> Is my best bet an ST-E2 and another 420EX, ST-E2 and 550EX, > or just add a 550EX and use it as a master
All of the above will work. The ST-E2 will give you most flexibility in moving lights around. ST-E2 with another 420EX is least costly 3-point system. Adding a 550EX alone will give you lowest total cost. You can use it with or without offshoe cord as master and still get some flexibility in positioning lights. If it were me, I would probably go with an ST-E2 and additional 420EX. What I actually use in my own photography is an ST-E2 and 2 550EX's. > (I asssume you can > run it as a master while using it to also fire a slave flash > off camera..is that true)? Since those two things are the same, it's not clear what this is asking. If you're asking: when using the 550EX as master in a canon wireless multi-flash system, do you get the choice of having it fire its own flash or just control the slaves without illuminating the scene, regardless of whether it's on camera or off (by means of the offshoe cord), the answer is yes to everything. With the 550EX, whatever you want it to do, it can do. > Will the ST-E2 allow two 420EX's > to vary flash output on different channels? Yes > Since the FEC > for the 420EX is via the camera body would the slave 420 lose > that ability? No, it loses nothing. The camera body transmits the data to the master (ST-E2 or 550EX), which then transmits the same data as needed to the slave(s) (420EX and/or 550EX). This is even true if the master is connected to the camera with an offshoe cord. The FEC via the camera body is for the entire wireless multi-flash system, regardless of how many slave flashes are involved, not just for the unit attached to the camera. When you use a master and slaves, the camera body treats them all essentially as one big flash. The balancing of light by ratio is done by the master 550EX or master ST-E2. The camera body doesn't know or care about this division of labor. It just sees a flash of light and tells the master when it's had enough. The Canon wireless flash system is pretty amazing. It basically just works. --Ken S. * **** ******* *********************************************************** * For list instructions, including unsubscribe, see: * http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/eos_list.htm ***********************************************************
