Can a Yongnuo RF-603 be triggered from an external sync source like an acoustic trigger?
Asked 1/26/2016
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I’m planning a simple high-speed flash setup for things like popping balloons or water drops in a dark room, using a long shutter and a flash burst to freeze motion. I’m considering a Yongnuo YN-560 III with RF-603 triggers.
My question is whether an RF-603 can be fired by an external device such as an acoustic/sound trigger. Specifically, can I plug the acoustic trigger into the RF-603’s PC sync port, or otherwise trigger the RF-603 by cable or hot shoe adapter so it will fire the flash remotely?
If the RF-603 cannot accept sync input directly, what practical alternatives are there for connecting an acoustic trigger to either the radio trigger or the flash itself?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
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No. You can't. The PC sync port on the RF-603 is output-only for receiver mode to connect to the flash, not an input. I know, because I tested it with an optical sensor that worked just fine on my very very old RF-602-TX unit (no longer sold as part of the RF-602 sets--they removed the PC port).
There are, however, radio triggers that do have sync inputs as well as outputs. Godox triggers, for example, typically have sync ports that can be configured to be either input or output. The Godox X-Pro transmitter, for example, has a 2.5mm sync port, and the SYNC C.Fn can be set to IN or OUT.
Or, if you don't mind going corded, just sending the output from the acoustic sensor directly to the flash via its PC port over a cable would work. If you're having a hard time sourcing PC connectors/cables, you can also consider modding the YN-560III to add a 3.5 miniphone connector (or just buying a flash with a 3.5mm jack, like a LumoPro LP 120/160/180), or use a hotshoe-to-3.5mm adapter. The 3.5mm miniplugs are more robust than PC connectors, anyway.
Originally by user27440. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user27440
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The RF-603’s PC sync port is generally output-only in receiver use, so you can’t use that port as an input from an acoustic trigger.
However, you may still be able to trigger an RF-603 transmitter through its hot shoe contacts by using a passive hot shoe adapter that presents a sync connection (such as PC or 3.5mm) to the shoe. Your acoustic trigger would connect to the adapter, and the RF-603 would sit on the adapter. When the trigger closes the sync circuit, the RF-603 can transmit and fire the remote flash.
A simpler alternative is to skip the radio trigger entirely and connect the acoustic trigger directly to the flash’s sync port, if the flash supports it. That avoids extra radio delay, which can matter in high-speed work.
If you want a radio system designed for external sync input, some triggers from other systems offer sync ports that can be configured as input or output.
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