YN 600 RT underpowered?

LongLensPhotography

LongLensPhotography

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I received mine last week. For the price it is hard not to buy one.

I have just been playing around the house and putting its paces against the Canon version. I can't see many differences, except I only got half the output at full power setting (M 1/1).

It is certainly OK for many things, but I struggled to light a dog indoors at ISO 400 f/8. Canon was fine (actually maxed out around this mark). This would limit its use as a keylight off camera.
At ISO 1600 f/4 in ETTL mode both behave almost identically.

Edit: it appears 580EX, 600EX and 430EX produce very similar output; as expected 600EX just barely comes out as the brightest maybe by 1/3 stop. YN is down 1-1.3 stops which is kind of very noticeable.

Anyone else noticed same? Or would that buy a duff one, or it didn't like the batteries, etc?

I'll hold off buying any more YNs until I can clear up this issue.
 
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Mine is the opposite. it is just ever so slightly more powerful than my canon 600ex.
 
quango2k said:
Mine is the opposite. it is just ever so slightly more powerful than my canon 600ex.
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Can I ask what firmware version does yours have? I wouldn't mind another but I really need the full power. This one will be hairlight, so that is fine.
 
quango2k said:
Erm, how do I tell? Lol
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It's in the instructions, but OTTOMH you hold the function button as it's powering up (I don't have one, but that's the usual thing with YN flashguns).
 
Found it. Hold function then go to version query. My version is 1.8.1
 
daugirdas said:
I received mine last week. For the price it is hard not to buy one.

I have just been playing around the house and putting its paces against the Canon version. I can't see many differences, except I only got half the output at full power setting (M 1/1).

It is certainly OK for many things, but I struggled to light a dog indoors at ISO 400 f/8. Canon was fine (actually maxed out around this mark). This would limit its use as a keylight off camera.
At ISO 1600 f/4 in ETTL mode both behave almost identically.

Edit: it appears 580EX, 600EX and 430EX produce very similar output; as expected 600EX just barely comes out as the brightest maybe by 1/3 stop. YN is down 1-1.3 stops which is kind of very noticeable.

Anyone else noticed same? Or would that buy a duff one, or it didn't like the batteries, etc?

I'll hold off buying any more YNs until I can clear up this issue.
Click to expand...

Doesn't sound right Daugirdas, assuming the YN 600 is the same as the 568.

On the other hand, when you say the 430EX is just as powerful, which it's not, maybe you're not comparing properly.
 
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HoppyUK said:
On the other hand, when you say the 430EX is just as powerful, which it's not, maybe you're not comparing properly.
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OK, 430 is not as powerful, but there is less than 0.5 stop difference between 600EX, which is far better than my YN...

I'm not sure if there is any real warranty for them from ebay sellers so I am now pretty concerned about getting another one. If canon only brought out cheap 430EX-RT sooner.
 
Canon Bob said:
Or the sync timing is off?

Bob
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Wouldn't affect brightness, Bob.

I'd like to know exactly how the comparisons were made before condemning the YN though.
 
HoppyUK said:
Wouldn't affect brightness, Bob.

I'd like to know exactly how the comparisons were made before condemning the YN though.
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fairly dim room, 200mm lens, all test shots fired from one spot; ISO 100 f/8. Flash was bounced of the ceiling at 50mm zoom setting. Everything was repeated a few times just to be sure. All my different Canons (600, 580, 430) were a lot closer than YN.
 
Exposure compensation set into the flash?

If it was all identical manual settings (camera/flashes) then it should be the same as the Canon 600. Batteries could be a contributor if you were inadvertently short firing it.
 
sk66 said:
Exposure compensation set into the flash?

If it was all identical manual settings (camera/flashes) then it should be the same as the Canon 600. Batteries could be a contributor if you were inadvertently short firing it.
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Manual 1/1. Batteries are all the same (7DS / Eneloop 2100mAh)
 
daugirdas said:
fairly dim room, 200mm lens, all test shots fired from one spot; ISO 100 f/8. Flash was bounced of the ceiling at 50mm zoom setting. Everything was repeated a few times just to be sure. All my different Canons (600, 580, 430) were a lot closer than YN.
Click to expand...

Maybe you have a duffer there then, Daugirdas. Unless it's a mistake like exposure comp or zoom head setting (though bouncing is a good way to even that out a bit) or whatever. The fact that the 430EX is coming in half a stop down on the 600EX is right, so that at least verifies your test method.

If the YN 600 (that I haven't tested) is the same inside as the YN 568 (that I have tested, also Canon 600, 580 and 430) then it should come in exactly the same as the Canon 600.
 
HoppyUK said:
Maybe you have a duffer there then, Daugirdas.
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It looks like it. What would you personally do about this unit and any further purchases?
 
daugirdas said:
It looks like it. What would you personally do about this unit and any further purchases?
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I would do a double-check first, and if confirmed, then get it replaced. A one-off problem like that doesn't put me off the YN-600EX, though I've deliberately delayed getting any too soon ;) At YN prices you can afford to carry a spare.
 
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