What Yongnuo guns will replace my 580-EXii?

mickledore

mickledore

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I currently use Canon 580EX-II flash guns, mainly off camera with Yongnuo 622 triggers underneath them. I have a Yn 622CTX on my hotshoe which I use to control groups and power levels.
I'm thinking of swapping the Canon guns for Yn but am confused by the range available.
Someone must know which Yn guns would replace the 580 plus a 622 trigger. There must be an all in one model nowadays. I presume I would still need the TX but this suits me perfectly.

So, what guns should I be looking at?
 
LongLensPhotography said:
Sadly they are all no more than 2/3 power of genuine Canon speedlites. You get what you pay for
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I'd be interested to read the test review where you got this information. can you supply the a web link where we can read about that Canon v Yongnuo speedlite test.
 
mickledore said:
Thanks. I presume the control is still the TX on the hotshoe?
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No, it's the wrong flash. :)
The 600 is compatible with the Canon radio system so needs an ST-E3 (either Yongnuo or Canon)


You need a YN685 which is identical to the 600 except the built in receiver is compatible with the YN622's.
 
Phil V said:
No, it's the wrong flash. :)
The 600 is compatible with the Canon radio system so needs an ST-E3 (either Yongnuo or Canon)


You need a YN685 which is identical to the 600 except the built in receiver is compatible with the YN622's.
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Thank you very much. Most helpful.
 
redsnappa said:
I'd be interested to read the test review where you got this information. can you supply the a web link where we can read about that Canon v Yongnuo speedlite test.
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I haven't published this anywhere, so no. But others here have confirmed my observations in triplicate as I was worried I bought a defective flashgun.
 
I use four YN 600EX-RT guns with YN ST-E3-RT trigger. The advantage over the similar YN 685 is the 600 guns are also master units, meaning that a) you can have a master flash firing on-camera, as I often do, and b) if the ST-E3-RT master goes down for some reason, a 600 gun can be used as back-up. Very pleased with them.

And yes, the YN guns are about 1/4-1/3rd stop less bright than the Canons in terms of total measured light output.
 
Thank you. I understand you do testing of some sort so your input is appreciated.
 
mickledore said:
Thank you. I understand you do testing of some sort so your input is appreciated.
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Yes, I do product tests for various UK photo magazines and also DPReview website. I'm actually doing some speedlite reviews ATM.

Measuring total brightness on a level playing field is actually quite difficult. Simply firing the flash at a lightmeter won't do - that's basically how guide numbers are calculated and is subject to sometimes substantial errors. It needs a rig that collects all the light, scrambles it evenly, and outputs in a way that can be accurately measured. The rig also has to be compatible with flash units of all shapes and sizes, but that's another story.

A quarter or one-third stop reduction in brightness is quite a large percentage, and certainly unwelcome, but not often a deal-breaker in practical terms. If you're working that close to the limit on a regular basis (outdoors in daylight for example) then you really need to gang speedlites together, or just get a bigger flash unit, eg Godox 360 with 3x or 4x the brightness (that's 300-400% more). The reward is easy power, fast recharge times, and a hassle-free life :)
 
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