A new technology firm from China has created a wireless radio slave that doubles up as an infrared shutter remote.
The Youtu GShot YT21 is much like other cheap flash triggers, with wireless grouping, flash wake-up, 2.4GHz signalling and a claimed 200-metre range, plus the ability to act as a remote shutter release with the right connecting cables. But there’s one more feature: it’ll act as an infrared camera remote, replacing a Nikon ML-L3 or Canon RC-6. (For the latter, a delay-firing mode is also supported.)
The advantage of this is that if you want to trigger your camera remotely and fire flash, you can just use your DSLR’s built-in infrared sensor to trip the shutter, rather than needing a spare GShot receiver and connecting cable. So for a remote camera + flash setup only three GShots are needed instead of four. But if you already have an ML-L3 or RC-6 (or equivalent third-party remote) then you might not be too fussed about this feature.
Each GShot YT21 can act as either a transmitter or a receiver, with 16 frequency channels and three groups: A, B and C. The device runs on a pair of AAA batteries and uses a 2.5mm socket as well as a standard hotshoe connector.
Available now, the Youtu G-Shot YT21 costs just US$25 on eBay for a set. Would you buy one?
The GShot trigger is currently the only product that exists under the Youtu brand. But the company has taken the time to get on Google+, Twitter and Facebook, so we can expect news of more nifty little gadgets from them in the future. On their web site, the firm says:
“Because of the success of YT21 in the market, the R&D team of YOUTU technologies decided to develop TTL interface wireless flash trigger on the base of present mature transceiver. Users can update the software of the new products through computer and experience the newest function. The new product is estimated to be released in the next half year of 2013. Customers are welcome to visit our website to obtain the newest information.”
So as well as the current hybrid radio-IR remote, later this year we can anticipate the release of a 2.4GHz TTL flash trigger with USB firmware updates and backwards-compatibility with the YT21. Nice. For more information on the GShot YT21, visit the Youtu product page.