Godox 860iiN query

[guitarman67]

Hi all,
Following the advice here and my research I purchased a Godox 860iiN flash the other day. So far I really like it. My question is this: I was able to fire the Godox (as a slave) off camera with my Canon 580EXii off camera (as master), but not the other way around. I tried setting the Canon to slave mode on the same channel as the Godox (which is set to S1). According to one video I watched this should be possible, but in the video the non godox flashes were set to S1, which the Canon flash doesn't have. Is this possible? Cheers.

 

[dabhand16]

So you have bought a Nikon dedicated flash for use with a Canon system?

 

[guitarman67]

Hi Graham. No...the Godox will be used on my D500/500PF combo. I still have the 580EXii for use on my Canon 6D. After finding a youtube video on how to use it (hate the small print user guide) it showed how to use the Godox as a slave...fired by a different brand flash, both off camera (which I got to work) and supposedly using the Godox as a master and the off brand as a slave...which I couldn't get to work. It was only an experiment...not sure I'll need to do this in the real world. Cheers.

 

[dabhand16]

Ah right! Does the Canon flash have optical slave triggering? That should be the way to do it, but you probably won't be able to adjust the power, it will be flash only methinks. If the Canon does not have an optical trigger, you can get plug-in or hotshoe optical receivers, but this would definitely be totally manual with you having to pre-set the flash power.

Glad you like the Godox. They are very nicely made, arn't they?

 

[guitarman67]

Hi Graham. Apparently the Canon does not have optical slave triggering. However, going through a container of camera stuff today I found an off brand receiver/transmitter that I forgot I'd purchased ages ago, so no issue. Sometimes you forget what you have! lol

 

[dabhand16]

Sometimes you forget what you have! lol

'Aint that the truth!!

I guess you will be able to get it working but only in manual mode with no remote adjustments possible. It takes me back to when I used to shoot interiors with up to 4 off camera flashguns with cheap (but very good) Yong Nuo radio triggers. CLS in camera only supported 3 channela so I had to have 2 flashguns on the same channel. If I wanted 4 flashguns individually set I had to use the radio set up and chang them manually many times. Yuk.

I did have good results with the CLS for some time even with no line of sight that everyone says you have to have with IR. I got a Debaou IR trigger that had more channels than the camera and was better all round than the Nikon SU 800 controller and cost about £60 v nearly £300 for the Nikon unit. I found it pretty reliable but realised that radio was the way to go once it became cheap to switch and the kit was better designed/laid out too.

The Godox XPro radio trigger has 5 channels (as have the cheaper ones as far as I know) so all flashguns have remote adjustment. I've got the Godox receivers for my SB800s and 900. I kept the old radio system for backup, but have not had to use it and I would not look forward to using it either.