Canon SPEEDLIGHT 550EX Instructions Manual Download Page 1 | Manualshive

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E

E

English Edition

INSTRUCTIONS

This Instructions booklet is dated April 2000. For information on the camera’s
compatibility with system accessories marketed after this date, contact your nearest
Canon Service Center.

CANON INC.

30-2, Shimomaruko 3-chome, Ohta-ku, Tokyo 146-8501, Japan

U.S.A.

CANON U.S.A. INC.

For all inquiries concerning this camera, call toll free in the U.S.

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©

CANON INC. 1998

PRINTED IN JAPAN

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Summary of Contents for SPEEDLIGHT 550EX

Page 1: ...E E English Edition INSTRUCTIONS ...

Page 2: ... speed sync FP or Focal Plane flash FE Flash Exposure lock FEB Flash Exposure Bracketing bounce flash and area AF assist When used with Type B cameras listed below the 550EX works as a TTL autoflash unit With Type B cameras some 550EX features are not available Refer to the tables below to check your camera type and the features available This Instructions booklet has separate sections for Type A ...

Page 3: ...ing turn on the main switch The camera and Speedlite s buttons and dials and their settings are indicated by icons in the Instructions The name of each button and dial can be found in Nomenclature on page 6 Icons for camera modes are also used They are as follows Full Auto P Program AE Av Aperture priority AE Tv Shutter speed priority AE M Manual The icon indicates a simple explanation of a releva...

Page 4: ...Wireless System Setup and Testing 52 1 Setting the 550EX as the Master Unit 52 2 Setting the 550EX as a Slave Unit 53 3 Setting the Master Slave Channel 54 4 Setting the Slave ID 56 5 Master Flash ON OFF 57 6 Wireless Flash Range 58 1 Using Flash in Full Auto Mode 78 2 Using Flash in Other Camera Modes 80 1 Flash Exposure Compensation 86 2 FEB Flash Exposure Bracketing 88 3 Bounce Flash 90 1 Wirel...

Page 5: ...ure Priority AE and E TTL Autoflash 27 2 Tv Shutter Speed Priority AE and E TTL Autoflash 29 3 M Manual Exposure and E TTL Autoflash 30 4 FEB Flash Exposure Bracketing 38 5 Bounce Flash 40 6 Close Distance Flash Photography 43 7 Manual Flash Mode 44 8 Stroboscopic Flash 46 9 Second Curtain Synchronization 49 10 Modeling Flash 50 1 Av Aperture Priority AE and E TTL Autoflash 81 2 Tv Shutter Speed P...

Page 6: ...source socket Locking collar page 13 Electrical contacts Battery compartment cover page 10 The battery compartment has a switch to display the distance in feet or meters on the LCD panel Sensor AF assist beam emitter page 22 Mounting foot page 13 Locking pin page 13 Mini stand pocket Case Shoe Mini stand ...

Page 7: ...ge 40 90 PUSH Select Set button Zoom button page 18 Main switch page 16 Turns off the power Turns on the power SE Turns on the power and enables the SE mode Wireless selector page 14 For operation as an on camera Speedlite For operation as a wireless master unit For operation as a wireless slave unit Flash exposure confirmation lamp page 18 Increment button Flash mode and slave setting button page...

Page 8: ...ion icon Flash range scale Flash ratio scale Wireless icon Master Slave Flash mode icon Master flash ON Master flash OFF Slave flash Manual zoom icon Zoom and focal length coverage display Second curtain flash sync icon Slave icon Flash ratio icon Aperture display FEB status display Stroboscopic flash count and frequency display Custom Function display Channel icon Flash mode icon Blinks when flas...

Page 9: ...9 Before You Start This chapter is for preparing the Speedlite 550EX for actual operation ...

Page 10: ...e AA alkaline batteries 4 2 Size AA nickel hydride batteries 4 Slide the battery compartment cover as shown by the arrow and flip it up Insert the batteries with the and contacts oriented as shown in the battery compartment 10 Close the battery compartment cover as shown in the figure 1 2 3 1 1 2 2 ...

Page 11: ...me type When replacing batteries replace all four batteries at one time Size AA lithium batteries can also be used Although non alkaline manganese batteries may also be used the number of flashes will be less Remove the batteries when the 550EX will not be used for an extended period In low temperatures take two sets of batteries and keep one set warm in a pocket etc and use the batteries alternat...

Page 12: ...rce is used batteries must be installed in the 550EX to power the internal circuitry The 550EX uses both the internal and external power sources to recharge the flash Therefore the internal power source may become exhausted sooner than the external power source For prolonged flash photography keep a spare set of batteries handy for the internal power source Internal Power Sources External Power So...

Page 13: ...ollar as shown by the arrow and tighten The mounting foot s locking pin will extend into the hot shoe To detach the Speedlite turn the locking collar in the opposite direction until it stops The locking pin retracts into the mounting foot 13 1 2 3 Although the hot shoe on the EOS 650 EOS 620 EOS 750 and EOS 850 does not have a locking pin hole Speedlite 550EX can still be mounted on these cameras ...

Page 14: ...ettings as shown below Set to OFF to use the 550EX as a normal on camera Speedlite Set to MASTER to use the 550EX as the master unit in a wireless multi Speedlite system 14 Set to SLAVE to use the 550EX as a slave unit in a wireless multi Speedlite system ...

Page 15: ...flash OFF has been set a picture cannot be taken It will be the same as using the Speedlite at the wireless selector s OFF setting However when the camera s exposure meter turns off 6 sec after the shutter button is pressed the 550EX will be a slave unit If the wireless selector is set to and master flash OFF has been set the flash will not fire see page 57 When the wireless selector is set to or ...

