Canon 550D kiss x4. Transmitter/receiver

[lococanon]

hello. i have a question, Does the 550D kiss x4 support transmitter and receiver for use of external flashes.?

[Tatts]

You will need to purchase them seperately but yes it does. If you go wireless you will lose any auto functions on the flash and have to shoot manually.

[Bercy]

I bought a radio transmitter for about $40. I was going to be philosophical if it did not work, but it worked perfectly well. For controlled shots like dedicated portraits, still life, food photography etc, I'd just accept it would be a manual system, so you will need a good flash light meter. When I was subject to media photographers with the big gun cameras and Bowen's lighting systems, they still tooks several light readings from different angles and adjusted the lighting. (and...I was not getting photographed for Australia's most wanted ...).

[in2fx]

I have an idea that if you use a Speedlite 580EX on the hot-shoe, that it can set off a Speedlite 580EX or Speedlite 430EX off camera ?

[Tatts]

^ yeah that is using the second flash as a slave. It detects the light from the first flash and fires instantly.

[lococanon]

thanks for the replies. i must looking into purchasing one.

[MarkChap]

loco, you have many options to get you flash off camera.

1 - 580EXII ON camera as a master - this can then control one or many other EX series speedlights in slave mode off camera. You can retain E-TTL and high speed sync, or you can switch to manual and shoot in manual mode, both camera and flashes. Ver good indoors but can be problematic in the bright sun due to the Canon wireless system. It uses light pulses from the master to control the slaves.

2 - Canon ST-E2 speedlight controller ON camera to control the off camera flashes, can only shoot ETTL, no manual with this, again can be problematic outside in the sun

3 - OC-E3 ETTL cord to allow you to move your flash off camera, very limited by the length of the cord and can only fire one flash.

4 - Pocket Wizard Flex/Mini TT1 or Radio Popper (?) retain ETTL off camera, very expensive, pocket wizards are very problematic with RF interference between the triggers and the flashes

5 - A myriad of expensive (pocket wizard) to very cheap radio triggers available from many sources, reliability can vary greatly between models especially the cheaper units, can only shoot manual