Question for Canon 5D + Heinrich TTL users

Hi folks,

I did my first tests with Heinrich TTL converter last weekend and it did a good job, but some times I wished to fire strobes in full power, but as the converter is configured to TTL when I switch strobes to full power they fire a pre-flash and don't fire when really is needed because strobes cannot recycle fast (mileseconds) . The solution is change the potentiometer located on converter board, but it is impossible underwater.

Does anybody knows if is possible to turn off TTL on EOS5D or setup the camera to fire strobe with full power ??

Regards

Fabio Amorim

Hi Fabio,

I don't know of any easy way to do what you want with the Heinrichs setup. If you were using YS90-DX strobes, you MIGHT be able to set them to "PRE" to ignore the first signal, but I must stress that I don't know for sure if that would work for a sync cord signal (PRE is meant for fibre operation).

I moved over to the Sea&Sea TTL adapter for this very reason, but I would have thought there would be a work around for your system. Maybe you could install a reed switch that overrides the potentiometer. That way you could operate it through the housing using a magnet.

Martyn

Hi Martyn,

I think about move to S&S adapter, but I haven't a six pin bulkhead on my Aquatica housing, so I will looking another solution, your suggestion about reed switch would be a good idea, I will contact Mathias to discuss about it.

Regards

Fabio Amorim

Were you using a non manual mode ?

I'm not sure about Matthias converter and 5D because I haven't tested it, but I suppose (and almost sure in the Canon case) that if you set manual mode in the camera and the strobe to FULL, it will not fire the pre-flash and you'll have the classical strobe triggering.

At least this works with my Ikelite e-ttl converter and my Canon 350D.

Hope it helps

Rai

Rai,

I almost use M on camera settings and it still doing a pre-flash. I tried some times with strobes in 1/2 and anothers in Full power, but always camera did pre-flash, when flash is in 1/2 or less, there is no problem because the recycle time is too fast, but when strobes fire in full my YS120 don't recycle in time to fire again.

Regards

Fabio

Oh!

I really hoped it would work.

I don't know if this pre-flash is still done in M mode in your camera and not in mine or pehaps is a conerter/wiring related issue. It works for me when I use two strobes (DS-125 and SS200, a non preflash compatible strobe) with Ikelite-Nikonos sync cords and a 2-Nikonos-to-Ikelite T connector. This sync cord wiring doesn't provide power to the Ike's e-TTL converter (it's off) so this may alter pre-flash use behaviour.

My set-up also works with two YS-50 strobes. This strobes are not preflash compatible with my 350D.

Rai

Oh!

I really hoped it would work.

 

I don't know if this pre-flash is still done in M mode in your camera and not in mine or pehaps is a conerter/wiring related issue.

Manual mode is refering to manual choosing of Shutterspeed and Aperature. It has nothing to do with manual flash.

Canon cameras do not have manual flash controls in the body, so the problem can not be fixed by a camera setting.

The only way to acchive what you want will be by modifing the wireing somehow.

Manual mode is refering to manual choosing of Shutterspeed and Aperature. It has nothing to do with manual flash.

 

Canon cameras do not have manual flash controls in the body, so the problem can not be fixed by a camera setting.

 

The only way to acchive what you want will be by modifing the wireing somehow.

Yes the manual mode on camera refers to manual choosing aperture and speed.

What I know is that when I use this Manual mode on camera AND use my T conector with Ikelite-Nikonos sync cords (that means no power to converter so we can consider it off) no pre-flash is triggered. That means that you can use Manual modes on flashes. That works for me.

I don't know if camera just shortcircuits trigger and ground always in this M mode on camera or if this just happens because no available strobe is detected by the camera (converter is off) and it sets to basic triggering with no preflash for compatibility with old manual and analogic strobes.

In fact I'd love to be able to power the converterwith my setup. This would allow me to use it as a manual power selector instead of using the one in the strobes (DS-125 and SS200 doesn't have enough powers for me when I'n not doing WA)

Rai

Rai,

how much pins are wired to camera in your system ? do you use ikelite housing ?

REgards

Fabio

Rai's hotshoe will only be supplying the X-sync signal, just like the PC socket on the side of the camera body. This is a single sync pulse timed to coincide with the shutter opening.

The Heinrichs adapter emulates a Canon e-ttl flashgun. It holds a full "electronic conversation" with the camera, part of which is the "agreement" to fire a short preflash when told to, then a variable length flash for the exposure.

When a strobe is operating in TTL mode, it is quenched at the end of the preflash, which leaves the capacitors almost fully charged for the exposure flash. If you've set it to Manual and Full Power, then it'll dump the full lot on the first sync signal it get, the preflash.