Page 16: ...r 8 hours for turning on the Speedlite again SE mode cancellation elapses SE turns off on the LCD panel In this case you must turn the Speedlite s main switch off and on again to turn it on again Custom Function CF 4 can alter the time it takes before the slave unit enters the SE mode See page 113 Custom Function CF 5 can alter the time limit for the master unit to be able to cancel the slave unit...

Page 17: ...uick Flash With the quick flash feature you can fire a flash even before the flash is fully charged When the pilot lamp is yellow a quick flash can be fired The Guide No for a quick flash is 1 2 to 1 16 that of a normal flash For details see page 121 Quick flash cannot be fired in the following cases When the Speedlite is used with a Type B camera The camera is set to continuous shooting FEB is us...

Page 18: ...ture may have been underexposed Move closer to the subject and try again The Speedlite s flash head zooms automatically to provide adequate flash coverage for the current lens focal length The Speedlite can provide adequate flash coverage for 24mm to 105mm lens focal lengths If a zoom lens is zoomed the flash head also zooms to suit the lens focal length The flash head s zoom setting can also be s...

Page 19: ...cal length will appear on the Speedlite s LCD panel Manual Flash Head Zooming 19 Press the button and will be displayed Keep pressing the button until the desired zoom setting focal length appears Pressing the button changes the zoom setting in the loop shown below 1 2 3 If the zoom setting is a focal length longer than the actual lens focal length the light will fall off along the periphery of th...

Page 20: ... in wide panel is used and the flash head is turned or tilted for bounce flash the flash result may look uneven The LCD panel display will blink as a warning Do not pull out the wide panel too hard Otherwise the wide panel may come off If the wide panel comes off the button will not work If this happens follow the procedure below Use your finger to push in the panel as shown by the arrow The butto...

Page 21: ...de in the following loop The film speed is set automatically according to the film speed set with the camera 21 Press the button to illuminate the LCD panel for 12 sec To turn off the illumination press the button again The illumination stays on longer than 12 sec if you press any button other than the and buttons 10 Setting the Film Speed 11 LCD Panel Illumination ...

Page 22: ...m is emitted When Speedlite 550EX is attached to an EOS camera equipped with a button pressing the button resets the Speedlite s settings except the Custom Functions to its default settings 22 Position Effective Range Center Approx 0 6 10 m 2 33 ft Periphery Approx 0 6 5 m 2 16 4 ft Automatic Reversion to Default Settings As a Normal Speedlite As a Wireless Master Unit E TTL autoflash All related ...

Page 23: ...s fired for evaluative flash metering and the reading is stored in memory Since E TTL autoflash is linked to the active focusing point the flash exposure is highly accurate The result is a natural looking flash picture with excellent balance between the flash light and ambient light This section assumes that the Speedlite 550EX is used with a Type A camera Before proceeding first turn on the EOS 3...

Page 24: ...lash mode to Focus the subject The shutter speed and aperture will be displayed in the viewfinder The shutter speed will be set automatically at 1 60 sec or faster up to the top sync speed The aperture is also set at the same time 24 1 2 3 4 5 Check that the subject is within the flash range displayed on the 550EX s LCD panel Check that the icon is displayed in the viewfinder then take the picture...

Page 25: ...ash Fill flash can be used outdoors in daylight to supplement existing light It can soften shadow areas of the subject or illuminate a backlit subject 25 6 The preflash is fired to obtain an evaluative flash meter reading The main flash illuminates the subject for the actual picture When fill flash is used the flash exposure level is reduced automatically so that the subject s illumination by the ...

Page 26: ...utomatically by the camera 1 X sec Maximum sync speed see page 124 When the shutter button is pressed completely a preflash fires to obtain an evaluative flash meter reading for setting the optimum output of the main flash The background s exposure is set with the shutter speed and aperture combination 26 Camera Mode Shutter Speed Flash Aperture Av Automatically set 30 sec 1 X sec Manually set Tv ...

Page 27: ...flash system obtains the proper exposure based on the aperture you set Set the camera s picture taking mode to Av Set the 550EX s flash mode to Focus the subject Check that the subject distance is within the flash range displayed on the 550EX s LCD panel Check that the icon is displayed in the viewfinder then take the picture 27 1 2 3 4 5 If the top sync speed display blinks the background will be...

Page 28: ...peed and aperture you set the E TTL autoflash system controls the flash exposure automatically If you are using the Canon EF 135mm f 2 8 soft focus lens on your camera without a tripod setting the shutter speed and aperture manually is most effective for obtaining soft focus effects Follow the procedure below 1 Set an aperture near the maximum aperture 2 Set the minimum shutter speed required to p...

Page 29: ...h exposure based on the camera selected aperture Set the camera s picture taking mode to Tv and set the desired shutter speed anywhere from 30 sec to the top sync speed Set the 550EX s flash mode to Focus the subject Check that the subject distance is within the flash range displayed on the 550EX s LCD panel Check that the icon is displayed in the viewfinder then take the picture 29 If the apertur...

Page 30: ...re and shutter speed anywhere from 30 sec to the top sync speed You can also use buLb Set the 550EX s flash mode to Focus the subject Check that the subject distance is within the flash range displayed on the 550EX s LCD panel Check that the icon is displayed in the viewfinder then take the picture 30 If the flash ranges below apply the icon will blink on the left end of the scale 1 2 3 4 5 Zoom S...

Page 31: ... 4 FEB Flash Exposure Bracketing page 38 5 Bounce Flash page 40 6 Close Distance Flash Photography page 43 7 Manual Flash Mode page 44 8 Stroboscopic Flash page 46 9 Second Curtain Synchronization page 49 10 Modeling Flash page 50 This section assumes that the 550EX is used with an EOS 3 Before proceeding first turn on main switch on the EOS 3 and 550EX Set the 550EX s wireless selector to OFF For...

