Off camera, rear curtain flash?

mr tommo · 3 May 2014 at 23:55

Currently have canon bodies and 3x 580exii's

At the moment I can get off camera flash working perfectly (wedding first dance) but I'm wanting to have a rear sync option for my off camera flashes. Once the first dance is over I usually switch to rear curtain with my attached flash only however I'd like the option to add other flashes too.

Am I right in thinking this is a feature of pocket wizards? If so which models include this feature?

Are there any other alternatives?

Beepcake · 4 May 2014 at 08:08

Do you need ETTL or are you happy with manual flash? If it's the latter then one flash on camera set to manual power, rear curtain sync on the camera (and a slow shutter speed), and fire the remotes (also on manual) with a simple optical slave like a syk-5 will work.

Pocket wizards support it, but I believe it needs fiddling with to get the timing right for your particular body, it's not just a switch it on and use it setting unless you're lucky. I personally don't use PWs though, they're very expensive for what they are IMO.

Why Canon doesn't allow this via their own wireless system I have no idea.. They even switch it off if you don't have an ETTL flash in the hotshoe. One thing I haven't tried (although I should give it a go) is a pass through radio trigger on the camera with an ETTL flash on top, but I imagine there will be timing issues.

Paul11 · 4 May 2014 at 09:03

im pretty sure the yongnuo YN-622C Wireless TTL Flash Triggers can do it

Beepcake · 4 May 2014 at 09:05

Paul11 said:
im pretty sure the yongnuo YN-622C Wireless TTL Flash Triggers can do it

I think the wireless ETTL ones will let you do it in the menus, but it won't actually work properly because of the timing (or, at least, YMMV). AFAIK the PW one handles the timing itself to compensate for trigger lag etc., that's why they can need to be tweaked.

Paul11 · 4 May 2014 at 09:07

i never tried it, but it does say they can do it...

mr tommo · 9 Jun 2014 at 11:59

Thanks for the replies to this, I totally forgot I even posted it. Just ordered a set of pocket wizards from ebay.

POCKET WIZARD bundle (For CANON) 2x Flex TT5 - 1x Mini TT1 and AC3 controller

£300 all in...can't wait to try them out now!