First off just a big THANK YOU!!!! To K.Swan and Zack for all the great gear information on lighting. Thanks again.

So basically I want to wirelessly set up a 580 EX.

And assemble the following to create a wireless flash trigger set up with an umbrella. (correct me if I am wrong)

First the light stand
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller...oughType=search

connecting to that will be the umbrella adapter
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller...oughType=search

connecting to the umbrella adapter will be the umbrella
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller...oughType=search
and also a shoe mount adapter
(OK what shoe mount adapter is recommended? I'd rather just get a high quality one initially)

Also does this umbrella adapter have space to connect a shoe mount adapter? I also can't tell from the image where the umbrella would fit into it. Yes, yes I don't know for sure, I am a noob and definetly appreciate everyone's knowledgable opinion on how this gets set up.

So once those are in, I plug the PW Plus II tranceiver (1 of 2)
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller...oughType=search
with a
adapter wire
http://www.paramountcords.com/proddetail.asp?prod=pw-mhsf1

one side to the PW and other to the 580 EX
I then place this piece onto the hot shoe adapter.

The other PW goes onto my canon 20d hot shoe.

Turn on the PWs,camera, flash and I should be ready to go!

Any corrections, leads on what hot shoe adapter is recommended etc?
I appreciate ahead of time everyone's tips!! I can't wait to get that hotshoe off the camera!
Oh right and do all these pieces fit with each other?
I guess better to ask these questions and risk being embarrassed than not ask at all. haha at least I hope!

Hello! bump.
ok basically just the question of do I need a hot shoe adapter with the umbrella mount adapter. Since from some lists of needed lighting equipment only the umbrella mount is recommended, but then in other places they say that the umbrella mount needs a hot shoe adapter?
So yes, confused...please help!! Thanks!

I've been researching the same thing.

I'd say go here, and read. I'm not the answer man on this one, but The Strobist is.

http://www.strobist.com

Good luck. I'm about to get some umbrella's, etc and do it the hardwired way, since I can't afford PW's.

-tmiller
Tim Miller Photography
http://tmillerphoto.com

Hey!

Here are a few photos from the OneLight slide show. These show an optical slave connecting the flash to the umbrella adapter. If you are using Pocket Wizards, you will need a "cold shoe". This is a pretty solid cold shoe...

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller...egoryNavigation

BUT......

Being that you are using a 580 you will need a paramount hot shoe to mini phone connector. The hot shoe end screws into the umbrella adapter. The mini phone plug plugs into the PW. Here is the paramount adapter at B&H

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller...oughType=search

Images attached...

Cheers,
Zack

Zack,

I just have one thing to say:







Or to put it simply,

THANK YOU!!!!

ok incase there are folks curious about one discrepencies I noticed about connecting the adapter wire to the hot shoe which connects to the PW. (the other PW connects to the camera). That wire (hot shoe side) is really tight and hard to force the female hot shoe part in! It is a tight fit. Just curious how others dealt with this.
This is for the 580 EX hotshoe.

The 580, for some reason, is the biggest PITA hot shoe flash to deal with in the entire history of the universe. For the price, it should not be such a problem.

Cheers,
Zack

Zack agreed! But hey at least got it to finally work.
Tim, strobist does have alot of great information--I've started to try the things he has been talking of. I don't think there is anything on his site specific to the 580 set up.

Well Canon just solved this for us... 580EXII has a PC socket!!!!!! Yay!!! but if like me you have a 1st Gen... and have had enough mucking around with hotshoes.... then send it to Mike Bass to add a sync socket... http://michaelbass.blogspot.com/2006/11/ca...y-sync-mod.html

^ Have you had him to a mod for you yet? If so, how did it go?