Are you happy with your Canon 600EX-RT...

=ReBeL=

=ReBeL=

Suspended / Banned
Messages
1,095
Name
Adrian
Edit My Images
No
... or you wish you stayed with 580EX II and saved yourself some money?

I ask because I face similar choice, either hunt for second hand 580EX II or invest in the super-speedlite 600EX-RT.
 
Last edited:
Sold my 580ex2's and bought 3 600RT and the associated ST-E3 a while back. Don't use them that much now but the integrated system beats the pants off other cobbled together radio control systems. Full two-way communication from the camera. Pity they are so expensive though.

Regards...
 
Finste said:
Sold my 580ex2's and bought 3 600RT and the associated ST-E3 a while back. Don't use them that much now but the integrated system beats the pants off other cobbled together radio control systems. Full two-way communication from the camera. Pity they are so expensive though.

Regards...
Click to expand...

Let me know if you plan to sell one of them ;)

So do you regret buying them and wish you stayed with 580s?
 
surfg1mp said:
Phottix mitros+ do the same thing for much cheaper.
Click to expand...

I think the Phottix Mitros+ might actually be better than Canon, though I've not compared them directly. Both high build quality, Mitros+ has the Odin user-interface which is a model of simplicity, and Odin innards that appear to be bug-free. And the Phottix does things like remote second-curtain sync. Then Yongnuo are coming out with their own integrated auto-TTL gun later this year and if nothing else it will be cheaper.
 
I have two 600RT's and the remote and they just work, all this cobblers about the screen of the ST-E3 being on the top put me off buying for a while but you can do everything from the rear camera screen. I can leave them for a week and then switch them on and they still auto connect to each other at the last setting.
 
It works about 3/4 the length of a football park...........never tried it any further as no need
 
surfg1mp said:
Doesn't the st-e3 have a very limited range?
Click to expand...

Canon is always very conservative with claims, even mentioning potential 600-RT issues with some Canon cameras and lenses that just don't seem to arise in practise. Unofficially, Canon told me they've tested the RT system at 100m successfully.
 
YN and 3rd party options have ETTL, 2nd curtain sync, RF 100m range and laser-style focus assist lights.
Maybe not quite as neat as an integrated full Canon system
 
I have some YN triggers which allow me to use ETTL with my 430ex ii so in theory I don't need the radio triggering capabilities of 600. But those are another devices to carry around, more stuff to connect and worry about and more spare batteries to carry around. I could also sell the triggers if I buy the 600
 
Each new light is going to cost you. Can't believe canon hasn't brought out a 450exrt yet. Or even worse, left focus assist of the e3.

I have several 580exiis with the yn 622 system and I'm happy camper. Also have a single yn 568 somewhere, and I'm sure I could manage with several of those too.

Canon 600 rt system is all or nothing.
 
That's what I have too - a pair of YN 622s for my 430EX II speedlite and a pair of YN 603s for my studio strobes (second strobe fires automatically when the first one does) - and am quite happy too. However, it was my plan from the start to add bigger/more powerful speedlite to my system at some point anyway. I was thinking about adding 580EX II, but now I am not sure anymore. Maybe it would be better idea to invest in 600EX-RT straight away and get rid of YN 622s - one less thing to worry about (I take that the 600EX-RT attached to hotshoe will fire the 430EX II off-camera without any additional triggers).
 
It will fire the 430 via optical but not wireless radio
 
=ReBeL= said:
Really? I was under impression that it has radio trigger built in and will fire any EX flash. I'm confused now
Click to expand...


Hi Adrian

My understanding is the same as Admirable's. Unless mounted on a trigger such as the YN-622c, neither the 580 or 430Exll will not respond to a radio signal. They are only optically-triggered so the 600 won't fire the 430 unless the latter is in its' line of vision. Like Kris, I'm a happy camper with my two 580s and solus 430 Exlls. Perhaps a little fiddly to have to mount the flashes onto the triggers but it really isn't much of a bind and for the asking price, work very well. My only problem down the line is should I need more power in which case I'll possibly go for a bare bulb flash. The Godox/Cheetah AD 180 or 360 have been well-received.
 
Last edited:
It actually makes sense now. The 600EX-RT does have a radio trigger built in, but the 430EX II does not, so it won't fire. Optical as we all know is a very hit and miss so it is out of question (unless in sterile studio environment).

If I am forced to use YN 622s anyway, maybe I'll just save myself some money and go for a second hand 580EX II instead. Just shows that I should be doing my homework before spending my money. I'm glad I started this thread then :)

Thanks
 
If it doesn't say rt in the product, it wont work.

'Forced to use 622'? Are you new to this photography lark? Five years ago we were farting about adding silly little antenna mods to crappy little 433MHz dumb Chinese triggers that more often than not couldn't be arsed to get out of bed in the morning.

