A new slew of gadgets has gone on show at the Beijing’s P&E 2014 technology fair, including plenty of photographic lighting gear as well as emerging trends like smartwatches and the like. This being China, the hydra of copied kit canĂ‚Â rear its many heads.
Shanny, a Shenzhen-based manufacturer you haven’t heard of, presented the the Speedlite SN600S — which is available for Canon and for Nikon. It looks the spitting image ofĂ‚Â Canon’s own Speedlite 600EX, a high-end, well-reviewed flashgun that’ll typically set you back Ă‚ÂŁ465/$500.Ă‚Â Doubtless it’s a total coincidence. Great minds think alike, surely?
Not only will there be an SN600S, but also an SN600EX and SN600EX-RT with various levels of master/slave modes and 2.4GHz radio transmission capabilities, plus specs supposedly on par with the real thing.Ă‚Â With almost exactly the same menu interface — with the anomalous “i-TTL” mode on an ostensibly for-Canon design — there seems to be little room for innovation or even trying to make improvements upon the original design. While many companies might bring out products somewhatĂ‚Â resembling the popular model, few go the whole hog and produce an absolute facsimile.
What do you think? A shameless copy or just a little bit too flattering? Share your thoughts below.