Yes, the Canon ST-E3-RT Radio Transmitter will connect to the hot shoe on the Canon EOS 5D Mark II DSLR camera and will trigger the Canon 600EX-RT wirelessly with this setup.
Page 68 of the Canon 600EX-RT Instruction Manual and page 42 of the Canon ST-E3-RT Instruction Manual describe how to use each unit as a remote release. If one of the 600EX-RT flashes are on the camera, then press the slave unit's function button 4 to display . To take the picture, press the slave unit's function button 1 to trigger the camera and take the image.
No, the Canon 50D pre-dates the technology used in the Canon wireless flash program. It would require a 600EX flash mounted on-camera or the Canon ST-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter to transmit to another 600EX flash. - Yossi
@merasanam Hello, The T3i has a flash commander utilizing IR via the camera's built in flash. When the flash goes off, you cannot see it. It is not a radio transmitter. It is a line of sight IR beam. Depending on the ambient lighting conditions it has a range of 20-50 feet. Thanks, Matt C.
The 430EX II Speedlite Flashes cannot be used with the ST-E3-RT Radio Transmitter. The "RT" in the ST-E3-RT and 600EX-RT's name stands for "Radio Transmission," and are the only two Canon units that can be triggered using Canon's radio transmission. As the 600EX-RT Flash is also a master flash and has both radio & optical triggering modes, if you must use the 430EX II flashes with your setup, the 600EX-RT will have to be ON THE CAMERA in Master Optical mode to trigger the 430EX II flashes.
+Kenneth Nielsen This reply will be posted on both RUclips videos which you posted this question on. If the camera is firing, one of two thing is definitely occurring 1) the camera has achieved autofocus. The unit is designed not to fire if the camera cannot achieve autofocus on the subject. Things to consider with this are: A) your focusing mode. Select a single-shot type focusing option as opposed to a servo method. Servo method could delay the camera from firing at the time you intended as it is looking for the moving subject (and tracking it) to properly focus, which could take longer to achieve than if the camera was either pre-focused manually (which is recommended by Canon in the manual for the ST-E3 RT) or using a single-shot focus. B) with that also consider using a general metering patter as opposed to a specific AF point or using the whole focusing array. 2) Its worth checking to make sure your lens is set to autofocus. If the flash is firing and triggering the camera, and the result is not in focus, then another reason would be that the lens is set to manual focus, and is not properly pre-focused on the subject. I discussed this with a colleague and he and I also came up with the following that is worth considering: If the chosen focus point or focus pattern selected (along with the selected aperture) causes the camera to focus on a part of the subject the photographer does not want (and cannot tell as his eye is not at the viewfinder) or the depth of field or subject movement when the shutter button is pressed can cause inaccurate autofocus. Ultimately, if the camera fires, it apparently focused on something, though it may not be what you wanted, or the subject could have moved slightly at the time of the exposure. If all of the above is confirmed and you still are not getting a focused shot, I would recommend contacting Canon's technical support at 1-800-ok-canon, and they can further comment on the situation. - Yossi
Unfortunately, the phenomenon you describe does not sound like a normal troubleshooting issue, and is one I've not heard of before. For this issue, I would recommend contacting Canon Technical Dept. directly. I would first recommend checking to see if it is always the same flash that has the delay, or if the delay occurs with each off-camera flash. Isolating it to one flash may help compared to the issue being present in all three flashes, but Canon would be better able to offer advice here.
@PeopleVoicesForObama As the Canon EOS 5D Mark III does not have a built-in flash for radio control, you would have to either use a Canon 600EX-RT Speedlite Flash or an ST-E3-RT Wireless Flash Controller to control the two off-camera flashes using Canon's radio flash triggering system. The Canon EOS 5D Mark III will not wirelessly trigger the flashes on its own, as a radio controller is necessary to communicate with the two off-camera flashes.
Unfortunately, the Canon EOS 60D would not be able to be triggered with using the flash as a trigger. The flash can only be used with the ST-E3-RT Wireless Trigger or the 600EX-RT when using the Release Cable SR-N3. The Canon SR-N3 Release Cable can only be used with Canon EOS cameras with the 3-pin N3 connection, which the Canon EOS 60D does not have. The Canon EOS 60D has a 2.5" sub-mini E3 connection, and Canon does not have a cable for cameras with the sub-miniphone connection.
