Can a Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT be powered from AC through its external power port?
Asked 5/2/2014
8 views
2 answers
0
I want to run a Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT from 240V AC instead of using an external battery pack. I have the correct external power plug, but I can only find battery packs for that connector. Is it possible to use a mains power supply, and what should I know about the external power input?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
2
You have two options. There is only one commercial product for this that I know of, from Innovatronix. I looked into this years ago as a potential continuous power source for doing bird photography off a deep cycle battery (mainly to improve recycle times, less so for longevity.) The productis the Tronix SpeedFire...honestly not sure if it's still sold.
The other option is to make your own mains power supply adapter. It actually is not all that difficult, and this article covers the specifics:
The latter is what I eventually did, although I have not used it in some time (I generally just seek out birds when the sun is out now...hell of a lot easier than trying to lug around a big, heavy deep cycle around with me all the time.) This is pretty easy to get working off a deep cycle or small sealed lead acid batteries. You would need to build an AC/DC converter if you really wanted to get it working off of an AC power outlet, and that's beyond any of the articles I've found on the subject.
Originally by user124. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user124
12y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes, but not directly from mains. The 600EX-RT’s external power port is intended for a high-voltage battery pack/charging circuit, not raw 240V AC or the same low voltage as the 4×AA cells. You need a proper power supply or converter designed to emulate an external flash pack.
From the answers, there are two practical routes:
- Use a commercial AC/DC flash power solution such as the Innovatronix Tronix SpeedFire (if available).
- Build or adapt a custom mains power supply, ideally based on the design of Canon’s official external pack.
Important: the external pack connection does not power all of the flash electronics. It mainly supplies the flash capacitor charging circuit, so the flash still normally needs internal AA batteries (or a separate replacement supply for that internal battery power).
A safer DIY approach is to start with an official Canon external battery pack and feed power into the pack at its known battery inputs, letting Canon’s internal charging circuitry handle the flash-side requirements.
Do not connect AC directly to the flash port.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI12y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Can I build an external power supply for a Yongnuo YN-14EX flash, and what does the power port require?
What voltage and pinout does the Godox TT685 external power port use?
Can a Panasonic Lumix LX10 be powered externally instead of hacking the battery?
Can a Yongnuo YN560 IV be powered from 12V, or does its external power port require high voltage?
Can a Nikon external flash battery pack be adapted to a Godox TT685N with Canon-style power port?