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EF-X500 Remote Trigger


idbugs

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I am new to the EF-X500..I have an X-T2 and EF-X8 (kit flash). I can use EF-X8 on camera, I can use EF-X500 on camera without difficulty. My problem is using the combination - that is the EF-X8 on camera and the EF-X500 off camera. Here are my issues:

1. Only way I can trigger the EF-X500 is in the N and P modes however I have to control both the EF-X500 and EF-X8 independently to adjust the power of the flash...that is I can control the on camera EF-X8 on camera flash within the camera menu as TTL or Manual however it doesn't impact the off camera EF-X500. Are they suppose to be in sync? If so how?

2. Also the Master Group A is dithered with the EF-X8 on Camera....do I need more than one EF-X500 to see the Group options...that is do I need at least 2 off camera flashes along with the on camera flash? 

3. It seems the EF-X500 will trigger remotely in the N & P mode with the EF-X8 on camera...does it make a difference if I use the N or P mode (according to the manual it depends on pre-flash trigger)?

 

Thanks for the anticipated help.‘

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I just tested the EF-X500 on the X-T2 camera...now I am able to find all the Master controls..including Groups ABC and Channels 123 etc. 

So my latest theory is that in order to control the on-camera and off-camera flash ..you have to own TWO EF-X500s since (I believe...awaiting the experts on Fuji X Forum to respond) the EF-X8 can only optically trigger remote EF-X500....that is the controls for the manual and TTL are independent of each other so they both have to be manually set...

 

I wish Fuji had a remote controller...is there one scheduled for release?

 

Lee

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Hi Lee, Yes, just to confirm what you say in your second post: the only way (at present) that you can have TTL function in a remote X500 is to put a second X500 in the hotshoe as a commander unit: a rather expensive option! However I find that the little EF-X8 that comes with the XT-1/X-T2 works well as a simple commander. The remote X500 is switched to the Remote setting; if the EF-X8 master in the camera hotshoe is set to Commander or Manual, then the remote X500 must be in N mode. If the EF-X8 in the hotshoe is being used in TTL mode, the remote X500 must be in P mode.  

But I find it altogether simpler to use a set of cheap Yongnuo radio triggers, in which case the remote X500 is switched to the simple On setting (NOT Remote - that's for the optical (IR) triggering) and is of course in Manual mode.

I do like the X500, though: apart from its lack of a radio triggering system, I think it's a well-specified flash and easy to use.

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Wow...thank you so much for your detailed answer....since I am not technical ...I would like to repeat back 

1. TTL - EF8 as Master , X500 Off Camera, Remote Setting, in P Mode....is that because there is a Pre-Flash?

2. Manual - EF8 as Master , X500 Off Camera, Remote Setting, in N Mode....

3. Yongnuo Radio Trigger (?model) - with X-500 on Camera in Manual Mode

 

So the above will take care of 80% of my Flash Photography

 

Unsure if you are able to advise:

20% of my Photography is in a home studio....So I potentially (depending on the subject and purpose) will use up to 3 lights (KEY, FILL and BACKLIGHT)...I own a Strobie Pro-Flash 360 with Battery Pack and use a Rapid Soft Box - my secondary strobe currently is a Canon 580EX with Umbrella.....both of these flashes work with a Pocket Wizard....so how should I now handle 3 lights? I could use the Strobie, Fuji X500 Flash and Canon Flash however Fuji doesn't work with a pocket wizard....would I be able to use the Yongnuo controller for all 3 flashes (I believe it works with Canon (unsure how) and apparently based on your note Fuji X-500) ...what I don't know is how I will control the Strobie unit...

 

Thanks so much for your help...

 
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I am new to the EF-X500..I have an X-T2 and EF-X8 (kit flash). I can use EF-X8 on camera, I can use EF-X500 on camera without difficulty. My problem is using the combination - that is the EF-X8 on camera and the EF-X500 off camera. Here are my issues:

1. Only way I can trigger the EF-X500 is in the N and P modes however I have to control both the EF-X500 and EF-X8 independently to adjust the power of the flash...that is I can control the on camera EF-X8 on camera flash within the camera menu as TTL or Manual however it doesn't impact the off camera EF-X500. Are they suppose to be in sync? If so how?

2. Also the Master Group A is dithered with the EF-X8 on Camera....do I need more than one EF-X500 to see the Group options...that is do I need at least 2 off camera flashes along with the on camera flash? 

3. It seems the EF-X500 will trigger remotely in the N & P mode with the EF-X8 on camera...does it make a difference if I use the N or P mode (according to the manual it depends on pre-flash trigger)?

 

Thanks for the anticipated help.‘

To use the EF-X500 flash off camera in TTL mode, you need a flash on camera that can send the TTL signal to the EF-X500 to get it to fire at the proper power. Currently, the only way to do that is with another EF-X500.