Page 32: ... you can 1 Obtain better background blur with a larger aperture 2 Create a catchlight in the subject s eyes 3 Soften shadows on the subject s face Select the camera s picture taking mode and the Speedlite s flash mode If you want to use a large aperture smaller f number set the Av or M mode Press the and buttons simultaneously to select on the LCD panel Each time you press the and buttons simultan...

Page 33: ...r the shutter speed the shorter the flash range will be Check the current flash range on the 550EX s LCD panel To cancel high speed sync press the and buttons simultaneously twice so that the icon on the LCD panel turns off When high speed sync is used in the manual flash mode the flash output ranges from 1 1 to 1 128 If you use fill flash in the Av mode with high speed sync you can use a faster s...

Page 34: ...bject to be metered Then press the button on the camera FE lock remains effective for 16 sec The 550EX fires a preflash to obtain an exposure reading The reading is retained in memory The focusing point linked to the FE lock lights in red is displayed in the viewfinder for 0 5 sec You can also press the button again to obtain an FE lock reading for another part of the subject To cancel FE lock wai...

Page 35: ... again FE lock cannot be used if the 550EX is set to the M Manual flash mode With the EOS Elan IIE 50E 55 and EOS IX the icon blinks in the viewfinder to warn that FE lock cannot be used in the M flash mode The FE lock s preflash fires at about 1 32 output With Type A cameras other than the EOS 1D 1V and 3 the AE lock button functions as an FE lock button when the 550EX is recharged and ready If t...

Page 36: ... Pressing the button changes the blinking setting in the following loop The icon and flash exposure compensation display blink Press the or button to set the desired flash exposure compensation amount 36 Press the button or press the shutter button halfway The icon and flash exposure compensation amount will stop blinking and remain displayed 1 Off 2 3 Focus the subject When the shutter button is ...

Page 37: ...h exposure compensation set with the camera If the subject is small and the background is dark flash exposure compensation may not give the desired result In such a case use the manual flash mode See page 44 E TTL flash exposure compensation AE exposure compensation Compensating the exposure by changing the film speed setting Effect Changes the flash exposure of the main subject Changes the exposu...

Page 38: ...fter all three bracketed flash shots are taken FEB is canceled automatically Press the button and select Pressing the button changes the blinking setting in the following loop The icon and flash exposure bracketing display will blink If the icon appears press the button again Press the or button to set the flash exposure bracketing amount 38 Press the button The 550EX s LCD panel display will be s...

Page 39: ...t ready You can still take a picture in the normal AE mode if you release your finger from the shutter button and press it completely When the flash is ready you can continue taking the bracketed flash shots With Type A cameras other than the EOS 1D 1V and 3 bracketed flash shots cannot be taken while the flash is not ready You can still take pictures in the normal AE mode before the flash recharg...

Page 40: ...he flash head can be pointed in the directions and angles listed below See page 43 40 When the flash head is turned or tilted is displayed on the 550EX s LCD panel When the flash head s zoom setting is automatic and the flash head is turned or tilted the zoom setting is set automatically to 50mm The zoom setting can also be set manually for bounce flash If a manual zoom setting has been set the zo...

Page 41: ...the flash exposure confirmation lamp does not light after you take the picture use a larger aperture smaller f number and try again 41 4 With bounce flash Without bounce flash Bounce the flash on a plain white reflective surface If a colored surface is used the picture may have a color cast ...

Page 42: ...nel until it clicks in place as shown in the figure To take a picture follow the same procedure in 5 Bounce Flash 42 Turning the flash head left or right will not produce a catchlight Tilt the flash head up by 90 and use it in that position The subject should not be farther than 1 5 meters 4 9 ft from the camera If the wide panel is extended while the flash head is at the normal or 7 downward tilt...

Page 43: ...he lower part of a subject that is close to the camera Press the button and tilt the flash head downward until it stops The icon will blink on the LCD panel This flash head position is effective only for subjects 0 5 meter 1 6 ft to 2 meters 6 6 ft from the camera The flash range will be displayed as shown in the left figure PUSH 43 ...

Page 44: ...ts for continuous shooting with flash 1 At 1 1 or 1 2 output Max 15 continuous flash shots 2 At 1 4 or 1 8 output Max 20 continuous flash shots 3 At 1 16 or 1 32 output Max 40 continuous flash shots Set the camera s picture taking mode to Av or M Press the 550EX s button and select M Pressing the button changes the flash mode in the following loop 44 Press the button The manual flash output displa...

Page 45: ... on the LCD panel Check the focusing distance on the lens 45 Check the flash range on the LCD panel If the flash range does not match the focusing distance change the aperture until it does match You can also change the flash output until the flash range matches the focusing distance Check that the icon is displayed in the viewfinder then take the picture 4 5 6 7 8 9 If there is a large difference...

Page 46: ...199 Hz The firing frequency can be set in 1 Hz increments from 1 Hz to 20 Hz in 5 Hz increments from 25 Hz to 50 Hz and in 10 Hz increments from 60 Hz to 199 Hz Up to 100 flashes can be fired continuously This maximum varies depending on the flash output and firing frequency See Maximum Continuous Flashes on page 122 Setting the Firing Frequency Flash Count and Flash Output 46 Press the button and...

Page 47: ...tem will then stop blinking and remain displayed The next item will then start blinking Repeat steps 3 and 4 to set the next item After you set the flash output and press the button the firing frequency flash count and flash output are displayed 47 Shooting With Stroboscopic Flash To shoot with stroboscopic flash you must set a shutter speed that gives the 550EX enough time to fire according to th...

Page 48: ...he exposure settings see Manual Flash Mode on page 44 Check that the icon is displayed in the viewfinder then take the picture 48 2 3 4 To prevent overheating and deterioration of the flash head do not use stroboscopic flash for more than 10 frames in rapid succession After 10 frames allow the 550EX to cool for at least 10 minutes Stroboscopic flash is most effective with highly reflective subject...

