I'm thinking of purchasing a ST-E2 to use with my 550EX and get away from the too short off-camera shoe cord 2. My question is, will the unit fire the flash if the flash is above the camera as apposed to in front of it? I use a Press-T flash bracket which I wouldn't think would be to far from the unit and is still keeping the flash and camera in line with each other. But there are times when I need to have the flash held over my head and behind me slightly and I don't know if that will work. I see by the literature that it uses a optical signal. Will that signal find the flash sensor if the sensor is not in front and pointing at the unit?
No, it needs line-of-sight especially in the great outdoors. You could fashion a very small mirror (perhaps using one of the mirrors-on-a-stick used by cyclists to stick onto their helmets for rear view mirrors) to reflect the light up and back.
I use my ST-E2 with my 550ex for wireless, handheld flashing. But about 10% of the time, no flash because the line of sight is broken. I might get the TTL cord just for that.
Indoors, there's enough reflective surfaces to placate the IR signals.
Karen
-- Karen Nakamura http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/ * **** ******* *********************************************************** * For list instructions, including unsubscribe, see: * http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/eos_list.htm ***********************************************************
