How to control a Canon 430ex ii from a YN-622C-TX?

Question

I have a Canon T2i with a 430ex ii and recently bought a radio transmitter kit (YN-622C and YN-622C-TX). The setup works, i.e.the TX on the camera, the 430ex on the 622C transceiver, all on channel 1 and group A and the flash set to slave. The flash fires as I shoot.

But I can't seem to be able to control the flash power from the TX unit. Thus every shot after lowering or elevating the values the flash fires with the exact same setting. I have to set the flash on manual and then adjust the setting at the flash, which beats the purpose of my TX unit. Anybody have a similar setup or experienced this problem?

Thanks!

Answer 1

You need to set it to E-TTL or Manual mode, not to Slave mode. The YN622C-TX and YN-622C combine to create the equivalent of an off-shoe cord. The camera sees the transmitter as a compatible Canon E-TTL flash and the flash sees the receiver as a compatible EOS camera. So the flash is acting just as if it were mounted on the shoe, not as an optically controlled slave.

Answer 2

Take the 430EXII out of slave mode. That's for Canon's optical wireless system, and is basically telling the 430EXII not to listen to the signals on the foot pins, but to the red sensor panel on the front instead. And your YN-622C is sending signals via the foot pins.

The 622 radio slaving is separate and a different system than the built-in Canon wireless eTTL system. Your camera's menus can do both, so this is where the confusion comes in.

The YN-622 system is basically just bridging the hotshoe/foot communication over radio, like a radio eTTL cable. So, your flash needs to be set as if it's on the hotshoe, and you command the flash from the camera menus as if it's on the hotshoe.

See also: the "Getting Started" section of Clive Bolton's The Other YN-622C User Guide.