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Canon Patents Radio-Controlled Flash

* By Charlie Sorrel Email Author
* August 16, 2010 |

Canon has just filed a patent application for Wi-Fi-controlled flash. Using radio to communicate with a remote flash-gun, a camera could control the amount of light popped-out and automatically adjust exposure, all without wires.

Wireless off-camera flash isn’t new. Third-party boxes and dongles like the Pocket Wizards have been around for a while. While these have generally been a manual-only solution, simply triggering the light instead of offering control over its power, recent updates are creeping towards reliable full-auto setups. The problem with these is that you have to buy yet another box, and carry yet another set of batteries

The other option is that used for years by Nikon (and recently adopted by Canon). This uses the on-camera flash itself to blip coded messages via pulses of light. Using this morse-code like method in the milliseconds before the shutter fires lets the camera and flash communicate. The problem here is that you need line-of-sight for it to work.

Canon’s new solution puts an antenna in both camera and flash, and uses the 802.15.4 standard to communicate (the same tech as is used in Zigbee devices, for example). Wireless control itself can;t be patented, so Canon’s trick is to have the camera fire out a whole bunch of instructions, and have the flash know which one to pick, thus sending the correct power-output triggers to the right flash. This, according to Canon, improves reliability.

Normally we avoid patent applications, as companies tend to patent any idea their employees have, however whacked-out. This one, though, seems very likely to make it into real products. The Canon flash system is nowhere near as good as the Nikon one (many Canon camera users even buy Nikon strobes). This would be a big step forward. Your move, Nikon.

Read More http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/08/canon-patents-radio-controlled-flash/#ixzz0wmKAqwMq

The other option is that used for years by Nikon (and recently adopted by Canon). This uses the on-camera flash itself to blip coded messages via pulses of light.

The Canon flash system is nowhere near as good as the Nikon one (many Canon camera users even buy Nikon strobes).

surenj wrote:built-in on-camera flash when referring to "recently adopted". I suppose it's the 7D that's been referred here.

aim54x wrote: BTW what is Canon's wireless flash system called?

DaveB wrote:BTW, Nikon's ITTL had wireless support (e.g. in the SB800) long before the moniker "CLS" came along. Are the differences things like that CLS supports more groups of slaves?

aim54x wrote:The Canon wireless system lets you do ratios....does this mean two groups?

DaveB wrote:

aim54x wrote:The Canon wireless system lets you do ratios....does this mean two groups?

Up to 3 groups, A/B/C.
The ST-E2 transmitter only gives you control over the A:B ratio, but the master flashes (and the 7D) give you control over all three.