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An expensive way to go wireless...
Date of Review: Oct 4, 2006
The Bottom Line: Recommended only for EOS users with specific equipment and needs.
The Canon ST-E2 speedlite transmitter is a dedicated E-TTL device that can control a supposedly unlimted number of other Canon speedlites such as the 420EX, 550EX, 580EX, or MR-14EX and MT-24EX, limited to the range of it's infrared beam. It ALSO serves as a low-light AF-assist for EOS Cameras. I have never used it for the latter function, so this review will focus on its use as a speedlite controller.
Who should consider this:
- Canon EOS camera owners in possession of at least one Canon Speedlite that can act as a 'slave' and receive infrared beams (420EX, 550EX, 580EX, or MR-14EX and MT-24EX).
- EOS users that wish to trigger their speedlites through a wireless remote device.
- EOS users that wish to control the ratio of their speedlites through a wireless remote device.
- EOS users that need a lightweight setup when travelling.
Who should NOT consider this:
- non Canon EOS owners
- anyone who does not own one of the above listed Canon speedlites
- anyone doing a lot of outdoor flash work (should consider a PocketWizard setup instead).
RANGE:(from Canon)
The ST-E2 has good success indoors because the IR beam bounces off of walls that are white, causing some people to think that the beam travels in a non line-of-sight manner. For outdoor use, most professionals tend to go with a PocketWizard (radio transmitter) setup for a more certain connection.
ST-E2 range Indoors: Approx. 39.4 - 49.2' (12-15 m)
ST-E2 range Outdoors: Approx. 26.2-32.8' (8-10 m)
RATIOS:
Why set ratios? A quick primer on flash photography
Most portrait photographers avoid using direct light from a camera because it yields a flat face, and the lighting is often harsh. To produce more depth, a portrait photographer will either bounce the light, or use a 2-light setup...one on the camera's right, and one on the camera's left. One will act as the main, and the other as the fill. In order to achieve depth, the main needs to be brighter than the fill...typical ratios of main:fill are 2:1 and 3:1. 3:1 is more dramatic than 2:1 and is used in what is called "Rembrandt" lighting.
Setting ratios on the ST-E2
The first step is to assign your speedlites to group A or B (you can think of this as left or right). You can assign more than one flash to a given group. This setting is done on the back of your respective speedlite. The ST-E2 can only control ratios relative for groups A and B. A note on group "C" is at the end of this review.
Once you have assigned your speedlites, you can set the ratio through the control on the back of the ST-E2...anywhere from 8:1 to 1:1 to 1:8 in half step increments (13 steps total).
That's all! The camera's E-TTL system will take care of the rest. Presumably, the FEL option will work the same way as if your speedlite was mounted on your camera.
Other Features/Notes:
- Auto shutoff after 90 seconds if set to "I" or "HOLD"
- High Speed Sync capability
- Uses a 2CR5 lithium (6V) battery
A note on Group "C":
There is a third controllable group "C", but this can only be set as an amount above or below the overall power setting, +/- 3 stops in 1/3-stop increments. The Canon 550EX and 580EX can act as a 'master' speedlite controller and serves the same function as an ST-E2; however, these speedlites can actually add group "C" to its ratio control. So if you have money to burn, buy an extra 580EX instead of an ST-E2...you'll have more options.
ASSUMPTIONS:
To get good results, the setup assumes you are placing the speedlites at the same distance to your subject; otherwise, your ratios will not be true eventhough the ST-E2 thinks it is. A lot of professionals would prefer to use an incidental flash meter to get their ratios correct.
In my opinion, the ST-E2 is an expensive method of obtaining above okay or better portrait results, I've used the ST-E2 with a 420 and 550EX shot into an umbrella. It's a nice portable solution if you need to travel light outside of a studio. However, my preference today is to use a wired connection from the EOS into a single Alien Bee speedlite (main). That speedlite will then trigger the other Alien Bee (fill) 'wirelessly' through an optical trigger. If I wanted to be pure wireless, I would opt for the PocketWizard radio controller on the first hop between the EOS and the main Alien Bee. A bonus of using a PocketWizard setup is that you can potentially trigger your flashes (for metering purposes) from the subject's position via the hand-held meter. In my case, I use a Sekonic meter with an optional PocketWizard transmitter installed. All settings are accomplished through manual flash metering. The Alien Bees fire through a double-diffused softboxes and the results are much softer than the umbrellas. I've experienced power limitations with the Canon speedlites...the Alien Bees had much more power and I didn't need to worry about batteries dying. With all this, the ST-E2 setup has seen less use, and my 580EX is used primarily for walk-around bounce situations.