Page 49: ...ith the camera Press the and buttons simultaneously to select on the LCD panel Each time you press the and buttons simultaneously the synchronization mode changes in the following loop Check that the icon is displayed in the viewfinder then take the picture 49 1 2 3 With second curtain synchronization With first curtain synchronization Second curtain synchronization is easier with buLb With the EO...

Page 50: ...th the camera and 550EX Press the camera s depth of field preview button The aperture will stop down The 550EX will fire a series of flashes at 70 Hz for 1 sec 50 To prevent overheating and deterioration of the flash head do not fire the modeling flash more than 10 times in succession After 10 times allow the 550EX to cool for at least 10 minutes Custom Function CF 6 can disable the modeling flash...

Page 51: ... and Testing page 52 2 Wireless E TTL Autoflash page 60 3 Wireless Manual Flash page 71 4 Wireless Stroboscopic Flash page 73 5 Manual or Stroboscopic Flash With a Slave Unit page 74 This section assumes that the Speedlite 550EX is used with the EOS 3 Before proceeding first turn on the main switch on the EOS 3 and 550EX In these Instructions a Speedlite 550EX whose wireless selector has been set ...

Page 52: ... refer to the Instructions for Speedlite Transmitter ST E2 Attach the 550EX to the camera and set the wireless selector to This 550EX will then be the master unit The master unit s wireless signal is transmitted to the slave unit s at almost the same time as the preflash 52 1 Setting the 550EX as the Master Unit The master unit s flash head zoom setting is set automatically to This gives the wirel...

Page 53: ...ess selector to on the 550EX to be used as a slave unit A 550EX set in this way is called a slave unit The slave unit s flash head zoom setting is set automatically to 53 You can change the slave unit s flash head zoom setting manually with the button ...

Page 54: ...our channels are provided to differentiate your slave units from unrelated ones The master unit and slave unit s in the same wireless flash system must be set to the same channel No To set the master unit s channel No press the button and select Pressing the button changes the selection in the following loop 54 Press the or button to set the channel No 1 2 3 or 4 1 Off 2 Press the button The icon ...

Page 55: ...el No 1 2 3 or 4 as the master unit s Press the button The icon and channel No will be displayed 55 5 6 If the master unit and slave unit s are not set to the same channel No the master unit will be unable to trigger the slave unit s flash Make sure the channel No is the same ...

Page 56: ...Three slave IDs are available A B and C To set a slave unit s slave ID press the button and select Pressing the button changes the selection in the following loop Press the or button to set the slave ID A B or C Press the button The icon and slave ID will be displayed 56 Off If you want all the slave units to fire at the same flash output you need not assign a slave ID 1 2 3 ...

Page 57: ...etting Master flash OFF prevents the master unit from firing a flash It can still transmit wireless signals to trigger the slave units Press the button and select Pressing the button changes the selection in the following loop Press the or button to set either or Press the button or will appear If master flash OFF is set will blink 57 1 Off Even if master flash OFF is set the master unit still tra...

Page 58: ... the master unit For an indoor setup the positioning can be less precise since the wireless signals can bounce off the walls After positioning the master and slave unit s fire a test flash to make sure the wireless flash system works Do not place any objects between the master unit and slave unit s which may obstruct the wireless transmission For indoors For outdoors 15 m 49 2 ft 10 m 32 8 ft 80 8...

Page 59: ...mera Speedlite A modeling flash can be fired to check the lighting effects lighting balance shadows etc before you take the picture See page 50 Make sure the slave units are within the effective range of the master unit After the picture is taken the slave unit s operation result is displayed on the LCD panel With the slave unit s main switch set to SE Save Energy the slave unit turns off automati...

Page 60: ...30 33 With the EOS ELAN II ELAN IIE 50 50E 300 REBEL 2000 500N REBEL G 3000N 66 REBEL XSN IX and IX 7 IX Lite a flash ratio cannot be set with the master unit If no flash ratio is desired the slave ID does not matter It can be A B or C All the slave units will fire at the same flash output The E TTL autoflash system controls the total flash amount automatically to obtain a correct flash exposure M...

Page 61: ...ed not displayed displayed Make sure the master unit s pilot lamp is lit and the slave units are ready Press the pilot lamp to test the wireless transmission Focus the subject and take the picture Master Flash OFF Slave Unit s 61 1 2 3 4 For indoors For outdoors 15 m 49 2 ft 10 m 32 8 ft 12 m 39 4 ft 8 m 26 2 ft 80 ...

Page 62: ...e wireless transmission Focus the subject and take the picture 62 1 2 3 4 The master unit can also be set for bounce flash With master flash OFF you can use one slave unit as a wireless off camera Speedlite Any number of slave units can be used The flash ratio can also be changed by changing the distance of the slave units to the subject With the EOS 1D 1V 3 D60 D30 ELAN 7 7E and 30 33 you can use...

Page 63: ... and two slave units are properly positioned for the subject 63 Setting the Flash Ratio for Two Slave Units A and B With slave unit A being the main flash and slave unit B being the fill flash the flash ratio A B between these two slave units can be set from 8 1 to 1 1 or from 1 1 to 1 8 Thirteen 1 2 stop increments In terms of stops the flash ratio can be adjusted from 3 1 to 1 1 or from 1 1 to 1...

Page 64: ... the button to select ON A B ON A B will blink Press the button again A B and flash ratio bar will blink In the left figure the flash ratio bar indicates a flash ratio of 1 1 64 Press the or button to set the A B flash ratio Press the button to move the flash ratio bar to the left or press the button to move it to the right on the flash ratio scale 1 2 3 4 Off ...

