Canon R7 Using a 580EX II Flash on the R7

[DonRoos]

I have a 580EX II that I bought to use with my 5DII, expecting it to work on the R7. I then read the manual and it says you need an adapter to use it. I asked on FB and a few people have said I don't need it. I am afraid of damaging the camera. I put the flash on and switched the camera and flash on to see but I have not taken a shot yet. Anyone tried it and have any advice

 

[Tim Mayo]

I've not tried it myself but from what I've read it should work fine on the R7. However, you will need the Canon Multi-Function Shoe Adapter AD-E1 to retain weather sealing. So if you plan to use it outdoors in wet weather it might be best to invest in the adapter which is a bit of a rip-off unfortunately.

 

[DonRoos]

Thanks. I asked at my store but they have no stock available so I have put one on order. Rather safe than sorry as I enjoy travel/scenery photography

 

[Dave Williams]

The flash shoe is and always has been open to the elements and vulnerable to water, dust and all sorts of rubbish. I'm surprised that the camera bodies don't come with a little removable cover that would slot over it. Adding a flash unit would protect the show wouldn't it? Not sure where the weather sealing bit come's in to the equation. I must be missing something.
As an aside the 580 must be almost as big as an R7 isn't it?

 

[MikeZ]

Canon does make a small plastic bit (removable insert/cover) that "seals" the hot shoe. I don't recall the price, though I suspect it was upwards of $10 USD. FWIW, I tried to use an old Nikon hot shoe cover but it wouldn't fit on my R5, so clearly there is a difference between the two hot shoes (ergo buying the Canon model for the R5). The difference does seem odd since I thought that the hot shoe connection was an industry standard.

 

[DonRoos]

The flash shoe is and always has been open to the elements and vulnerable to water, dust and all sorts of rubbish. I'm surprised that the camera bodies don't come with a little removable cover that would slot over it. Adding a flash unit would protect the show wouldn't it? Not sure where the weather sealing bit come's in to the equation. I must be missing something.
As an aside the 580 must be almost as big as an R7 isn't it?

My R7 came with a protective cover for the shoe. With the 580 mounted there is not much exposed for rain to be a problem but water can get into very small gaps

You are correct, The 580 is huge on top of the R7. It fitted nicely on my 5DII with battery grip.

 

[Dave Williams]

My R7 came with a protective cover for the shoe. With the 580 mounted there is not much exposed for rain to be a problem but water can get into very small gaps

You are correct, The 580 is huge on top of the R7. It fitted nicely on my 5DII with battery grip.

That's interesting re the protective cover. I have owned 4x1D's, 2x5D's and a 7D in the past and now own a R5 and none have had a cover included in the package. I wasn't aware you could buy one either until it was mentioned earlier in this thread. The shoe is prone to rusting, particularly if it's splashed with salt water if you are on a boat. It's impossible to clean and dry it thoroughly afterwards.

 

[DonRoos]

That's interesting re the protective cover. I have owned 4x1D's, 2x5D's and a 7D in the past and now own a R5 and none have had a cover included in the package. I wasn't aware you could buy one either until it was mentioned earlier in this thread. The shoe is prone to rusting, particularly if it's splashed with salt water if you are on a boat. It's impossible to clean and dry it thoroughly afterwards.

My M3 also came with one but my 400D and 5DII did not. Seems it is a feature on newer cameras

 

[Dave Williams]

It gets curiouser and curiouser !!

 

[Tim Mayo]

The flash shoe is and always has been open to the elements and vulnerable to water, dust and all sorts of rubbish. I'm surprised that the camera bodies don't come with a little removable cover that would slot over it. Adding a flash unit would protect the show wouldn't it? Not sure where the weather sealing bit come's in to the equation. I must be missing something.
As an aside the 580 must be almost as big as an R7 isn't it?

The hotshoe on the R7 / R3 / R6 MkII gains a series of communication pins along the leading edge that provide support for new accessories. If you mount an older accessory then the gasket will not provide adequate weather sealing. The Canon AD-E1 is basically just a gasket adapter that covers these pins and helps to maintain weather the sealing.

 

[toccata]

Don, did you manage to come right?
I had the same question, and ODP in Pretoria were going to look into it but never came back.
After some more research I also came to the conclusion that this is specific to weather sealing, and I found some official compatibility matrix saying no problem.

My 580 mk1 works fine on the R7. Don't think I wil get the recommended adapter.

 

[DonRoos]

Don, did you manage to come right?
I had the same question, and ODP in Pretoria were going to look into it but never came back.
After some more research I also came to the conclusion that this is specific to weather sealing, and I found some official compatibility matrix saying no problem.

My 580 mk1 works fine on the R7. Don't think I wil get the recommended adapter.

I have had no update from Orms and have not had occation to use a flash so have not tried shooting with the 580 on the R7 yet. I have had it on and turned on but not actually fired a shot. Also re-considering buying the adapter.

 

[Roger Hopkins]

My M3 also came with one but my 400D and 5DII did not. Seems it is a feature on newer cameras

My M50 came with one. You can also search on ebay to find lots of them... and they're cheap.

 

[Grahamk]

My R6 Mk2 came with a cover for the flash shoe, whereas the previous Mk1 did not. I’ve used my 580EX II on my R6 Mk1 with no issues but haven’t yet tried it on my Mk2.

 

[drsnoopy]

I've not tried it myself but from what I've read it should work fine on the R7. However, you will need the Canon Multi-Function Shoe Adapter AD-E1 to retain weather sealing. So if you plan to use it outdoors in wet weather it might be best to invest in the adapter which is a bit of a rip-off unfortunately.

I have a 430EX, 430EX RT3 and 600EX RT2. All fit and work as expected on my R7 (and R10 that I tried) without any adapter. I would never consider using flash outdoors in the rain, so the adapter is not needed for my uses.