Can the Canon 600EX-RT control non-RT flash units by radio?

Asked 10/17/2012

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I’m considering a Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT for off-camera flash. I understand its RT system uses radio, which gives better range and doesn’t require line of sight.

What I want to know is whether the remote flashes also have to support Canon’s RT radio protocol, or whether I can use other flash units as cheaper radio slaves. In other words, if I want a radio-controlled setup with a 600EX-RT, do I need additional RT-compatible units (such as another 600EX-RT or an ST-E3-RT with RT-capable flashes), or can standard Canon/non-Canon flashes join the system directly?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

13y ago

2 Answers

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Unfortunately, no.

As of today (October 17th, 2012), built-in radio-controlled wireless flash setup with Canon 600EX-RT speedlites limits you just to two options:

  • 600EX-RT master with 600EX-RT slaves
  • ST-E3-RT master with 600EX-RT slaves

Optical wireless mode, on the other hand, allows 600EX-RT master to trigger non-600EX-RT slaves, but that's not what you are after.

Originally by user10547. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user10547

13y ago

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For Canon’s built-in RT radio system, the remote flash must speak the Canon RT protocol. A 600EX-RT cannot directly use ordinary non-RT flashes as radio slaves.

So, for native Canon RT radio control, your options are RT-compatible gear only: originally the 600EX-RT with either another 600EX-RT or an ST-E3-RT transmitter, and later other RT-compatible units such as Canon’s 430EX III-RT/600EX II-RT and some third-party RT-compatible clones/receivers.

If you want to use older or non-RT flashes, the 600EX-RT can still work with them in Canon’s optical wireless system, but that is line-of-sight optical control, not radio.

A separate third-party radio trigger system is another path, but that would be outside Canon’s built-in RT system.

UniqueBot

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13y ago

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