Canon 430EX Speedlite - Auto Power Off - RF Triggering

[Mark Elberson]

<span style="font-size: xx-small; font-family: Arial;"]<span style="font-size: xx-small; font-family: Arial;"]


<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: Verdana;"]A question for anyone using Canon flashes with RF triggers:<o></o>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"]<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"]<span style="mso-list: Ignore;"]&middot;<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"] <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: Verdana;"]The default setting for my Canon 430EX Speedlite (<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"]C.Fn-01) is set to &ldquo;ON&rdquo; and is described as such:<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: Verdana;"]<o></o>


<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"]<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"]To save battery power, the power will turn off automatically after 90 sec. of idle use. To turn on the Speedlite again, press the shutter button halfway. Or press the Speedlite&rsquo;s test firing button.<o></o>[/b]
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"]<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"]<span style="mso-list: Ignore;"]&middot;<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"] <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: Verdana;"]The default setting for my Canon 430EX Speedlite (<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"]C.Fn-02) is set to &ldquo;Auto power off after 60 min.&rdquo;<o></o>


<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"]When shooting off-camera via RF triggers, having the flash units turn off after 90 seconds is unacceptable.<o></o>


<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"]I believe this leaves me with two options:<o></o>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"]<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"]<span style="mso-list: Ignore;"]1.<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"] <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"]Set the C.Fn-01 to &ldquo;OFF&rdquo; which would leave the flash on until I physically turned the switch on the back of the flash to &ldquo;OFF&rdquo;<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: Verdana;"]<o></o>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"]<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"]<span style="mso-list: Ignore;"]2.<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"] <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;"]Set the &ldquo;MODE&rdquo; switch on the back of the flash to &ldquo;Slave&rdquo; so that the flash <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"]Auto power off after 60 minutes.<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;"]<o></o>


<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;"]My question is this:<o></o>


<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;"]Will setting the mode on my <span style="color: black;"]Canon 430EX Speedlites to &ldquo;Slave&rdquo; create any problems when trying to trigger them via RF trigger?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"] My concern is that the flashes will not fire via RF triggers if they are in the slave mode and expecting an IR trigger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"] Any thoughts?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"] Any concerns that this could damage the flash?<o></o>


<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: Verdana;"]I am expecting my CTR-301Ps to be delivered any day now so I can soon just test this theory myself but if I don&rsquo;t want to do so if anyone feels that it could harm my flash units.

[peety3]

<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;"]When shooting off-camera via RF triggers, having the flash units turn off after 90 seconds is unacceptable.<span style="font-size: xx-small; font-family: Arial;"]<span style="font-size: xx-small; font-family: Arial;"]


<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;"]I believe this leaves me with two options:
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"]<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;"]<span>1.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"] <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;"]Set the C.Fn-01 to &ldquo;OFF&rdquo; which would leave the flash on until I physically turned the switch on the back of the flash to &ldquo;OFF&rdquo;
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"]<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;"]<span>2.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"] <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;"]Set the &ldquo;MODE&rdquo; switch on the back of the flash to &ldquo;Slave&rdquo; so that the flash <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;"]Auto power off after 60 minutes.


<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;"]My question is this:


<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana;"]Will setting the mode on my <span style="color: black;"]Canon 430EX Speedlites to &ldquo;Slave&rdquo; create any problems when trying to trigger them via RF trigger?<span> My concern is that the flashes will not fire via RF triggers if they are in the slave mode and expecting an IR trigger.<span> Any thoughts?<span> Any concerns that this could damage the flash?

Why is this unacceptable? The RF trigger will wake up the flash when it's time, if not even keep the flash awake while the RF trigger unit is powered. Most likely, your remote flashes will be set to a manual zoom position, so they won't have to zoom-cycle.


As well, your RF trigger will make the flash think it's sitting on a camera, and as soon as a flash receives a 'camera' signal, it will drop out of Slave mode.


If the RF trigger doesn't keep the flash alive, then you may want to set CFn01 to off.

[Mark Elberson]

Why is this unacceptable? The RF trigger will wake up the flash when it's time, if not even keep the flash awake while the RF trigger unit is powered. Most likely, your remote flashes will be set to a manual zoom position, so they won't have to zoom-cycle.





As well, your RF trigger will make the flash think it's sitting on a camera, and as soon as a flash receives a 'camera' signal, it will drop out of Slave mode.


If the RF trigger doesn't keep the flash alive, then you may want to set CFn01 to off.
<div style="CLEAR: both"]</div>

My concern was that the RF trigger would not wake it up. If that's the case then I'll be in great shape. Otherwise I will just turn the auto power off setting to OFF.


I know that these are different flashes but a while back Sean Setters complained about his Canon 430EZ because it would "go to sleep" after 90 seconds and the only way he could wake it was by walking over to it and hitting the test button.

a word of warning--the 430EZ goes to sleep after 90 seconds of inactivity (that's the way it was made). To resume strobing, you must turn the unit OFF/ON or hit the TEST FIRE button. As I'm many times moving lights around and changing settings (I've got 7 flashes for goodness sakes), that simple and unchangeable fact makes this flash almost useless to me.
<p style="CLEAR: both"]

This is where my concerns first arose.

[Keith B]

Edited: Sorry comment didn't apply.

[Sean Setters]

a word of warning--the 430EZ goes to sleep after 90 seconds of inactivity (that's the way it was made). To resume strobing, you must turn the unit OFF/ON or hit the TEST FIRE button. As I'm many times moving lights around and changing settings (I've got 7 flashes for goodness sakes), that simple and unchangeable fact makes this flash almost useless to me.

This is where my concerns first arose.

The 430EX and 430EZ are different flashes. With the 430EZ, itis impossible to turn off the sleep mode setting. With the 430EX, as you know, you can set a function to leave the flash on insted of having it go to sleep after a certain period of time. When I was shooting a wedding a couple of years ago my 580EX went to sleep on me and after that it wouldn't fire with the radio triggers I was using (Cactus V2s). I had to go over to the unit and turn off the custom function that put the flash to sleep after a certain time period. Just remember to always turn your flash off after using it or else carry spare batteries. ;-)

[Mark Elberson]

Just remember to always turn your flash off after using it or else carry spare batteries. ;-)

Thanks Sean. I always keep a spare set of batteries for each of my flashes :-)


I was guessing that your old 430EZ didn't allow you to turn that function off but I thought I'dbring it upanyway because of what peety3 said:

The RF trigger will wake up the flash when it's time, if not even keep the flash awake while the RF trigger unit is powered.

<p style="CLEAR: both"]I was hoping he was right until I read:
<p style="CLEAR: both"]

When I was shooting a wedding a couple of years ago my 580EX went to sleep on me and after that it wouldn't fire with the radio triggers I was using (Cactus V2s). I had to go over to the unit and turn off the custom function that put the flash to sleep after a certain time period.

<p style="CLEAR: both"]I wish that there was an option for a 60 minute sleep cycle but I guess I'll just have to be responsible enough to remember toswitch offeach flashmyself!