Yes, the custom function # 23 that was being discussed at the 50:39 mark in this video is the custom function you would want to employ to check the battery level of your slaved 600ex RT flash units. You can find more info on this on page 100 of the flash?s instruction manual. - Yossi
@etiennekai As indicated in your flash's instruction manual on page 18, the camera the flash is used on will dictate if the flash uses E-TTL or E-TTL II, as ALL Canon flashes released since 2007 have been E-TTL II-compatible flashes. As stated on page 18, "Even when attached to a camera that supports E-TTL II autoflash system, is displayed on the LCD panel."
@merasanam Hello, the flash output can be controlled and varied by the camera's IR system. In the menu you can shoot in TTL or Manual, and you can vary the output in increments. In TTL mode, the flash is doing a pre flash that the camera uses to meter, and then command the off camera flash for proper output. The IR wavelength is transmitted through the pop up flash but when the flash goes off you are unable to see it. Thanks, Matt C.
Thank you very much. I think the so called IR on the camera is basically the flash itself sending some pulses that contain some information. I didn't see any separate IR transmitter on the camera. One more question, do the IR flash units send back any IR data to the camera or that's only on the radio units?
If all flashes are set to E-TTL mode for automatic exposure, whether on- or off-camera, when the shutter button is depressed, the flashes would emit pre-flashes that the camera uses to calculate the exposure before the shutter opens and the image is exposed. Flash exposure is not calculated until you fully depress the shutter button. The Canon ST-E3-RT Radio Transmitter can only be used ON-CAMERA as a transmitter. It does not have flash capabilities and CANNOT be used off-camera as a slave.
@etiennekai If the flashes are in E-TTL II mode, you should be able to trigger the flashes if the other three aren't charged, as the flashes should compensate for the power of the flash that isn't charged. Ratios between lights may not be the same (as one light would not be outputting power), but the other flashes should still fire. If the flashes are in ratio mode or in Manual mode, the flashes wont fire until they can output the specified power required and programmed for each flash.
Hi , I love your lecture I was wondering , will the remote trigger function work on a Mark II as well ? I want to buy the 600EX and the St-E3 and remote trigger taking a picture like u did , but I have a Mark II Thanks
So if you are using a second 600 as a remote trigger, does the camera refocus / read exposure with that trigger? Does it do it in one motion, or with half press? Also, can you use the st-e3 as a remote trigger, or only another flash? I think I read somewhere that the unit has to be a slave to remote trigger, how do you set the ST-e3 as a slave?
I work with a 5dMk III a couple of ex rt 600 and recently bought the Canon ST-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter, All this works perfect. The question is: can I use the ST-E3-RT in Canon EOSM and the Canon Eos50 (film camera)? Thank you very much. Educational videos of B & H are excellent.
As listed on pages 55 & 79 of the Canon 600EX-RT Speedlite Flash?s Instruction Manual under Master Flash Firing ON/OFF, to turn off the Master Flash firing, set the display by pressing function button 4 to display . Then set the master flash firing by pressing function button 1 to set the master flash firing to ON or OFF (refer to the instruction manual for images of the buttons to be pressed). The ST-E3-RT is NOT compatible with the 430EX Speedlite Flash.
I learned a lot from from this lecture & thanks for that. Please explain me ( I got Canon 60D, ST-E3-RT & 600Ex-RT ) how to trigger the camera using the flash (Transceiver mode) thanks
So, if you set your A:B ratio to 1:8 and the system increases the B light rather than decreasing the A light, does that mean that both lights begin at -3.0 (⅛ power) , even when the speedlights are set to E-TTL?
How come no one ever mentions a major selling point? That the 600ex-rt will work better in a mixed strobe setup, Studio flash with speedlites, the ST-E3 will trigger the speedlite (in manual mode to avoid preflash triggering the strobe) The speedlight will then trigger the strobe. Using infrared triggering can sometimes be detected by a strobes slave sensor causing it to fire prematurely..
I have a 50D (due for an upgrade but making the work pay for the gear) can my camera trigger the 600ex-rt wirelessly? Like the 60D, t3i, t4i and 7D does.