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Wow...thank you so much for your detailed answer....since I am not technical ...I would like to repeat back 

1. TTL - EF8 as Master , X500 Off Camera, Remote Setting, in P Mode....is that because there is a Pre-Flash?

2. Manual - EF8 as Master , X500 Off Camera, Remote Setting, in N Mode....

3. Yongnuo Radio Trigger (?model) - with X-500 on Camera in Manual Mode

 

So the above will take care of 80% of my Flash Photography

 

Unsure if you are able to advise:

20% of my Photography is in a home studio....So I potentially (depending on the subject and purpose) will use up to 3 lights (KEY, FILL and BACKLIGHT)...I own a Strobie Pro-Flash 360 with Battery Pack and use a Rapid Soft Box - my secondary strobe currently is a Canon 580EX with Umbrella.....both of these flashes work with a Pocket Wizard....so how should I now handle 3 lights? I could use the Strobie, Fuji X500 Flash and Canon Flash however Fuji doesn't work with a pocket wizard....would I be able to use the Yongnuo controller for all 3 flashes (I believe it works with Canon (unsure how) and apparently based on your note Fuji X-500) ...what I don't know is how I will control the Strobie unit...

 

Thanks so much for your help...

 

 

 

If you are using speed lights as your lights, particularly when you are using lights from different manufacturers, it is worth it to invest in some basic, manual only triggers that have a hot shoe on them. That way you always have a method of connection if a speed light doesn't have a 3.5 mm jack or a pc port. I don't know much about the different Yongnou triggers and their comparability capabilities . But Phottix has some rock solid trigger/receiver units. So does Cactus. And the Cactus v6 triggers sync up to 1/1000 sec which is nice if you have a Fuji x-100 system which can sync at any shutter speed.

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So if I purchase Cactus V6 II  and attach to the different Flashes and X-T2 I can synchronize my flashes to fire...although I would set power of flashes manually?....sorry if these are basic questions I am new to using off camera flash with receivers or triggers? Thank you for your patience in answering my questions...

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So if I purchase Cactus V6 II  and attach to the different Flashes and X-T2 I can synchronize my flashes to fire...although I would set power of flashes manually?....sorry if these are basic questions I am new to using off camera flash with receivers or triggers? Thank you for your patience in answering my questions...

In manual mode, flashes can be fired in one of two ways. You can attach pc sync cables from the camera to the flash, or you can use a wireless trigger. If you go wireless, then each flash needs either a receiver or an optical slave to fire the flash once it gets the signal from the trigger in the hotshoe of your camera. Some flashes have an optical slave built in - if not, you can buy a small attachment that has a slave cell in it. An optical slave reads the flash of a triggered light, and fires along with it.

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Wow...thank you so much for your detailed answer....since I am not technical ...I would like to repeat back 

1. TTL - EF8 as Master , X500 Off Camera, Remote Setting, in P Mode....is that because there is a Pre-Flash?

2. Manual - EF8 as Master , X500 Off Camera, Remote Setting, in N Mode....

3. Yongnuo Radio Trigger (?model) - with X-500 on Camera in Manual Mode

 

Hi again. Just to clarify on your point 1 - although I think others have already done so: the EF-X8 in the hotshoe can be used in TTL mode while at the same time triggering a remote X500 (and yes, this should be set to P mode because the EF-X8 used in TTL mode is giving a pre-flash). However, the remote X500 will not have TTL control. Sadly, the only way at present that you can have TTL control in a remote X500 is by putting another X500 in the hotshoe. Come on, Fuji: you'd sell a lot more of these (even with the outdated optical system) if you'd give us a remote controller.

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So if I purchase Cactus V6 II  and attach to the different Flashes and X-T2 I can synchronize my flashes to fire...although I would set power of flashes manually?....sorry if these are basic questions I am new to using off camera flash with receivers or triggers? Thank you for your patience in answering my questions...

 

With Cactus you need lots of batteries. Godox triggers and flash are better in respect of batteries. NOT AA, but rechargeable batteries .

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Hi again. Just to clarify on your point 1 - although I think others have already done so: the EF-X8 in the hotshoe can be used in TTL mode while at the same time triggering a remote X500 (and yes, this should be set to P mode because the EF-X8 used in TTL mode is giving a pre-flash). However, the remote X500 will not have TTL control. Sadly, the only way at present that you can have TTL control in a remote X500 is by putting another X500 in the hotshoe. Come on, Fuji: you'd sell a lot more of these (even with the outdated optical system) if you'd give us a remote controller.

Indeed that is a pity it makes an all Fuji system of two flashes expensive to be kind. You can buy 2 Godox AD200 with reflectors and barn doors for that sort of price.

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