Canon 580 EXII High Speed Sync

by Jon Miller
(Perth, WA, Australia)

Canon 580EX II Stock Photo

Canon 580EX II Stock Photo

"I want to do a shoot of water droplets.
I have 2 x 580EX II and a single 430EX.
Using the Canon 5D MKII

I want to achieve 1/4000 or 1/8000 speed.
I can do this with 1 of the 580EXII on the camera.
But can I use all 3 off camera and achieve the high-speed or do I have to use some Pocket Wizard components (I have PWII), but this seems to sync only to 1/160.

Diagram of 580EX II Multi-Flash High Speed Set-Up:


580ex II       <   subject   >       580ex II


v

430ex



Each unit is equipped with a PWII.
I also have a ST-E2, but due to the line of sight, it does not fire every time.
Can I achieve the speed?

Thanks"

Wow, what a great question, Jon. This is certainly way beyond my level of 580EX II xxperience, as I like to keep things simple and only shoot with with one flash. I would personally use a highly reflective light bounce material to substitute in, instead of using the extra light sources. I am also curious why you need to obtain 1/4000 second for water drop photography.

I know that photographing speeding bullets requires some extremely fast exposures. You might try a few Google searches targeted toward this question with several very specific keywords.

Also, I would try to call Canon directly.

Good Luck,
Bruce

Canon Speedlites
Canon 580EX II Review




Comments for Canon 580 EXII High Speed Sync

Average Rating starstarstarstarstar

Click here to add your own comments

Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Canon 580 EXII HS Sync.. reply
by: Anonymous

Having the ability to freeze water that fast makes for a very sharp water drop on the skin. So sharp that you can see through the droplets.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Ask The Canon Geek.

Author Bruce Lovelace
Bruce Lovelace Signature

Bruce Lovelace is the publisher of Canon Camera Geek. Read more about him on the About Page. He also publishes how to articles and camera gear reviews at the Photography Tips website.

View some of Bruce's photos on Instagram  and Flickr.   Join the Tribe: YouTube. Visit the Canon Geek FaceBook Group. Bruce runs photo workshops and provides 1 on 1 digital photography coaching.

You might like these


Search for articles on this Site:


Recent Articles

RSS

  1. Canon 50mm Lenses-Simple Comparison of EF 50mm f/1.2 vs. F/1.4 vs. f/2

    Feb 28, 21 01:22 PM

    Which one is best for you? Here is a simplified comparison of the various Canon 50mm lenses, an interesting accessory for the serious digital photographer

    Read More

  2. Is The Canon 50mm f/1.4 Lens Any Good. First Impression and How to Use

    Feb 28, 21 08:39 AM

    The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 outsells them all, so is 50mm f/1.4 version worth it? My review with sample images. Is the Canon 50mm f/1.4 Lens Any Good

    Read More

  3. Canon Lens Mount Converter Ef-S Lens to 5D Mark III

    Feb 28, 21 07:45 AM

    Camera: Canon 5D Mark III Lens: EF-S 10-18mm IS Macro Is there a Canon mount converter that will safely turn my EF-S lens to an EF lens in order to fit

    Read More

  4. Refurbished Cost For Canon 6D

    Feb 28, 21 07:16 AM

    If I wanted to have my 6d refurbished, what kind of cost am I looking at. It works fine but, I still want it brought up to as much excellence as possible!

    Read More

  5. Cheap Canon Lenses. Three Ways to Get Affordable Lenses For Your Canon

    Feb 27, 21 04:24 AM

    Everybody wants to save a buck on their canon camera accessories. Here's what you need to know about cheap canon lenses.

    Read More

Sign up for a monthly update

Enter Your E-mail Address
Enter Your First Name
Then

Don't worry — your e-mail address is totally secure.
I promise to use it only to send you Canon Geek Newsletter.