I have a 5D M3, the ST-E3-RT and 2 600EX-RT (second one in the post!!) but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to set it up as a "Transceiver" i.e. to fire the camera remotely. This would be so cool for low down shots where i can't get for Mountain biking etc. Any quick tips? - John didn't explain in this otherwise very useful session...
When using a 600rt on camera, the camera knows if you are using a gel and it is ok to leave it on AWB, my question is: Does the camera know if you have a gel on a remote slave flash not mounted on the hot shoe when using a ST-E3rt?
I contacted Canon USA with your inquiry. They state that the sensor for the color gel is built onto the flash, so that the flash itself knows that the filter is attached. The flash should be able to transmit this information wirelessly, though this assumes that it is being used in a full RT environment. If you introduce optical triggering into the setup, this will no longer work properly. This information is exchanged to the camera when the White Balance mode is set to either the Flash or the AWB (Auto White Balance) setting.
T3i has "integrated wireless flash". Is that flash in RADIO or IR ? If it is in IR, where's the IR emitter ??? I used a camera in the front of the T3i but didn't see any IR signals.
I want to know "How do I check the current battery level of my 600ex-rt?" Cause whenever I am shooting with my speedlites I have no idea when I will be running out of battery.
@etiennekai As stated on page 18 of the Canon 600EX-RT Instruction Manual, when you set the camera's shooting mode to or Full Auto, you can shoot in E-TTL II/E-TTL Fully automatic flash mode by setting the flash to . As stated on the bottom of the same page, even when attached to a camera that supports E-TTL II autoflash system, is displayed on the LCD panel. Refer to your instruction manual for information regarding your flash's display and information on how to properly use your flash.
Due to some strange reason my one of the 600 RX RT flash fires with a delay .i.e Have 3 600 Rx RT and ST 3 trigger...one of them when triggered with ST fires with a delay.. after the 2 flashes have fired...can you suggest what is the problem ?
I am triggering the 1D MK IV from the flash, using the SR N3 cable to the ST E3 RT on the camera, the only problem is that there is no autofocus at the camera when the shot is taken. As the subject might even move slightly, it is then out of focus. Is there any way to enable autofocus when taking a remote trigger shot from the flash?
i still dont get how to keep on camera master flash turned off ???? and is it possible to use ST-E3-RT with 2 or more 430ex ii flashes???sorry i m new to flash photography..
The 600EX RT flash and wireless TTL radio system are compatible with the 5D Mk II camera. The 5D MK II would require that you have a 600EX RT on-camera to serve as the master, and all the controls would be set on the master flash, and it can then wirelessly control other 600EX RT flashes remotely. - Yossi
Is it possible to use the Flex and Mini TTL system from Pocketwizard with the Canon 600ex-rt or other TTL systems from Hahnel? If not, then which other flash units can I use these systems with?
Radio triggering systems are brand-specific. Radio triggering systems are not cross-compatible. As such, the PocketWizard radio remotes are only compatible with PocketWizard remotes, as Hahnel remotes are only compatible with Hahnel remotes, and Phottix radio remotes are only compatible with Phottix remotes, etc.
Anybody reading between the lines here can see that the Canon guys must have been stoned out of their minds putting out a RF enabled Upgrade to the 580 EX II without Compatibility with the 5DMII (They bankrolled Canon for 3 years with that body)effectively forcing millions of MII owners to spend another 3.5K on MIII or 2K for 600RTs,PWTTL5s ,TTL1s and AC3s { I had to do the latter)...this (in woody's words is a mockery of a sham of a sham of two mockeries...humour is the only way to handle it
This is still super helpful 10 years later, just picked up a used 600ex-rt for my 90d. Thanks for sharing this experience on your channel.
Yes, the Canon ST-E3-RT Radio Transmitter will connect to the hot shoe on the Canon EOS 5D Mark II DSLR camera and will trigger the Canon 600EX-RT wirelessly with this setup.
Page 68 of the Canon 600EX-RT Instruction Manual and page 42 of the Canon ST-E3-RT Instruction Manual describe how to use each unit as a remote release. If one of the 600EX-RT flashes are on the camera, then press the slave unit's function button 4 to display
. To take the picture, press the slave unit's function button 1 to trigger the camera and take the image.
No, the Canon 50D pre-dates the technology used in the Canon wireless flash program. It would require a 600EX flash mounted on-camera or the Canon ST-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter to transmit to another 600EX flash.
