Can I use a Canon 600EX-RT and a third-party flash together off-camera on a Canon 6D?
Asked 6/11/2016
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I want to use two flashes off-camera with a Canon 6D: one Canon 600EX-RT and one Digitek flash. Can different flash brands be triggered together, and what kind of trigger/receiver setup do I need? I’d like to know whether I can use them both at the same time and what features I may lose depending on the trigger system.
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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Lots of different radio triggers work with lots of different brands of flash. Yes, you can mix'n'match flash brands (see: What should I look for in a wireless flash trigger for a home studio?), but you may have to give up some/all additional flash features aside from firing in sync. Basically, you just need triggers that can communicate properly between your camera and your flash. The simplest/cheapest triggers are ones that only transmit the "fire" signal. More expensive ones transmit things like eTTL, HSS, 2nd curtain, and remote group/power settings.
In the case of the 600EX-RT, if you want to use it to its built-in wireless radio capabilities with your 6D and the full RT feature set, you'll need a transmitter that "speaks" Canon's RT system, otherwise, you'll be limited to the functions other radio triggers allow. The Canon 600EX-RT or ST-E3-RT are "masters" in this system. And there are several 3rd party clones that can work as well. But these are going to probably be among the more expensive class of trigger.
Your Digitek flash is the unknown factor. If it is a manual-only flash, you can easily trigger it in the RT system with a 3rd-party RT-system receiver, such as a Yongnuo ST-E3-RX, or Phottix Laso, but it won't understand HSS/TTL/etc. commands, just firing, and must have its power set manually. If your flash is Canon eTTL/HSS/etc. compatible, it should work with those functions as well, but may not have some of the addition RT function capability, such as being able to be used as a remote shutter release for your camera, unless the trigger you use adds that function.
You can also use non-RT TTL-capable triggers if you want, but you're liable to lose access to some RT-specific features, like ID codes, Groups E and F, Gr(oup) mode, and using the flash as your shutter remote. And if you use manual-only triggers, you'll only have firing in sync. This all depends on the triggering system you choose, and how that triggering system communicates with your gear.
Originally by user27440. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user27440
10y ago
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Yes. You can mix different flash brands off-camera as long as the trigger system can communicate with each flash.
The key point is that compatibility depends more on the trigger/receiver setup than on the flash brand itself. Simple radio triggers only send a basic “fire” signal, so they can often trigger many different flashes together. With that kind of setup, you may lose advanced features such as TTL/eTTL, high-speed sync, second-curtain sync, and remote power/group control.
Your Canon 600EX-RT has Canon’s built-in RT radio system, but to use its full RT feature set you need a transmitter that supports Canon RT. A non-RT trigger can still fire it, but typically only in more basic ways.
So your options are:
- use simple universal triggers/receivers if you only need manual off-camera flash firing, or
- use a Canon RT-compatible transmitter for the 600EX-RT, understanding the Digitek may not support the same advanced Canon RT features.
If you want both flashes to work together reliably, the safest assumption is manual triggering unless both are supported by the same advanced trigger ecosystem.
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