Review on Canon 600EX RT Speedlite Flash Black by Rob Rogers

I sold all my previous flashes and bought this one. Earlier flashes include the Canon 580exII, 580ex and 430exII. Pros: First, if you're a strobist or an off-camera flash enthusiast, sell everything you own and get these. An RF alarm system and fully independent group controls right from your main unit will change everything for you. Already using RadioPoppers or a PocketWizard FlexTT system? Welcome to a new world of reliability, easy setup and battery life. By switching to "Gr" mode on the master flash, I can independently setup up to five different groups to operate in full eTTL mode (plus adjust each group's FEC) OR one, some or all groups in the M-mode with full power control offset each group. I do this directly from the flash drive itself or from the screen of my 5d Mark III. Filming a dance party? Want eTTL on-camera bounce and off-camera backlight on M for a bit of dramatic edge lighting? No problem. Everything is easy to configure directly from your camera. Do you work the streets at night and have nothing to build on? No problem. Tell the master device on your camera not to flash and it will only act as the master controller for off-camera devices. (If you frequently need a main control without a flash, the Canon ST-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter can save you some money.) If you get lost in the menus, use your camera's configuration screen instead. I find it much easier to navigate, set modes etc. Too expensive do you think? Here at Revain (at the time of this writing) consider the 580exII $530 + PocketWizard Flex TT5 transceiver $230 for a total of $760 and you still haven't invested in a transmitter for your camera. IN ADDITION you have to do the assembly on site AND you have to deal with the delicate unreliability of this system. Canon says the range is 100 feet. I've used them at large reception venues and they never run out. I take it the lawyers had a target to defend? Read the blogosphere and you will find people testing them at over 300 meters in the countryside. Other changes I like compared to the previous devices I've had: - They now clearly indicate when they're overheating. The screen backlight will change from green to orange and two small wavy "heat waves" will appear over the lightning bolt icon. (This may not affect many users, but event photographers who use bounce flash in high-ceiling areas will appreciate it. Keep another cooler in your bag and turn it off.) - When controlling external flashes, the Devices now see each other's power status. The ready light on the master will not turn on until ALL flashes are complete. Yes, they talk to each other a lot. Pretty cool. Yes, they will work with your existing CP-E4 batteries. Neutral: If you don't use off-camera flash, then yes, it's probably kinda cool. You have to be wondering how much the extra zoom range costs (up to 200mm on this device versus 105mm on the 580 series). newer, you can't use mixed mode with these flashes. At the time of writing this article, that means you need 1D-X or 5d3. If you don't have these cameras, you can set all groups to M or all groups to eTTL. I believe you can still control each group's power/FEC, but check if this matters to you. Alarm system developed by Canon. It doesn't integrate with your existing PocketWizard system (classic, flex or otherwise), RadioPopper, CyberSync, Profoto Air etc etc. I really hope Canon decides to release an inexpensive 'dumb' receiver with a traditional plug for miniphones that can be used to trigger studio flashes, but that's just my pipe dream. However, you can use your studio flashes in optical slave mode and get basic integration that way. At first I was excited. Obviously it's meant to allow you to cut and use your own gels, which is a good idea. Unfortunately the way it holds the gel gives a harsh mixed light. The holder does not hold the gel flush with the flash head. Instead, he lets it arch in front of him. The matte transparent plastic of the holder around the edges not only lets light through, but also helps non-gel light intrusion on the sides. In the end it looks like an omni-bounce (Stofen Gold Color Omni Bounce Diffuser for the Canon Speedlite 580EX Flash) but with CTO on the front and daylight on the sides. This is a color grading disaster. The included gel holders are home now and I'm back with my favorite set so far: LumiQuest UltraStrap LQ-126 and HonlPhoto Color Correction Filter Set. Conclusion: I love them for my work and cannot recommend them. high enough. I'm wondering if I'll buy two more or one more ST-E3-RT. (I'm disappointed that Canon dropped the new ST-E3-RT's focus-assist beam. The previous ST-E2 had it, and that's my only hesitation.)