How should i use 420ex as a slave flash with my rebel 2k ? i want to know if the built-in flash can be used to trigger 420ex off,which is off the camera? Any other precaution i have to take??

-- carto (a@d.com), March 23, 2002

Answers

1) You need a master flash unit such as the 550EX or one of the new macro flash units or the ST-E2.

2) Nope.

3) You can't do ratios with the Rebel 2000, as I recall. An important precaution will be to check to see how much money you have to spend on this equipment. Also, have a look at:

http://teladesign.com/photo/eos-flash/

-- NK Guy (tela@tela.bc.ca), March 23, 2002.

Although it is easier to answer "NO", the "YES" answer is photographically more exciting :-)

So, YES, it is POSSIBLE to trigger a 420EX using the built-in flash n the Rebel 2000. Although it might not be EASY or PRACTICAL, it is cheap if you already have a 420EX and the required parts.

Ingredients:

REBEL 2000

420EX Speedlite

Optical slave flash trigger (e.g. expensive, cheap or homebrew)

Precautions? The 420EX will fire at full power, so you must use Guide Number calculations, and bracket. The 420EX will likely block and need to be reset after every shot. And the flash from your camera will also contribute light to the photo, unless you filter it with some developed unfogged slide film.

Alternatives? The off-camera shoe cord 2 should also be considered. Another alternative is to use a tripod-mounted camera on BULB in a dark cave / studio and push the 420EX "PILOT" button to set off the flash at full power for "Paint by light".

-- Julian Loke (elan7e-owner@yahoogroups.com), March 23, 2002.

Yet another option is to use an Ikelite Lite-Link TTL slave for the 420EX. Then the built in flash can trigger the 420EX and you will still retain TTL metering. You do loose E-TTL, FEL and FP flash though. The Lite-Link is about $80 at adorama.com.

-- Jim Strutz (j.strutz@gci.net), March 23, 2002.

Well okay, okay. Yes, you can trigger a 420EX using the R2K's built-in flash if you add a peripheral device or two. I suspected that wasn't what the poster was originally asking.

-- NK Guy (tela@tela.bc.ca), March 23, 2002.

Hm. My last response was meant to sound good-humoured but probably sounded crabby. Ah well.

-- NK Guy (tela@tela.bc.ca), March 23, 2002.

Nah, you didn't sound crabby. And you're right, Carto probably did mean to ask if it could be done without purchasing additional optical slaves.

-- Jim Strutz (j.strutz@gci.net), March 23, 2002.