Which third-party speedlights work with Canon's RT radio system?
Asked 4/6/2020
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I use a Canon 6D with a Canon 600EX-RT and a 580EX II, and I’d like to add more flashes while staying in Canon’s 2.4GHz RT radio system rather than optical triggering. Are there any reliable third-party speedlights that are compatible with Canon RT? Ideally I’d like E-TTL and HSS support as well. I’m mainly looking for brands/models that can join an existing Canon RT setup and any caveats about mixing different third-party RT units.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
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Many "generic" flash makers have units that are supposed to be compatible with the Canon RT radio system. Most of them include "RT" in the model number of the units they offer that they claim are compatible. Most of them are, for the most part, compatible with OEM Canon RT devices. Where it gets a little bit messy is when one tries to get two different generic "RT" flashes from different makers to work together. That's when issues seem to start cropping up more frequently.
Yongnuo is probably the most well-known Brand that makes generic RT flashes. Not all of their flashes use the RT protocol. In fact, most of their flashes do not. But those that do have an "RT" in the model number, such as the YN600EX-RT II. In the Yongnuo naming convention, the EX means the flash is TTL capable. The RT means it uses the Canon RT radio protocol. Most of Yongnuo's TTL flashes are also capable of HSS, second curtain sync, Multi flash, etc.
If all you're going to use are speedlights, then RT is not a bad way to go. But if you ever want to mix speedlights with more powerful monolights, either battery powered portable ones or mains powered studio lights, you will be limited to being able to tell those flashes to "fire" by plugging an RT receiver unit into the wired trigger port of the monolight. To change power or other settings, you'll need to do it directly on the control panel of the flash. You'll also almost certainly be limited to manual power control with no HSS, E-TTL, second curtain sync, etc.
There is another wireless system that offers compatibility with lights in their lineup all the way from low-powered, manual only compact flashes with guide numbers of less than 40 meters all the way to very powerful studio lights that output more than 1,000 watt-seconds. This is Godox, which is also sold under various trade names. Adorama in the United States, for example, sells Godox products under their private brand label 'Flashpoint'. There are also vendors in Europe that sell Godox products using a private brand label.
Using a TTL capable receiver with the Godox system allows one to have remote power control, use HSS, etc. as long as the flash is capable of doing the same thing directly attached to the camera's hot shoe.
That's something to think about before you get too deep into a speedlight only radio protocol.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—some third-party flashes are made to work with Canon’s RT radio system, and they often include “RT” in the model name. The best-known example mentioned is Yongnuo. Not all Yongnuo flashes support Canon RT, but models such as the Yongnuo YN600EX-RT II are intended to be compatible with Canon RT gear.
A key caution: compatibility is usually best when mixing Canon RT flashes with one third-party RT brand. Problems are more likely when you try to mix RT-compatible flashes from different third-party manufacturers in the same setup.
If you want E-TTL, look for Yongnuo models with “EX” in the name, which indicates TTL capability in their naming scheme. For the smoothest experience, verify that the specific flash explicitly states Canon RT radio compatibility and test any advanced features you need, such as HSS, before committing.
So, in short: yes, third-party options exist, and Yongnuo is a commonly cited one—but stick to confirmed Canon-RT-compatible models and avoid mixing multiple generic RT brands if reliability matters.
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AI6y ago
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