre-flash or red-eye reduction on and your flash heads are triggering on the pre-flash and not the main flash. I don't know whether you have a mode switch on your flash heads. If so this may give you three settings, S1, OFF and S2. Generally the S1 setting fires the flash head on the first flash it detects and S2 ignores the pre-flash and fires on the main flash. The OFF position disables the photocell when you are using a studio trigger, cabled or wireless plugged into the trigger jack. I don't think your problem is shutter speed because you would have to be using a very fast speed to miss the flash completely; you would nearly always see part of the image even if the shutter curtain was obscuring part of it. I would suggest you try your initial settings as Manual, shutter speed of 1/100th second and aperture of about f11 and preflash off if it is switchable. That should get you some sort of image and then adjust from there. Happy shooting.

I know James Penny (Bluphin) uses the command mode on his camera and flash. It uses an infrared signal transmitted from the camera to trigger the flash. Downside is you have to have the flash in line-of-sight, and it has limited range.

I use a similar trigger to James above, also from ebay: bit.ly/xgRxN7 Need to buy another soon from a second SB800 flash.

TopMember

Just to confuse you even more I use these triggers, they double as a shutter release as well. I've never had any problems with them and for the cost have been a real bargain.

www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_1&products_id=111956

Premium

Hi Simon

yes as Matt has said I use command mode at times mostly if i want some very low on camera flash too, I also use wireless remote triggers.

what you describe sounds very much like already mentioned by Paul the Pre flash triggering the lights before the shutter opens Im a Nikon user and not sure of your camera but I would try sutting off any Pre flash and go from there if you have tried this already then to Go Full manual with your settings,

all the above fails and the flash head setting James has given, then contact the makers of the flash heads your find they are always more than happy to help and at times the best people to ask

best wishes
and good luck
James.

Premium

Thanks, everyone.

Loads of really good advice, generously given, so thanks for that ! I have ordered the wireless trigger/receiver set as suggested, and hope that that sorts it ! I am already using the camera in manual mode, but was interested to see if my camera was flashing twice as has been suggested ... and sure enough it is ! I couldn't see it as 1/125 of a second, but, when I slow it down it quite clearly DOES flash twice ! Unfortunately, I can't see any menu option to turn this off, and the flash heads don't have the s1/s2 option (which my very cheap speedlite type flash DOES have !) Hopefully the trigger will get me going ...

I had noticed that they (the trigger set) offer a shutter release function, too ! Very interesting ! For just short of £16, can't be a bad deal !!!

Again ... thanks everyone ... if the triggers dont sort it, I'll contact the manufacturers as you suggest !

Best wishes !!

Simon.