Canon off camera flash shoe cord

[machineman9]

Good afternoon/evening/morning, etc

I recently bought a flash for my camera, a 430EXII. It's a lovely flash which is a really good introduction to off-camera flash shooting. I just have one issue which is to do with taking the flash off the camera.

I searched around and found one of these but I am not sure if they sell longer ones.

I want to be able to take my flash off the camera and the only methods I know of are as follows:

Buy a camera with a built in wireless remote (I think Nikon ones have those)
Buy a cord
Buy a wireless remote
Buy another flash with remote capabilities

The first and last options are by far the most expensive. Something like a 580EX is about

[Ivan]

Does that one work with a normal flash wire or does it have to be one of those multi-wire ones

[machineman9]

I'm really not sure. All I can tell is that it connects through the hotshoe.

[Ivan]

How many connectors does the flash have at the bottom. If it has only one in the center you can do with a simple cable, otherwise you need a special one.

If it has more contacts, it might work with the main contact only but you will lose the pre-flash and other options when you do that (leaving ony a full power single flash)

[machineman9]

There are 5 contacts on the bottom, the same number as there are on the camera itself.

I would like eTTL, which the cabled products do offer but other products do not. Ideally wireless and with TTL would be perfect.

[expat]

Nikon (at least my D60) is infra-red remote release and very annoyingly you have to be in front of the camera to use it

Matt

[machineman9]

My flash gun is infrared triggered, but there are radio triggers available (much better for when working outside or when placing the flash in places where the light may not bounce correctly)

I know from some experience of using the Canon built IR trigger and several EX430 Speedlites that if you place them awkwardly (in relation to the camera) they won't trigger.

This is something that won't be a problem with a cable. I'm not too fussed about the highest quality at this moment in time... I reckon I'll go for that choice. It gives eTTL and I'd mostly be shooting in doors. The length of the cable is plenty - I would need to do some shifting about to make full use of that length as it is.