Remote firing 600 RT

Just a quick Q. Will a pocket wizard fire a Canon 600RT flash. Looking to do some off camera flash stuff.

No.

I thought that was the advantage to buying a radio transmitted flash?

If you mean one PW on the camera and another connected to the flash, yes.

If you mean the PW directly triggering the RF receiver in the flash, no.

Not many, if any radio transmitters/receivers from different manufacturers are compatible. You need a second 600ex rt or the st-e3 to trigger the radio function in the 600 series flashes.

I was trying to find a cheaper alternative to the st-e3. But I guess I'll just have to get that then.

scpictaker wrote in post #15584948
I was trying to find a cheaper alternative to the st-e3. But I guess I'll just have to get that then.

scpictaker,

I have two 600EX-RT flashes; one will fire the other via master > Slave via radio. I also have an ST-E3 whatever you call it and it will fire both, but given that it's half the price of a 600EX-RT, you'd be better off buying a second flash to use as trigger IMO (And I wish I'd have thought of that before buying the $T thingamajig.)

The best thing about triggering with flash is that my 5DIII can control the entire thing whereas the ST thing takes some of the control away and insists on controlling things itself...if that makes any sense.

Why'd they name the ST trigger what they named it? It's too hard to remember the name.

So, if I got a st-e3, I can fire my 600rt, and use my 580 exii and 430 ex as slaves to the 600rt right? So get all 3 to fire or would the later 2 just be paper weights?

PaulMedik wrote in post #15584980
scpictaker,

I have two 600EX-RT flashes; one will fire the other via master > Slave via radio. I also have an ST-E3 whatever you call it and it will fire both, but given that it's half the price of a 600EX-RT, you'd be better off buying a second flash to use as trigger IMO (And I wish I'd have thought of that before buying the $T thingamajig.)

The best thing about triggering with flash is that my 5DIII can control the entire thing whereas the ST thing takes some of the control away and insists on controlling things itself...if that makes any sense.

Why'd they name the ST trigger what they named it? It's too hard to remember the name.

can the on camera 600 trigger the off camera slave without actually firing? or is it optically triggerd?

john_galt wrote in post #15585068
can the on camera 600 trigger the off camera slave without actually firing? or is it optically triggerd?

John_galt,

It's triggered via radio; not optically. I'm sure there's a setting to trigger the slave though not fire the on camera master flash, but I've not found it.

scpictaker wrote in post #15584987
So, if I got a st-e3, I can fire my 600rt, and use my 580 exii and 430 ex as slaves to the 600rt right? So get all 3 to fire or would the later 2 just be paper weights?

No. Unfortunately the STE3 is RT capable only. So it won't fire any pre 600 series flashes. The 600 is both RT or OT capable so you need one of those on your cam however then you are using Optical. Canon gets you on this one. Gets you spending money.

I went down the same path you did. Started with a 600, then the STE3 followed by another 600. I wound up selling my mixed bag of flashes which included a 580, 580II, other 3rd party flashes and triggers .

I'm glad I did it. I don't miss my old system. Get another 600, use optical for now and future proof yourself. You may as well. Mind you if you can wait Yongnuo and others won't be far behind. Then again they may use their own radio frequency.

digital paradise wrote in post #15585784
Mind you if you can wait Yongnuo and others won't be far behind. Then again they may use their own radio frequency.

While Yongnuo may reverse engineer the -RT function and then build 600EX-RT knock-offs, they may also opt to incorporate the YN-622c capabilities into a flash. Remember the -RT functions are only useful, in totality to 2012 cameras. On the other hand, the YN-622c is useful to any camera with external flash menu functions.

PaulMedik wrote in post #15584980
Why'd they name the ST trigger what they named it? It's too hard to remember the name.

S(lave flash)T(rigger) - E(-TTL compatible version)3 - R(adio)T(rigger compatible)

Perfectly logical!

Wow. I just thought they did that so it would be long and more irritating to type when in the forums.

scpictaker wrote in post #15584987
So, if I got a st-e3, I can fire my 600rt, and use my 580 exii and 430 ex as slaves to the 600rt right? So get all 3 to fire or would the later 2 just be paper weights?

I have three of the 600EX-RT flashes and one ST-E3. I've never used the ST-E3 (literally never) and would be willing to sell it to you for $295 shipped.

PaulMedik wrote in post #15585443
John_galt,

It's triggered via radio; not optically. I'm sure there's a setting to trigger the slave though not fire the on camera master flash, but I've not found it.

The left most button on the 600, in Menu 1, controls the on-camera flash output. press it to turn flash off, press it again to turn flash on. There is an icon of the flash head, with and without 3 light "rays" without means flash off, with means flash on.

Similar with 580EXII just requires a set of button presses.

If ou turn the flash output off on the master and use optical triggering, it still produces the signaling pre-flashes to set exposure and fire the slaves.

If using RT, there are still pre-flashes for ETTL exposure calculations.