Page 65: ...cture taking on page 60 and take the picture 65 5 6 During the setting procedure A B and blink for 8 sec and then remain displayed To make them blink again so you can alter the flash ratio press the button again The flash ratios corresponding to the positions on the flash ratio scale are shown below 5 6 1 2 8 1 1 4 1 1 1 4 1 2 8 1 5 6 Flash ratios of A C and B C cannot be set After you set the fla...

Page 66: ...ve to illuminate the subject for a proper exposure while slave unit C illuminates the background to eliminate shadows Even with three slave units the E TTL autoflash system controls the flash to obtain a correct exposure In addition to setting the A B flash ratio a flash ratio of A B C can also be set This is done by adjusting slave unit C s flash exposure compensation amount 66 For indoors For ou...

Page 67: ...in 1 3 or 1 2 stop increments The slave ID of the slave unit on the camera s left is A The slave ID of the slave unit on the camera s right is B The slave ID of the slave unit illuminating the background is C Master flash OFF is set for the master unit The camera attached with the master unit and three slave units are properly positioned for the subject On the master unit press the button and sele...

Page 68: ... left or press the button to move it to the right on the flash ratio scale Press the button The flash ratio bar and A B C remain displayed Press the button again The for A B will blink To change the flash ratio repeat steps 4 to 6 Press the button again C and the flash exposure compensation display will blink Press the or button to set the flash exposure compensation amount for C 68 4 5 6 7 8 9 ...

Page 69: ...ure Slave Groups Multiple slave units having the same slave ID will be recognized and controlled as one slave group The group will be treated as one slave unit In the left figure the slave ID is A for all three slave units They will be controlled as slave unit A even as a group 69 ID A ID A ID A A Slave Group 10 11 Even if you have slave units A B and C if only A B is selected slave unit C will no...

Page 70: ...e units you can enable wireless flash exposure compensation by setting the flash exposure compensation amount with the master unit You need not touch any controls on the slave units The procedure for setting wireless flash exposure compensation is the same as for normal flash exposure compensation See page 36 70 Wireless Flash Exposure Bracketing FEB After setting up the wireless flash system with...

Page 71: ...display Pressing the button changes the selection in the following loop Press the or button to set the desired flash output Press the button The flash output will be displayed 71 1 Wireless Manual Flash With Uniform Flash Output 1 Flash output Off 2 3 4 When you take the picture all the slave units will fire at the flash output you have set with the master unit If master flash ON is set the master...

Page 72: ...elect M Press the button and select Pressing the button changes the selection in the following loop Press the button to select ON A B or A B C ON A B or A B C will blink Press the button A and the flash output display will blink 72 Press the or button to set the flash output for A Press the button B and the flash output display will blink 1 2 3 4 5 6 Flash output Off ...

Page 73: ...iring frequency and flash count will be the same for all slave units They can be set by following the procedure on page 46 Set the flash output of the slave units in the same way as for wireless manual flash See page 71 To determine the proper exposure take test shots and experiment 7 8 9 10 If there are only two slave units A and B steps 9 and 10 may be omitted After you complete the settings you...

Page 74: ...llowing situations 1 As with studio flash you can set the slave unit s flash output yourself for wireless manual flash photography 2 For wireless manual flash photography with Wireless Transmitter ST E On a slave unit with the wireless selector to press the button for at least 2 sec M will start blinking It will continue to blink while the slave unit s independent setting is in effect To set the f...

Page 75: ...To determine the proper exposure take test shots and experiment Pressing the button while is blinking will cancel the slave unit s independent setting Set it back to an independent setting An independent setting is retained even after the slave unit s main switch is set to When the main switch is set to again the independent setting takes effect ...

Page 76: ...lite Transmitter ST E2 are listed below Settable with the slave unit For details see the Speedlite Transmitter ST E2 Instructions 76 Wireless Functions Unit 550EX ST E2 E TTL autoflash High speed sync FE lock Flash exposure compensation X FEB Flash exposure bracketing X Flash ratio control Group control A B C A B Manual flash mode X Stroboscopic flash X Second curtain sync X X Modeling flash When ...

Page 77: ...s the shutter button Or you can set the desired shutter speed and aperture and still obtain autoflash exposure With the EOS 1N the flash exposure is controlled by real time 3 zone off the film TTL autoflash metering linked to the active focusing point This section assumes that the Speedlite 550EX is used with the EOS 1N Before proceeding first turn on the EOS 1N and the 550EX Set the 550EX s wirel...

Page 78: ...toflash system sets the flash exposure automatically Set the camera s picture taking mode to P Set the 550EX s flash mode to Focus the subject The shutter speed and aperture will be displayed in the viewfinder The shutter speed will be set automatically at 1 60 sec or faster up to the top sync speed The aperture is also set at the same time 78 1 2 3 4 5 Check that the subject is within the flash r...

Page 79: ...en move closer to the subject and take the picture again Fill Flash Fill flash can be used outdoors in daylight to supplement existing light It can soften shadow areas of the subject or illuminate a backlit subject 79 6 When fill flash is used the flash exposure level is reduced automatically so that the subject s illumination by the flash balances well with the background s ambient light Instead ...

Page 80: ...s pressed completely the flash fires and the picture is taken The flash output is controlled by the TTL autoflash system based on the aperture set by you or the camera The TTL autoflash system meters the light reflected off the film during the exposure and cuts off the flash when the proper exposure is obtained The background s exposure is set with the shutter speed and aperture combination 80 Cam...

Page 81: ...ash system obtains the proper exposure based on the aperture you set Set the camera s picture taking mode to Av Set the 550EX s flash mode to Focus the subject Check that the subject distance is within the flash range displayed on the 550EX s LCD panel Check that the icon is displayed in the viewfinder then take the picture 81 1 2 3 4 5 If the top sync speed display blinks the background will be o...