- Yossi
@merasanam
Hello,
The T3i has a flash commander utilizing IR via the camera's built in flash. When the flash goes off, you cannot see it. It is not a radio transmitter. It is a line of sight IR beam. Depending on the ambient lighting conditions it has a range of 20-50 feet. Thanks, Matt C.
The 600EX-RT will work with the ST-E2. It will just be IR instead of Radio, so will require line of site.
Thank you B and H! You guys are awesome!
The 430EX II Speedlite Flashes cannot be used with the ST-E3-RT Radio Transmitter. The "RT" in the ST-E3-RT and 600EX-RT's name stands for "Radio Transmission," and are the only two Canon units that can be triggered using Canon's radio transmission. As the 600EX-RT Flash is also a master flash and has both radio & optical triggering modes, if you must use the 430EX II flashes with your setup, the 600EX-RT will have to be ON THE CAMERA in Master Optical mode to trigger the 430EX II flashes.
+Kenneth Nielsen
This reply will be posted on both RUclips videos which you posted this question on.
If the camera is firing, one of two thing is definitely occurring 1) the camera has achieved autofocus. The unit is designed not to fire if the camera cannot achieve autofocus on the subject. Things to consider with this are: A) your focusing mode. Select a single-shot type focusing option as opposed to a servo method. Servo method could delay the camera from firing at the time you intended as it is looking for the moving subject (and tracking it) to properly focus, which could take longer to achieve than if the camera was either pre-focused manually (which is recommended by Canon in the manual for the ST-E3 RT) or using a single-shot focus. B) with that also consider using a general metering patter as opposed to a specific AF point or using the whole focusing array.
2) Its worth checking to make sure your lens is set to autofocus. If the flash is firing and triggering the camera, and the result is not in focus, then another reason would be that the lens is set to manual focus, and is not properly pre-focused on the subject.
I discussed this with a colleague and he and I also came up with the following that is worth considering: If the chosen focus point or focus pattern selected (along with the selected aperture) causes the camera to focus on a part of the subject the photographer does not want (and cannot tell as his eye is not at the viewfinder) or the depth of field or subject movement when the shutter button is pressed can cause inaccurate autofocus. Ultimately, if the camera fires, it apparently focused on something, though it may not be what you wanted, or the subject could have moved slightly at the time of the exposure.
If all of the above is confirmed and you still are not getting a focused shot, I would recommend contacting Canon's technical support at 1-800-ok-canon, and they can further comment on the situation. - Yossi
Unfortunately, the phenomenon you describe does not sound like a normal troubleshooting issue, and is one I've not heard of before. For this issue, I would recommend contacting Canon Technical Dept. directly. I would first recommend checking to see if it is always the same flash that has the delay, or if the delay occurs with each off-camera flash. Isolating it to one flash may help compared to the issue being present in all three flashes, but Canon would be better able to offer advice here.
@PeopleVoicesForObama
As the Canon EOS 5D Mark III does not have a built-in flash for radio control, you would have to either use a Canon 600EX-RT Speedlite Flash or an ST-E3-RT Wireless Flash Controller to control the two off-camera flashes using Canon's radio flash triggering system. The Canon EOS 5D Mark III will not wirelessly trigger the flashes on its own, as a radio controller is necessary to communicate with the two off-camera flashes.
Watched this a couple months ago and again right now - lots of good info here.
Unfortunately, the Canon EOS 60D would not be able to be triggered with using the flash as a trigger. The flash can only be used with the ST-E3-RT Wireless Trigger or the 600EX-RT when using the Release Cable SR-N3. The Canon SR-N3 Release Cable can only be used with Canon EOS cameras with the 3-pin N3 connection, which the Canon EOS 60D does not have. The Canon EOS 60D has a 2.5" sub-mini E3 connection, and Canon does not have a cable for cameras with the sub-miniphone connection.
Yes, the custom function # 23 that was being discussed at the 50:39 mark in this video is the custom function you would want to employ to check the battery level of your slaved 600ex RT flash units. You can find more info on this on page 100 of the flash?s instruction manual. - Yossi
@etiennekai
As indicated in your flash's instruction manual on page 18, the camera the flash is used on will dictate if the flash uses E-TTL or E-TTL II, as ALL Canon flashes released since 2007 have been E-TTL II-compatible flashes. As stated on page 18, "Even when attached to a camera that supports E-TTL II autoflash system, is displayed on the LCD panel."
