Inexpensive Wireless Transceiver help? Rf-603?

Hello All,

What is the least expensive wireless transceiver available that can activate off camera flashes without having to be mounted in the hotshoe? Otherwise with pass through ability? I have a Canon 40d, btw.

I prefer to have a flash mounted in the hotshoes while activating off camera flashes. It can be manual or e-ttl.

1) I own some Yongnuo rf-602's for shutter release purposes. The 602 transmitter has to be mounted in the hotshoe to activate off-camera flashes though, so this won't work.

2) I owned some Yongnuo rf-603's a while back but only briefly.

I think these might work but I cannot recall if you can use a PC cord attached to the camera and transceiver to activate off-camera flashes; with a flash also mounted in the hotshoe?

---------------

I know the Yongnuo yn-622's (manual & ettl) will work as well as Phottix Stato II (manual) but I don't need all the features, especially if I can use the inexpensive rf-603 as desired?

Thanks,
Ralph

Ralph, What camera do you have? Does it have a pc sync port?

gonzogolf wrote in post #16702101
Ralph, What camera do you have? Does it have a pc sync port?

Hey gonzogolf,

I have the Canon 40d as noted. It does have a pc port.


One additional question: Are there any cheaper manual transceivers than the Yongnuo Yn-622 or Phottix Strato II, that can control off camera flashes via the camera menu?


Thanks,
Ralph

Ralph III wrote in post #16702112
One additional question: Are there any cheaper manual transceivers than the Yongnuo Yn-622 or Phottix Strato II, that can control off camera flashes via the camera menu?

No, because to control speedlites remotely you have to have the communication channel thats part of ETTL and it doesnt make any sense to add that without adding ETTL. Non ETTL (manual) flashes generally dont have any communication channel so there would be little reason to engineer such a thing from that angle either. I heard a rumor that perhaps the YN560III was going to have that option with a yet to be announced matching transmitter but I dont know if it has any merit.

The YN603 has pass through on the top of the transciever, but manual only no ETTL. What are you trying to do that requires the hotshoe be free and the triggers being in the sync port, it might help to understand the end goal.

Ralph III wrote in post #16702112
Hey gonzogolf,

I have the Canon 40d as noted. It does have a pc port.


One additional question: Are there any cheaper manual transceivers than the Yongnuo Yn-622 or Phottix Strato II, that can control off camera flashes via the camera menu?


Thanks,
Ralph

On my 40D I shoot with my skyport on top of a YN603 all the time. I use the YN603 as the remote shutter release, the skyport is plugged into the PC Sync.The PC Sync port is above the shutter release plug.

the YN622C's are excellent, well worth the money, which isn't that much really. The only thing I have issues with is that it's easy to hit the button that changes the channels, I wish they were dip switches.

you can have ettl pass thru on the camera hot shoe, with a YN-622, and a flash on top.

The thing to keep in mind is the YN-622 becomes the master flash, and even the flash on top of the 622 on the camera is a slave.

I seem to remember triggering my strobes with a 603 on the PC of the camera, but I can double check tonight if you like. I should be able to use one 603 in hand (remote), one plugged in to remote trigger from hand, and have one in the PC port to trigger other flashes/strobes with a 603 plugged in, if I remember right. The rub is you need to have all the correct cords to do this.

the 603 won't trigger flash only if you want to use a flash meter.

Gonzo....,

I just want an inexpensive way to fire some off camera flashes while maintaining a flash on camera. That's about it.

**I prefer a wireless transceiver because they are much more reliable with extensive distance versus optical slaves with limited distance.

**I'd like the ability to use my on camera flash in ettl mode if desired. Yes, this is a little more tricky but I've used such a setup before. In such a case, I'm just using the off-camera flash for additional ambient or background lighting. I then use the on-camera flash for the subject and adjust FEC as needed.

Ralph

Yeah, I seem to remember the 603 needs to be in the hotshoe to know its a trigger instead of a receiver. I never owned them so I might be wrong.

Ralph III wrote in post #16702193
Gonzo....,

I just want an inexpensive way to fire some off camera flashes while maintaining a flash on camera. That's about it.

**I prefer a wireless transceiver because they are much more reliable with extensive distance versus optical slaves with limited distance.

**I'd like the ability to use my on camera flash in ettl mode if desired. Yes, this is a little more tricky but I've used such a setup before. In such a case, I'm just using the off-camera flash for additional ambient or background lighting. I then use the on-camera flash for the subject and adjust FEC as needed.

Ralph

That helps. The YN622's give you pass through, but I've never used them mixed with manual flashes.

I'll try and see if this works tonight with the 603's. I don't use ETTL with OCF. I assume you're looking to light a room using OCF, but shoot the subject using ETTL because they may not be stationary.

" .. The 602 transmitter has to be mounted in the hotshoe to activate off-camera flashes though, so this won't work .. "

Not necessarily. Canon bodies with a pc sync out, like yours, allow simultaneous use of the hot-shoe (doing ETTL II stuff, if you like) while the pc out can run a 602 or 600 Tx (albiet, with slightly reduced max sync).

Early 602 Txs had a pc in socket - later versions, labelled 600 Tx omitted the pc in port - but you can simply use a flash-type hot-shoe adaptor. A Male - male pc screw cord links to the camera. You lose wake-up - but CFn 01 to 1 on most Canon Speedlites turns off Sleep mode.

Yes, I've owned the Yongnuo yn-622's. So I know they as well as the Phottix Strato II's can be used as I describe. I just really don't need such complication especially if I can do the same with an inexpensive rf-603. In addition, they cannot be used as a shutter release, whereas the rf-602 and rf-603 can double for that.

I may get some more yn-622's eventually but my budget is very limited right now.

If push comes to shove, I could just buy a shoe-cord with pass-through on top.

Exactly! Please confirm whether that will work. That would be my cheapest route.

**Have one flash on-camera, while using rf-603 attached to camera via PC port to fire off-camera flashes..

Thanks,
Ralph

The 603's dont pass ETTL through. They do have a hotshoe but its not ETTL plus there is a concern with how solid the mount is as the 603 doesnt lock and then you add the weight of the flash on top. The 603II is supposed to fix that.

OceanRipple wrote in post #16702209
" ... later versions, labelled 600 Tx omitted the pc in port - but you can simply use a flash-type hot-shoe adaptor. A Male - male pc screw cord links to the camera. You lose wake-up - but CFn 01 to 1 on most Canon Speedlites turns off Sleep mode.

Bingo. I have a brand new set of rf-602's and the transmitter has no pc port (RF-600TX). If the 603's will work I will simply sale the 602's and go with those instead...

Thanks,
Ralph