Page 82: ... speed and aperture manually See page 84 Based on the shutter speed and aperture you set the TTL autoflash system controls the flash exposure automatically If you are using the Canon EF 135mm f 2 8 soft focus lens on your camera without a tripod setting the shutter speed and aperture manually is most effective for obtaining soft focus effects Follow the procedure below 1 Set an aperture near the m...

Page 83: ...exposure based on the camera selected aperture Set the camera s picture taking mode to Tv and set the desired shutter speed anywhere from 30 sec to the top sync speed Set the 550EX s flash mode to Focus the subject Check that the subject distance is within the flash range displayed on the 550EX s LCD panel Check that the icon is displayed in the viewfinder then take the picture 83 If the aperture ...

Page 84: ...nd shutter speed anywhere from 30 sec to the top sync speed You can also use buLb Set the 550EX s flash mode to Focus the subject Check that the subject distance is within the flash range displayed on the 550EX s LCD panel Check that the icon is displayed in the viewfinder then take the picture 84 If the flash ranges below apply the icon will blink on the left end of the scale 1 2 3 4 5 Zoom Setti...

Page 85: ...osure Bracketing page 88 3 Bounce Flash page 90 4 Close Distance Flash Photography page 92 5 Manual Flash Mode page 93 6 Stroboscopic Flash page 95 7 Second Curtain Synchronization page 98 This section assumes that the 550EX is used with an EOS 1N Before proceeding first turn on main switch on the EOS 1N and 550EX Set the 550EX s wireless selector to OFF For EOS 1N operations refer to the EOS 1N I...

Page 86: ...ress the button and select Pressing the button changes the blinking setting in the following loop The icon and flash exposure compensation display blink Press the or button to set the desired flash exposure compensation amount 86 Press the button or press the shutter button halfway The icon and flash exposure compensation amount will stop blinking and remain displayed Focus the subject Pressing th...

Page 87: ...he subject is small and the background is dark flash exposure compensation may not give the desired result In such a case use the manual flash mode See page 93 Effect on exposure of each type of compensation E TTL flash exposure compensation AE exposure compensation Compensating the exposure by changing the film speed setting Effect Changes the flash exposure of the main subject Changes the exposu...

Page 88: ...After all three bracketed flash shots are taken FEB is canceled automatically Press the button and select Pressing the button changes the blinking setting in the following loop The icon and flash exposure bracketing display will blink If the icon appears press the button again Press the or button to set the flash exposure bracketing amount 88 Press the button The 550EX s LCD panel display will be ...

Page 89: ...current film advance mode Before taking the picture make sure the flash is ready by checking that the 550EX s pilot lamp is red or the icon is displayed in the viewfinder If the flash is not ready only normal AE mode pictures can be taken The single frame film advance mode is recommended When the flash is ready you can continue taking the bracketed flash shots Custom Function CF 1 can prevent the ...

Page 90: ...he flash head can be pointed in the directions and angles listed below See page 92 90 When the flash head is turned or tilted is displayed on the 550EX s LCD panel When the flash head s zoom setting is automatic and the flash head is turned or tilted the zoom setting is set automatically to 50mm The zoom setting can also be set manually for bounce flash If a manual zoom setting has been set the zo...

Page 91: ...number and try again 91 4 With bounce flash Without bounce flash Bounce the flash on a plain white reflective surface If a colored surface is used the picture may have a color cast Creating a Catchlight A catchlight is a reflection of the flash in the subject s eyes A catchlight in the eyes makes the subject look more lively For portraits you can easily create a catchlight with the 550EX See page ...

Page 92: ...e the lower part of a subject that is close to the camera Press the button and tilt the flash head downward until it stops The icon will blink on the LCD panel This flash head position is effective only for subjects 0 5 meter 1 6 ft to 2 meters 6 6 ft from the camera The flash range will be displayed as shown in the left figure PUSH ...

Page 93: ...Manual Flash Mode In the manual flash mode you can set the flash output from 1 1 full to 1 128 power in full stop increments To prevent overheating and deterioration of the flash head observe the following limits for continuous shooting with flash 1 At 1 1 or 1 2 output Max 15 continuous flash shots 2 At 1 4 or 1 8 output Max 20 continuous flash shots 3 At 1 16 or 1 32 output Max 40 continuous fla...

Page 94: ... the button is pressed the flash output changes by one stop Press the button again The manual flash output display will stop blinking and remain displayed Focus the subject When you press the shutter button halfway focus will be achieved and the aperture and flash range bar segment will be displayed on the LCD panel Check the focusing distance on the lens 4 5 6 7 8 9 If there is a large difference...

Page 95: ...e set in 1 Hz increments from 1 Hz to 20 Hz in 5 Hz increments from 25 Hz to 50 Hz and in 10 Hz increments from 60 Hz to 199 Hz Stroboscopic flash cannot be used with the EOS 750 and EOS 850 cameras Up to 100 flashes can be fired continuously This maximum varies depending on the flash output and firing frequency See Maximum Continuous Flashes on page 122 Setting the Firing Frequency Flash Count an...

Page 96: ... item will then stop blinking and remain displayed The next item will then start blinking Repeat steps 3 and 4 to set the next item After you set the flash output and press the button the firing frequency flash count and flash output are displayed Shooting With Stroboscopic Flash To shoot with stroboscopic flash you must set a shutter speed that gives the 550EX enough time to fire according to the...

Page 97: ...t the exposure settings see Manual Flash Mode on page 93 Check that the icon is displayed in the viewfinder then take the picture 2 3 4 To prevent overheating and deterioration of the flash head do not use stroboscopic flash for more than 10 frames in rapid succession After 10 frames allow the 550EX to cool for at least 10 minutes Stroboscopic flash is most effective with highly reflective subject...

Page 98: ...king illusion of motion Set the desired picture taking mode with the camera Press the and buttons simultaneously to select on the LCD panel Each time you press the and buttons simultaneously the display changes in the following loop Check that the icon is displayed in the viewfinder then take the picture 1 2 3 With second curtain synchronization With first curtain synchronization Second curtain sy...

