A Chinese manufacturer called Shenzhen Skyeagle Photographic Equipment Company – Sky Eagle for short – have launched a new wireless flash remote running on the 2.4GHz frequency band.
Not another cheap flash trigger, surely? This one is a little bit different. It offers the unique combination of TTL pass-through on the transmitter and a built-in umbrella holder on the receiver.
The radios have models for Canon (RF-801) and for Nikon (RF-802), supporting TTL pass-through and flash wake-up for each. Within that, there are two variations (H and non-H) – with and without the integrated umbrella hole. The nomenclature is as follows.
| Model | Compatible Camera Brand | Umbrella Holder? |
|---|---|---|
| Sky Eagle RF-801 | Canon E-TTL | No |
| Sky Eagle RF-801H | Canon E-TTL | Yes |
| Sky Eagle RF-802 | Nikon i-TTL | No |
| Sky Eagle RF-802H | Nikon i-TTL | Yes |
The Sky Eagle RF-80X can be used to synchronise your off-camera flashes, or as a remote shutter release. The shutter cables are connected to the receiver using not a 3.5mm socket, but a mini-USB port, in common with some other budget 433MHz triggers, presumably from the same factory. Cables are included in the package.
If your (compatible) speedlight goes to sleep on an RF-80X receiver then you can wake it up using a half-press of your camera’s shutter button. The claimed operating range is 100 metres, with a maximum synchronisation speed of 1/250 second.
The transmitter has an extra hotshoe on top that passes information through from the camera. This allows an on-camera speedlight to be used in combination with manual radio triggering.
A locking metal hotshoe is designed to keep your transmitter and external flashgun safe and secure on your DSLR. Both transmitter and receiver use two AAA batteries each.
The most distinctive feature in these triggers is the aluminium alloy umbrella hole integrated into the receivers. Using it can negate the need for a separate light stand adapter, though you can’t tilt the speedlight back and forth unless it is mounted on a tripod. The holder is probably not strong enough for heavier modifiers, such as large parabolic umbrellas.
If you find you’ve mislaid or broken your light stand adapter for any reason, then the RF-80XH umbrella holder could be useful in a pinch.
Where to buy
Price and release dates are not yet publicised. For more information, visit the manufacturer’s product page.
Sky Eagle say they are a professional manufacturer of photographic equipment whose purpose is “offering high performance digital products to our users”.