How to set K20D + 2 AF540 in Manual & wireless mode?

[HermanLee]

Hi guys,

I've been trying to set my K20D with 2 flashes AF540 where
1 flash wireless in Manual mode
1 flash attached to camera hot shoe in Manual mode

but it seems something is wrong with my setting since every time I press the mode button, the screen on the flash shows only P-TTL.
I can't make them to shoot in Manual mode

Can somebody help me how to set up the camera and both flashes to do this setting?
Is there a hidden setting that I missed?
I tried to follow the flash manual book but with no success.
I have cleaned the contacts and when I set to P-TTL wireless, both flashes works flawlessly.

Thanks,

[Gooshin]

put your camera in M mode...

[HermanLee]

Hi Gooshin,

I did set my camera in Manual mode .
The problem is like this: (both flashes set on SL1 mode)

Scenario 1: K20D (Manual mode), attached flash (P-TTL, power switch on wireless), wireless flash (P-TTL, power switch on wireless),
in this scenario, when I set the flash attached in Master / Control mode, it will trigger the wireless flash even though there is no line of sight.

Scenario 2: K20D (Manual mode), attached flash (P-TTL, power switch on wireless), wireless flash (Manual / Auto, power switch on wireless)
in this scenario, neither as Master nor Controller, the attached flash is fixed on P-TTL mode. I can't change it into Manual mode. And this scenario require line of sight between 2 flashes in order to trigger the wireless flash.

I can change the mode on wireless flash to Manual but the one attached to hot shoe is fixed in P-TTL mode only.
The only time I can put the attached flash to Manual mode is only when I set the flash on wireless and then set Slave mode. But with this, I can't trigger the wireless flash which is in Manual mode.

So if the attached flash is fixed on P-TTL mode only, there is no way that the attached flash is firing in Manual mode, right?
Can your attached flash be set to Manual mode and still trigger the wireless flash?

Another interesting thing is that when both flash in P-TTL mode, there is no need of line of sight. It seems the wireless flash still can be triggered.


Thanks,

[Ash]

Line of sight firing won't be mode-dependent but why you can't set your master/control flash to M mode is beyond me.
Perhaps try to set both up as wireless slaves in M mode with the onboard flash as master/slave.

I have been able to set both master and slave in M mode using a 540 and Sigma 500. Not sure why you're having trouble - but there are a number of possibilities not yet exhausted. Like try having wireless mode on camera set first, then sync the slave flash, then set the master up with flash not on wireless mode but rather the on mode (on the power switch).

I may have that mixed up (perhaps should be on the wireless mode on the power switch) but give it a try

[HermanLee]

Originally Posted by Ash

Line of sight firing won't be mode-dependent but why you can't set your master/control flash to M mode is beyond me.
Perhaps try to set both up as wireless slaves in M mode with the onboard flash as master/slave.

I have been able to set both master and slave in M mode using a 540 and Sigma 500. Not sure why you're having trouble - but there are a number of possibilities not yet exhausted. Like try having wireless mode on camera set first, then sync the slave flash, then set the master up with flash not on wireless mode but rather the on mode (on the power switch).

I may have that mixed up (perhaps should be on the wireless mode on the power switch) but give it a try

Ash,

Are you talking about setting the wireless flash (I only have AF540 so no Sigma here to try) to SL2 mode and trigger it optically?

So far here is what I found:

For the attached AF540, I can only set it to Manual mode when:
1) Power switch = Wireless, set to Slave mode
2) Power switch = ON

For the wireless AF540 (detached from camera), I can only set it to Manual mode when:
1) SL2, Power switch = Wireless, Slave mode

and by using SL2 mode on wireless flash, I think it's actually optically triggered, not the real wireless.

Thanks,