Page 99: ...sh features 1 Wireless System Setup and Testing page 100 2 Wireless Manual Flash page 107 3 Wireless Stroboscopic Flash page 109 4 Independent Settings With a Slave Unit page 110 This section assumes that the Speedlite 550EX is used with the EOS 1N Before proceeding first turn on the main switch on the EOS 1N and 550EX In these Instructions a Speedlite 550EX whose wireless selector has been set to...

Page 100: ...on describes the procedure for the former For the latter refer to 4 Manual or Stroboscopic Flash With a Slave Unit on page 110 111 Attach the 550EX to the camera and set the wireless selector to This 550EX will then be the master unit The master unit s wireless signal is transmitted to the slave unit s at almost the same time as the shutter release 100 1 Setting the 550EX as the Master Unit The ma...

Page 101: ...er unit and slave unit s in the same wireless flash system must be set to the same channel No Press the master unit s button and select M or The TTL mode cannot be used with wireless flash photography To set the master unit s channel No press the button and select Pressing the button changes the selection in the following loop 1 2 Press the or button to set the channel No 1 2 3 or 4 3 Flash output...

Page 102: ...on changes the selection in the following loop Press the or button to set the same channel No 1 2 3 or 4 as the master unit s Press the button The icon and channel No will be displayed 102 4 5 6 If the master unit and slave unit s are not set to the same channel No the master unit will be unable to trigger the slave unit s flash Make sure the channel No is the same 7 Off ...

Page 103: ...et Three slave IDs are available A B and C To set a slave unit s slave ID press the button and select Pressing the button changes the selection in the following loop Press the or button to set the slave ID A B or C Press the button The icon and slave ID will be displayed If you want all the slave units to fire at the same flash output you need not assign a slave ID 1 2 3 Off ...

Page 104: ...atically sets the master unit s slave ID to A 2 This setting Master flash OFF prevents the master unit from firing a flash It can still transmit wireless signals to trigger the slave units Press the button and select Pressing the button changes the selection in the following loop Press the or button to set either or Press the button or will appear If master flash OFF is set will blink 104 1 2 3 Of...

Page 105: ... the master unit For an indoor setup the positioning can be less precise since the wireless signals can bounce off the walls After positioning the master and slave unit s fire a test flash to make sure the wireless flash system works Do not place any objects between the master unit and slave unit s which may obstruct the wireless transmission Set the master unit s flash mode to M Set the camera as...

Page 106: ... units are within the effective range of the master unit After the picture is taken the slave unit s operation result is displayed on the LCD panel With the slave unit s main switch set to SE Save Energy the slave unit turns off automatically if it is left unused for over 60 minutes While the slave unit is off due to this SE mode SE is displayed on the LCD panel Within 1 hour after the slave unit ...

Page 107: ...put display Pressing the button changes the selection in the following loop Press the or button to set the flash output Press the button The flash output will be displayed 1 Wireless Manual Flash With Uniform Flash Output 1 Flash output Off 2 3 4 When you take the picture all the slave units will fire at the flash output you have set with the master unit If master flash ON is set the master unit w...

Page 108: ...tton Press the button and select Pressing the button changes the selection in the following loop Press the button to select ON A B or A B C ON A B or A B C will blink Press the button A and the flash output display will blink Press the or button to set the flash output for A Press the button B and the flash output display will blink 1 2 3 4 5 6 Flash output Off ...

Page 109: ...93 To determine the proper exposure take test shots and experiment Wireless Manual Flash With Varied Flash Output Press the or button to set the flash output for B Press the button C and the flash output display will blink Press the or button to set the flash output for C Press the button to register the settings 7 8 9 10 If there are only two slave units A and B steps 9 and 10 may be omitted Afte...

Page 110: ...u can set the slave unit s flash output yourself for wireless manual flash photography 2 For wireless manual flash photography with Wireless Transmitter ST E 4 Manual or Stroboscopic Flash With a Slave Unit On a slave unit with the wireless selector set to press the button for at least 2 sec M will start blinking It will continue to blink while the slave unit s independent setting is in effect To ...

Page 111: ... To determine the proper exposure take test shots and experiment Pressing the button while is blinking will cancel the slave unit s independent setting Set it back to an independent setting An independent setting is retained even after the slave unit s main switch is set to When the main switch is set to again the independent setting takes effect ...

Page 112: ...e button selects the Custom Function No from F1 to F6 Press the or button to set the Custom Function setting to 0 or 1 according to your preference Press the button The display stops blinking Press the LCD panel illumination button or the button to return to the normal state You need not press the LCD panel illumination button for 2 sec or longer Custom Functions A Custom Function can be set while...

Page 113: ...ion 1 Activate after 10 min of non operation CF 5 0 Enable SE mode cancellation by master unit for 1 hour 1 Enable SE mode cancellation by master unit for 8 hours CF 6 0 Enabled 1 Disabled FEB cancellation after completion FEB sequence Flash metering system Slave unit SE mode activation Slave unit SE mode cancellation Modeling flash With a Type A camera the CF 3 1 setting will not enable wireless ...

Page 114: ...System 1 9 q 2 3 7 6 5 4 8 t r y u e The accessories on the left enable wired multi Speedlite TTL autoflash e TTL Hot Shoe Adapter 3 r TTL Distributor t Off Camera Shoe Adapter OA 2 y Connecting Cord 60 u Connecting Cord 300 0 w ...

Page 115: ...attery Rechargeable with Ni Cd Charger TP for repeated use 7 Ni Cd Charger TP Dedicated charger for Ni Cd Pack TP Charging time is about 15 hours 8 Compact Battery Pack CP E2 Small and lightweight external power source It uses six size AA alkaline or nickel hydride batteries It can also use lithium batteries 9 Speedlite 550EX Slave unit 0 Speedlite 420EX Slave unit q Mini Stand provided with the 5...

