Yongnuo has released official photos and specs of its upcoming Speedlite YN600EX-RT, a flashgun meant to rip-off rival the Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT.
Having already released the world’s first third-party transmitter to be compatible with Canon’s proprietary radio system, the YN-E3-RT, Yongnuo is following it up with its own version of the radio-enabled 600EX-RT flash. Once available — there is no precise release date yet, but we have been told to expect it in October — you could theoretically build a complete flash system on Canon’s radio transmission protocol using only Yongnuo-made accessories.
It wouldn’t make any sense to do this, of course, as it would almost certainly be cheaper and more sensible to opt for the Yongnuo YN-622C series, which supports a wider range of both old and new flashes, or even another third-party triggering system. But assuming Canon doesn’t sue, the Yongnuos could help make expanding an existing Canon RT setup more affordable. Unfortunately the YN600EX-RT is not compatible with either of Yongnuo’s own 2.4GHz triggering systems (RF-603 and YN-622).
Manufacturer specifications
- Guide number of 60 (Iso-100, 200mm)
- Electronic zoom head 20–200mm
- E-TTL and manual power control
- “Dumb” S1/S2 optical slave modes
- Canon RT wireless support (master and slave)
- Canon AND Nikon optical transmission wireless support (slave mode — possibly master too?)
- High-speed sync to 1/8000 second
- PC sync
- External power socket for high-voltage battery packs
- USB firmware updates
Are you interested in a cheaper alternative to the Canon 600EX-RT, or are there better ways for flash makers to compete? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
The Yongnuo YN600EX-RT should be available in October 2014 at a price to be announced from the official Yongnuo outlet. Read our YN-E3-RT review here.