Off Camera Flash, Advice Needed!!

[mmh]

Right, I know very little about flashes, and my dad has asked me to get him a hot shoe and a 3m cord for his camera.

Right, so that'd be easy, except... which one do i get?

im not buying cheap tat off ebay...

so that leaves little else..

and when you get into the realms of E-TTL it loses me completely...

So simply, what do i need, is it the canon TTL hot shoe adapter 3? or something else... and what lead to go with it?

Confused, please help.

Thanks

Ste

[Bobster]

is he using speedlites?

[mmh]

Not at the minute, but he will be...

I could get cheap stuff to tie him over, but dont feel like buying stuff twice...

[Bobster]

well could either go with a ST-E2 and a 550EX/580EX

or get a 580EX and a 430EX

[mmh]

Okay, my dad has decided that he just wants a simple off camera flash with a lead...

whats the best way about it, he said he wants a 3m lead...

whats a good simple way of doing this...

Im thinking hotshoe to pc lead to hotshoe...

whats a good method, as the flash he has doesnt have a pc connector, and he wants a safe she on the camera as to not have the potential for 400v going into the onboard pc socket?

advice appreciated, as it was his birthday on the 16th and i still havent got anything as of yet!

[Bobster]

get Canon's hotshoe OC-E3 1950B001 Canon FLASH OFFCAMERA SHOE CORD OC-E3 IN (Cameras Camera Accessories) hmmm its only 0.6m in length...

[mmh]

hmm... i'd seen those, but need one a bit longer if possible

i was thinking along the lines of The Flash Centre - Wein Safe Sync (Hotshoe to Hotshoe)

with a cable

HAMA Flash Cable PC 5M - 6975 - reviews, compare UK prices, buy online

but the fash doesnt have a pc input, so would i need another hotshoe at the camera end?

i.e.

Hot shoe to PC adapter :: Hilton Photographic Online Store

[Bobster]

yeah, but the flash will need to be in manual mode and the camera will have no direct control over the speedlite

[mmh]

yeah, i understand that now.. dads changed his mind and isnt bothered about Ettl now... just wants an off camera flash... so will be all manual

thanks for your time tho bob