Page 116: ...re dirty With the main switch set to SE the Speedlite turns off automatically when it is not used for 90 sec The wide panel is not fully retracted The wide panel has been extended and the Speedlite is set for bounce flash The flash head has been tilted downward by 7 Batteries have not been installed in the 550EX itself Or the batteries in the 550EX are exhausted The batteries in the 550EX are exha...

Page 117: ...e Probable Cause The subject was not correctly exposed with the flash The flash s reflection in the window caused the underexposure The Speedlite tried to obtain a correct exposure for the black clothing which has low reflectance The flash head s zoom setting that you set manually gave inadequate flash coverage for the lens focal length Flash exposure compensation was still in effect Since the cam...

Page 118: ...g flash Fired with the camera s depth of field preview button Bounce positions Exposure control modes 1 E TTL autoflash with Type A cameras Preflash evaluative metering 2 FE lock with Type A cameras Preflash metering FE lock 3 TTL autoflash with Type B cameras Off the film metering Flash exposure compensation 1 Automatic flash output reduction for fill flash 2 Flash exposure compensation adjustabl...

Page 119: ...hout master unit firing Controllable slaves A B C 3 groups Flash control 1 E TTL autoflash with Type A cameras High speed sync FP flash FE lock flash exposure compensation FEB flash ratio control 2 Manual flash with Type A and B cameras 3 Stroboscopic flash with Type A and B cameras Flash ratio control A B 8 1 to 1 1 or 1 1 to 1 8 In thirteen 1 2 stop increments For C flash exposure compensation c...

Page 120: ...lite enters the SE mode as follows On camera master unit enters the SE mode after 90 sec of non use Slave unit enters SE mode after 60 min or 10 min with CF 4 of non use Custom Functions Dimensions mm and Weight 80 W x 138 H x 112 D 405 g 3 1 W x 5 4 H x 4 4 D in 14 2 oz All data are based on Canon s Standard Test Method Subject to change without notice Function Custom Function No Setting Descript...

Page 121: ...24 7 27 1 29 5 32 4 1 250 7 5 14 0 15 0 18 0 21 0 23 0 25 0 27 5 1 320 6 6 12 4 13 3 15 9 18 6 20 3 22 1 24 3 1 350 6 3 11 8 12 7 15 2 17 7 19 4 21 1 23 2 1 400 5 9 11 1 11 9 14 2 16 6 18 2 19 8 21 7 1 500 5 3 9 9 10 6 12 7 14 8 16 3 17 7 19 4 1 640 4 7 8 8 9 4 11 3 13 1 14 4 15 6 17 2 1 750 4 3 8 1 8 7 10 4 12 1 13 3 14 4 15 9 1 800 4 2 7 8 8 4 10 1 11 7 12 9 14 0 15 4 1 1000 3 8 7 0 7 5 9 0 10 5...

Page 122: ...4 1 16 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 1 32 20 20 20 20 18 18 18 18 18 16 1 64 40 40 40 40 35 35 35 35 35 30 1 128 70 60 60 60 50 50 50 50 50 40 Hz 25 30 35 40 45 50 60 70 80 90 100 Flash Output 1 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 8 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 1 16 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 1 32 16 16 16 16 16 16 12 12 12 12 12 1 64 30 30 30 30 30 30 20 20 20 20 20 1 128 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 Hz 11 12 13 14 15 16 17...

Page 123: ... 620 EOS 650 EOS 500 REBEL XS REBEL X EOS 5 A2 A2 E EOS 10 10 S EOS 5000 888 Warning Indication Max sync speed blinks Minimum aperture setting blinks Maximum aperture setting blinks Minimum aperture setting blinks Mode Aperture priority AE Shutter speed priority AE Program AE Description The background will be overexposed The background will be overexposed The background will be underexposed The s...

Page 124: ...ontrol Wireless Flash 1 90 1 125 1 200 1 250 1 500 E TTL TTL E TTL EOS 650 EOS 620 EOS 750 EOS 850 EOS 630 600 EOS 1 EOS RT EOS 10S 10 EOS 700 EOS 1000 1000F REBEL REBEL S EOS 100 ELAN EOS REBEL II REBEL S II 1000N 1000FN EOS 5 A2 A2E EOS 500 REBEL X REBEL XS EOS 1N 1N RS EOS 5000 888 EOS 50 50E ELAN II ELAN II E EOS REBEL G 500 N EOS IX EOS IX 7 IX Lite EOS 3 EOS 3000 88 EOS 300 REBEL 2000 EOS 1V...

Page 125: ... Enabled in shutter speed AE mode Available Not available 4 4 4 3 Wireless Flash FP Flash FE Lock Flash Exposure Compensation FEB Flash Ratio Modeling 2nd Curtain M MULTI w 550EX w camera Control Flash Sync ...

Page 126: ...allation This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions may cause harmful interference to radio communications However there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception which can be determined by...

Page 127: ...nformity mark of the European Community EC The apparatus shall not be exposed to dripping or splashing Batteries shall not be exposed to excessive heat such as sunshine fire or the like Dry batteries shall not be subjected to charging ...

Page 128: ...h Reigate Surrey RH2 8BF United Kingdom CANON DEUTSCHLAND GmbH Europark Fichtenhain A10 47807 Krefeld Germany CANON ITALIA S p A Palazzo L Strada 6 20089 Rozzano Milanofiori Milano Italy CANON Benelux N V S A Bessenveldstraat 7 1831 Diegem Machelen Belgium CANON Schweiz AG Geschäftsbereich Wiederverkauf Industriestrasse 12 CH 8305 Dietlikon Switzerland CANON G m b H Oberlaaerstrasse 233 4th floor ...

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