Martyn

We can supply a Sea & Sea 6-pin bulkhead for aquatica that would allow the Sea & Sea TTL Converter to be used, and access to a full power output.

This is a special order item, likely shipping in 4- weeks.

Hi Ryan,

I didn't know about that, do you have details about that ? could you please email me in pvt with price and shipping cost to Brazil ?

Thanks

Fabio Amorim

amorim.fabio@gmail.com

Yes the manual mode on camera refers to manual choosing aperture and speed.

 

What I know is that when I use this Manual mode on camera AND use my T conector with Ikelite-Nikonos sync cords (that means no power to converter so we can consider it off) no pre-flash is triggered. That means that you can use Manual modes on flashes. That works for me.

Rai

Yes, but this has nothing to do with the camera being in manual mode. Set the camera to Auto, and the flash will work just the same...

Rai,

how much pins are wired to camera in your system ? do you use ikelite housing ?

REgards

Fabio

I use the Ikelite housing with it's e-TTL converter (not Matthias) so it may explains why what it works for me it doesn't work for you.

The Ikelite Nikonos sync cords only have four wires (internally) There's a pin bridged to a resistor for compatibility with Nikonos cameras. This is the reason I can't power the e-TTL converter in my housing with this cords (Ikelite's converter is powered straight from the flash).

Trough the T connector, all the pins are conected to the converter, but as far as the converter is not powered, it only bypasses X-sync and ground pins (it becomes a clasical PC socket conection, as Rattus has explained perfectly well).

Rai

Yes, but this has nothing to do with the camera being in manual mode. Set the camera to Auto, and the flash will work just the same...

I suppose you're right but I haven't checked it.

As far as camera Auto modes (including A,S and P) are completely useless if they don't detect the strobes, I never use them with this strobe setup. And this is the reason I've never checked that before.

I'm not sure if my camera (a Canon, but not a 5-D) will trigger the pre-flash in manual mode (what for? ) even when converter is powered.

I recall to use my strobe and cameras both in manual mode (strobe seto FULL) but not the converter. This one was powered but not set to manual mode (Ike's housing allows that). But I've to say that the converter didn't detect ready signal from strobe due to a sync cord problem. That doesn't allow me to know really if the pre-flash is triggered in manual mode (and I can use TTL with camera's manual mode) or not.

I only tried to describe the set-up I'm completrely sure that it works in my case, just in case anyone may find it useful.

As far as camera Auto modes (including A,S and P) are completely useless if they don't detect the strobes, I never use them with this strobe setup.

A, S, modes do not ever take the fact that a flash is connected in to consideration. Even when you are using a genuine canon speedlight or the built-in flash. Try it. Set the camera to A, S, and see what exposure the camera chooses. Now attach a flash (or raise the built-in flash) and see what exposure the camera chooses. The camera will choose the same aperature and shutterspeed in both cases. (so long as shutter speed is below flash sync speed)

This is actually very usefull. The camera will choose the shutterspeed or aperature that will expose for ambiant light (the background) properly (underwater you usually dial in a stop or two negative exposure compensation so the water is nice and blue). The flash then fills in the forground.

I'm not sure if my camera (a Canon, but not a 5-D) will trigger the pre-flash in manual mode (what for? ) even when converter is powered.

Yes, Manual mode on the camera has nothing to do with the flash. In all exposrue modes the flash works identically. TTL works exactly the same in manual mode as it does in A or T.

What for, you manually set aperature and shutter speed. The camera will then adjust flash to properly expose the forground.

A, S, modes do not ever take the fact that a flash is connected in to consideration.

William, that's not exactly true w/ the Canon flash system. Read up on how the eTTL evaluative systems works - it's very confusing.

Doesn't answer the OP's question, but an interesting fact.

Chees

James

William, that's not exactly true w/ the Canon flash system. Read up on how the eTTL evaluative systems works - it's very confusing.

As James said, that's not exactly true. At least in Canon 350D, it depends on your configuration.

In my case there's a custom function that in A mode sets automatically the speed to 1/200 when camera detects that a flash is ready. The it becomes a manual mode (with fixed speed) and TTL controls the strobe exposure. This is very useful for macro and some fish shots and very comfortable with the 350D because the rotatory dial controls aperture without pushing any other button. With manual mode, these are the only modes I use in my camera.

Due to a failure in my sync cord, the ready signal doesn't arrive to the camera and then the camera chooses too slow speeds for macro and fish shots. By now I'm working only in manual mode while I try to find some time to repair the sync cord. In that case the converter is powered but no ready signal arrives and I had the feeling that TTL doesn't works (in that case I suppose that no pref-flash is triggered), but I'm not sure and even in that case I'm not sure if it's only related to the absence of ready signal in the camera.