Five years ago I would have sold my granny to get a 622 type reliable, remote controllable, radio system.

You cant buy 580s new any more, so if you want the stop over the 430 and want to stick Canon own brand new you have no choice but to go for them.

Why don't you try a 568? Cracking little guns, and light is light.
 
Last edited:
Kris said:
If it doesn't say rt in the product, it wont work.

'Forced to use 622'. Are you new to this photography? Five years ago we were farting about adding silly little antenna mods to crappy little 433MHz dumb Chinese triggers that more often than not couldn't be arsed to get out of bed in the morning.

Five years ago I would have sold my granny to get a 622 type reliable, remote controllable, radio system.
Click to expand...

And they're less than £30 :banana:


Actually it's about 5 years ago I bought the pocketwizard Flex's, they cost the price of a decent fast zoom, were fiddly to set up and eventually the interference from other radio's p***ed me off. So I sold them, bought 2 622's annd 2 flashguns with the proceeds :D
 
Fannying about with my 622tx at the moment. :)

It can't be five years since the flex system was launched, can it?
 
What was 5 years ago, was 5 years ago. Now we all want wireless communication between everything, simplicity of use and as little fiddling with extra devices as possible. I understand that 5 years ago system like 622 would be amazing, I actually bought a pair of these as soon as they were released as I was using a pair of 602s at first (so had no ETTL) and couldn't at the time justify to buy pocketwizards to get ETTL.

However, I (same as most of us) think about future-proofing especially with purchases like main flashgun, lenses, etc. Hence my initial dillema, should I invest in 600 or 580. I now know that my initial idea of dropping 622s won't work (unless I sell 430 and invest in another 600), so it looks like 580 it is. And as for 568 I think I'd prefer to stick to Canon's flashes.

PS Looks like I'll be buying 622C-TX as well to go with 580 and 430 and my two 622s
 
I earn enough from my photography that if I thought changing to an all 600exrt system was worthwhile to my bottom line, I would do it in a heartbeat.

But to each their own, obv.

I would honestly prefer to get new 568s than second hand 580exII. Too much potential for them to have been hammered or worse used on PW flex. But to each their own...
 
All personal preference really (along with how much cash you have to drop on a system).

I had the Skyports as I said which are perfectly good triggers, but also used various other third party triggers along the way, and they are all just too much of a hassle for me to be bothered with. Connections get loose, either the cables on the flashes, or the hotshoe controller on camera. They're all fiddly to control from the camera (if they even offer that control). You have to spend time setting stuff up, and getting various bits n pieces out of your bag before you take a shot. You need more and various types of batteries.

A set of 600RTs takes a couple of seconds to set up. I don't have to take my flash off my camera, and I can turn everything up, down, on, off, from camera. Haven't missed a single shot with a misfire since I switched to them. Having the flash on camera is a huge bonus for me shooting events - it means I don't have to do anything to switch from off-camera flash to on-camera (OK I have to press one button). But not having to take triggers on and off, etc saves a massive ballache.

I know some systems let you stick a flash on top of the controller, like the PocketWizards, but they really are some cumbersome buggers aren't they.

Depends how you work though, and what type of work you do. If triggers annoy the hell out of you, like they do me, then switch. If you don't mind them, save your cash.
 
You are right about less equipment on the camera, for sure.

I wish yn would launch a flash with built in 622 - transmitter and receiver.
 
Kris said:
You are right about less equipment on the camera, for sure.

I wish yn would launch a flash with built in 622 - transmitter and receiver.
Click to expand...
Isn't that covered with the YN versions of the canon system?
 
It will be, when it (yn600rt) launches.

Canon interoperability will be a huge benefit too. Maybe we will all go single radio encoding moving forward if they crack canon's protocols.

But again, it's all or nothing. Has to be all rt or nothing communicates. A 568 with a built in 622 receiver would be a single purchase for me and would fit my side arm flash bracket better, compatible with my current equipment, less dependency, one set of batteries and reduce weight.
 
Last edited:
I joined the 600EX-RT owners club yesterday. Didn't get much chance to play with it yet though, but it looks like a serious bit of kit and I'm sure it will work nicely as my main flash gun. Still waiting for the 622C-TX to arrive (hopefully today).
 
Last edited:
My issue with canon is why they do not do backward compatibility. Surely it would not be large engineering costs in making an add on so previous flash models 430, 580 etc could be fired/ controlled by an additional unit/radio receiver. Every update for canon seems to be negating previous models which IMO does not promote customer loyalty.
 
YN622C x 3 are next on the shopping list. Saves ebaying my 430 and 580 backlighting SORTED :-) :-)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top