@merasanam Hello, the flash output can be controlled and varied by the camera's IR system. In the menu you can shoot in TTL or Manual, and you can vary the output in increments. In TTL mode, the flash is doing a pre flash that the camera uses to meter, and then command the off camera flash for proper output. The IR wavelength is transmitted through the pop up flash but when the flash goes off you are unable to see it. Thanks, Matt C.
Thank you very much. I think the so called IR on the camera is basically the flash itself sending some pulses that contain some information. I didn't see any separate IR transmitter on the camera.
One more question, do the IR flash units send back any IR data to the camera or that's only on the radio units?
If all flashes are set to E-TTL mode for automatic exposure, whether on- or off-camera, when the shutter button is depressed, the flashes would emit pre-flashes that the camera uses to calculate the exposure before the shutter opens and the image is exposed. Flash exposure is not calculated until you fully depress the shutter button.
The Canon ST-E3-RT Radio Transmitter can only be used ON-CAMERA as a transmitter. It does not have flash capabilities and CANNOT be used off-camera as a slave.
I do not understand your question. Could you please rephrase it?
@etiennekai
If the flashes are in E-TTL II mode, you should be able to trigger the flashes if the other three aren't charged, as the flashes should compensate for the power of the flash that isn't charged. Ratios between lights may not be the same (as one light would not be outputting power), but the other flashes should still fire. If the flashes are in ratio mode or in Manual mode, the flashes wont fire until they can output the specified power required and programmed for each flash.
Hi , I love your lecture
I was wondering , will the remote trigger function work on a Mark II as well ? I want to buy the 600EX and the St-E3 and remote trigger taking a picture like u did , but I have a Mark II
Thanks
So if you are using a second 600 as a remote trigger, does the camera refocus / read exposure with that trigger? Does it do it in one motion, or with half press? Also, can you use the st-e3 as a remote trigger, or only another flash? I think I read somewhere that the unit has to be a slave to remote trigger, how do you set the ST-e3 as a slave?
I work with a 5dMk III a couple of ex rt 600 and recently bought the Canon ST-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter, All this works perfect. The question is: can I use the ST-E3-RT in Canon EOSM and the Canon Eos50 (film camera)? Thank you very much. Educational videos of B & H are excellent.
As listed on pages 55 & 79 of the Canon 600EX-RT Speedlite Flash?s Instruction Manual under Master Flash Firing ON/OFF, to turn off the Master Flash firing, set the
display by pressing function button 4 to display
. Then set the master flash firing by pressing function button 1 to set the master flash firing to ON or OFF (refer to the instruction manual for images of the buttons to be pressed).
The ST-E3-RT is NOT compatible with the 430EX Speedlite Flash.
I learned a lot from from this lecture & thanks for that.
Please explain me ( I got Canon 60D, ST-E3-RT & 600Ex-RT ) how to trigger the camera using the flash (Transceiver mode)
thanks
So, if you set your A:B ratio to 1:8 and the system increases the B light rather than decreasing the A light, does that mean that both lights begin at -3.0 (⅛ power) , even when the speedlights are set to E-TTL?
How come no one ever mentions a major selling point? That the 600ex-rt will work better in a mixed strobe setup, Studio flash with speedlites, the ST-E3 will trigger the speedlite (in manual mode to avoid preflash triggering the strobe) The speedlight will then trigger the strobe. Using infrared triggering can sometimes be detected by a strobes slave sensor causing it to fire prematurely..
I have a 50D (due for an upgrade but making the work pay for the gear) can my camera trigger the 600ex-rt wirelessly? Like the 60D, t3i, t4i and 7D does.
Can I set fire up two of these via Radio Frequency and both of these flashes are off camera and on umbrella when using 5D Mark III?
The interlacing artifacts are driving me nuts!
I have a 5D M3, the ST-E3-RT and 2 600EX-RT (second one in the post!!) but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to set it up as a "Transceiver" i.e. to fire the camera remotely. This would be so cool for low down shots where i can't get for Mountain biking etc. Any quick tips? - John didn't explain in this otherwise very useful session...
When using a 600rt on camera, the camera knows if you are using a gel and it is ok to leave it on AWB, my question is: Does the camera know if you have a gel on a remote slave flash not mounted on the hot shoe when using a ST-E3rt?
