I have a JJC radio flash transmitter that i use on my Canon T3i.
It works fine, although for some reason it does not fire when the LCD is activated.
I have to use the viewfinder everytime i use radio flash.
Today i tested it on a friend's Canon Powershot G15.
I couldn't make it fire. I tested on auto mode, on manual mode, with popup flash activated, with popup deactivated, with the LCD screen on, off... it did not work.
Something to do with the electric current transmitted, perhaps?
I wonder why then, since the connectors are all Canon standard anyway.
@gabrielklee There won't be an overvoltage problem with a radio trigger, the transmitters are all designed to work with modern DSLRs (or bridge cameras with a hotshoe) and will use low trigger voltages.
From memory, I think that with the Canon G series, you need to disable continuous shooting mode for a non-Canon external flash to trigger. If you still can't get it to work (and it's important enough for you to want to pursue it), I'd post on the Flickr Strobist group discussions, as someone on there will almost certainly have found the problem and solved it.
Regarding your T3i failing to fire the flash in Live View mode, this is unfortunately expected behaviour. All of the 'Rebel' range of Canon cameras have a 'silent mode' of shooting enabled, which reduces the shutter noise in live view mode. Unfortunately the way that this works prevents the camera from being able to fire a flash.
When a Canon flash is attached to a Rebel camera, the camera will disable this silent shooting mode in live view, and the flash will fire. (If you do this, you'll also notice the camera makes a double shutter sound). Unfortunately, the camera will not do this if it doesn't detect a Canon flash is mounted.
The higher-end Canon cameras have the ability to switch 'silent shooting' mode off in Live View via a menu item, which allows you to use a non-Canon flash in live view mode, but sadly this option isn't made available on the Rebel range.
@abirkill thanks Alexis, very very informative answer.
I almost took the radio flash back to the store when i saw it wasn´t firing. :)
Then i figured it was because of the LCD, so i understood this was a camera operating issue, which i could not find an explanation for.
I do not need the radio to work on the g15, it was only a curiosity.
I just wanted the radio flash to work as i would expect, which is: i press the shutter, the flash fires normally.
Turns out there are seeveral technical issues i wasn´t informed.
And interestingly, i did not see it mentined on the "Canon Flash photography bible" book i have as well.
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From memory, I think that with the Canon G series, you need to disable continuous shooting mode for a non-Canon external flash to trigger. If you still can't get it to work (and it's important enough for you to want to pursue it), I'd post on the Flickr Strobist group discussions, as someone on there will almost certainly have found the problem and solved it.
Regarding your T3i failing to fire the flash in Live View mode, this is unfortunately expected behaviour. All of the 'Rebel' range of Canon cameras have a 'silent mode' of shooting enabled, which reduces the shutter noise in live view mode. Unfortunately the way that this works prevents the camera from being able to fire a flash.
When a Canon flash is attached to a Rebel camera, the camera will disable this silent shooting mode in live view, and the flash will fire. (If you do this, you'll also notice the camera makes a double shutter sound). Unfortunately, the camera will not do this if it doesn't detect a Canon flash is mounted.
The higher-end Canon cameras have the ability to switch 'silent shooting' mode off in Live View via a menu item, which allows you to use a non-Canon flash in live view mode, but sadly this option isn't made available on the Rebel range.
I almost took the radio flash back to the store when i saw it wasn´t firing. :)
Then i figured it was because of the LCD, so i understood this was a camera operating issue, which i could not find an explanation for.
I do not need the radio to work on the g15, it was only a curiosity.
I just wanted the radio flash to work as i would expect, which is: i press the shutter, the flash fires normally.
Turns out there are seeveral technical issues i wasn´t informed.
And interestingly, i did not see it mentined on the "Canon Flash photography bible" book i have as well.