I contacted Canon USA with your inquiry. They state that the sensor for the color gel is built onto the flash, so that the flash itself knows that the filter is attached. The flash should be able to transmit this information wirelessly, though this assumes that it is being used in a full RT environment. If you introduce optical triggering into the setup, this will no longer work properly. This information is exchanged to the camera when the White Balance mode is set to either the Flash or the AWB (Auto White Balance) setting.
T3i has "integrated wireless flash". Is that flash in RADIO or IR ? If it is in IR, where's the IR emitter ??? I used a camera in the front of the T3i but didn't see any IR signals.
I want to know "How do I check the current battery level of my 600ex-rt?"
Cause whenever I am shooting with my speedlites I have no idea when I will be running out of battery.
Think I'm gonna bite the bullet on this one. It looks pretty reliable. Not sure what Eric was doing the camera at 34:18??
0:50:39 is it the battery meter check that I have been looking for a long time?
@etiennekai
As stated on page 18 of the Canon 600EX-RT Instruction Manual, when you set the camera's shooting mode to or Full Auto, you can shoot in E-TTL II/E-TTL Fully automatic flash mode by setting the flash to . As stated on the bottom of the same page, even when attached to a camera that supports E-TTL II autoflash system, is displayed on the LCD panel. Refer to your instruction manual for information regarding your flash's display and information on how to properly use your flash.
thnk u very much..i hav one last query...if i have ST-E3-RT, and 600ex rt, how can other two 430ex ii be triggered?? Thanks
does 600RT will work with the old ST-E2 trigger?
Due to some strange reason my one of the 600 RX RT flash fires with a delay .i.e Have 3 600 Rx RT and ST 3 trigger...one of them when triggered with ST fires with a delay.. after the 2 flashes have fired...can you suggest what is the problem ?
I bought an ST-E3 and was saddened when I found that it didn't have the AF assist beam.
Am using canon 5d mark ||| and 600ex-rt how can use wireless mode with out trigger?
is it possible or not ?
I am triggering the 1D MK IV from the flash, using the SR N3 cable to the ST E3 RT on the camera, the only problem is that there is no autofocus at the camera when the shot is taken. As the subject might even move slightly, it is then out of focus. Is there any way to enable autofocus when taking a remote trigger shot from the flash?
at 4:45 he mentions a Japanese flash bracket. is that the female metric screw hole and is this an additional support or anchor point possibly?
i still dont get how to keep on camera master flash turned off ???? and is it possible to use ST-E3-RT with 2 or more 430ex ii flashes???sorry i m new to flash photography..
use the optical mode on the ST-E3-RT and control all
Why did you jump Flash C.Fn setting 13? You could explain it.
How do these work with the 5D Mark II? Did not see much discussion about the Mark II?
The 600EX RT flash and wireless TTL radio system are compatible with the 5D Mk II camera. The 5D MK II would require that you have a 600EX RT on-camera to serve as the master, and all the controls would be set on the master flash, and it can then wirelessly control other 600EX RT flashes remotely. - Yossi
Is it possible to use the Flex and Mini TTL system from Pocketwizard with the Canon 600ex-rt or other TTL systems from Hahnel? If not, then which other flash units can I use these systems with?
Radio triggering systems are brand-specific. Radio triggering systems are not cross-compatible. As such, the PocketWizard radio remotes are only compatible with PocketWizard remotes, as Hahnel remotes are only compatible with Hahnel remotes, and Phottix radio remotes are only compatible with Phottix remotes, etc.
CPM-E4 Battery Pack can be loaded with 8 AA-size batteries not 6 AA
@etiennekai
Feel free to direct your specific product questions to askbh@bhphoto.com. thanks for watching.
This is more an explanation of what speedlights are
Anybody reading between the lines here can see that the Canon guys must have been stoned out of their minds putting out a RF enabled Upgrade to the 580 EX II without Compatibility with the 5DMII (They bankrolled Canon for 3 years with that body)effectively forcing millions of MII owners to spend another 3.5K on MIII or 2K for 600RTs,PWTTL5s ,TTL1s and AC3s { I had to do the latter)...this (in woody's words is a mockery of a sham of a sham of two mockeries...humour is the only way to handle it