Geek Disclaimer: To our clients and regular blog-stalkers, the following is a gear review. It contains geeky language, embarrassing detail and a video of a tall guy walking around in his front yard. In other words, if you're here to see photos, come back tomorrow :)
There are no perfect lights or radio triggers. Let's start there. If there was a perfect solution, I would probably pay almost anything to get it. There's not.
Ok, now that we have that out of the way, let's dive in to what makes the Canon 600EX-RT and ST-E3 special and (more specifically) check out how it works for real-world wedding and portrait uses. If you've read one of my reviews before you know this, but I'll quickly establish the ground rules for you: First, I don't get paid for any of these. That doesn't mean I'm above it though, so feel free to send me money! Second, I don't review based on pixel-peeping or much testing. I shoot a ton and don't have much time to do extensive scientific tests. So, I'll let you know what works, what doesn't and if I think it's a good investment. Lastly, I do these when I feel there's a void in the internet for information that I wanted. So I'm mostly addressing those things with this review. Those things are: Using the Wireless System, Using multiple cameras, The Range. All three of the main things are addressed in the two videos posted below.
My Flash History
Before we get into the guts of the Canon 600EX-RT and ST-E3, let me first say why I tried them. There are two things that I hate in photography: (1) Making Clients Wait and (2) Looking stupid. I still remember the first time this happened about 3 or 4 years ago. I was using Pocket Wizard Plus II's outside and the things would NOT fire. Since then it's become evident that they don't play nice with Canon Flashes. After that day I went home and bought Radio Poppers. I was fed up with looking like a noob. So I got the Radio Popper PX system. The potential of those things was awesome. Heck, I reviewed them with all the great things they could do. I had two main problems with them though: (1) The batteries (AAA's) were one more thing to think about and (2) they were too finicky and tricky to get going. Once they worked they were great, but it was just too much fiddling.
So, I traded in the Radio Popper PX's for the Radio Popper JrX system. Awesome. I loved the JrX's. The were relatively easy and I could still adjust the power (albeit it was guestimation). But over time the JrX's became as finicky as the PX's. I could only use certain cords with certain units. I was testing them for minutes before shots, forgetting which piano keys controlled which channel, ect... So, after a while I threw my hands up in the air. I sold most of my fancy speed lights, bought a ton of Einsteins and a few manual flashes. I switched to Cybersync triggers and carried studio lights around everywhere. Over time I started using the Einsteins for more static shoots and just using small manual flashes (LumoPro LP160) for any portable lighting. It was a very 'dumb' system, but finally was rock solid. I still love my Einsteins and the CyberCommander that lets me control them. Those are staying with me.
When Canon released the 600EX-RT and ST-E3 I just crossed my fingers and dove in. These had the potential to be everything I was looking for. No more wires, no more missed connections, no more velcro. They're not studio lights and I wasn't going to sell those, but they seemed like the perfect speedlight... finally.
What's Good
There's a LOT to love about the 600EX-RTs. Here's a few of the important ones to me:
Radio Triggering Works!
The Display/Menus
Arguably the biggest difference between the 600EX-RT and the 580EXII (besides the radio) is the display. Because it's now dot matrix, the menus can change depending on what you're using. This is awesome for making everything you need accessible quicker. There are no more secret menu combinations to get the master flash to stop firing or turn on High Speed Sync. It's either displayed on the screen or can be changed within two button clicks. Awesome. For me, this best version of this is knowing that when I'm shooting a wedding reception I can press one button and disable my on-camera flash and press it again to enable it. You have no idea how much I love this. It's perfect.
The Custom Functions
The 600EX-RT has lots of new custom functions. You can read all about them at other places, but I'll just say that the ability to completely disable the Optical triggering (and the subsequent red blinking light) was a very welcome find. There's lots of other cool things too. Not to mention that because of the new display, you can actually figure out what the custom functions are without scouring the manual.
ETTL Metering
I'm not sure if this is a result of the flash, the new functions of the 5D Mark III or a combination of both, but I've found on-camera ETTL metering to be MUCH more accurate when using bounce flash. This is great, although it certainly takes a little getting used to. Everything looks hot at first.
The Flash Works
All the normal stuff works great. Welp, I guess that's all there is to say about that.
What's Bad
Here's a few things that I'm not crazy about with the new Canon 600EX-RTs
The Gel System SUCKS
When I first heard the flash announced, one of my responses was "No More Velcro!". I was really excited for the included gel system. I unboxed the flash, unboxed the gel and assembled it. I immediately reboxed the gel and didn't even open the gels of the other three. It's silly, complicated and has too many parts. Someone really needs to invent a modified StoFen diffuser thing-y that's simply a series of gels that snap on and off and can be easily stored away. Canon could have done this. They failed.
Some Menu Decisions
Overall I'm very happy with the menus as I mentioned earlier. Everything is easy to get to. BUT I feel like there are a few things that could be easier to find or more prominent. For me, changing the power levels of off-camera flashes isn't incorporated as well as it should be. It's not bad, but I wish it was faster. As I was thinking through, I was trying to draw up how I would improve the menu. After all, I don't use 75% of the flash's features. But I'm sure Canon doesn't want to drop features, even if only a small percentage use them. I think the only reasonable solution is to have a 'My Menu' setup like the 5D2 and 5D3 both have. Then you could have the functions you most need right at your fingertips.
Let's Test The Range
The ST-E3
Here's my VERY short review of the ST-E3. I wish it had focus assist because it can't hurt to have it. However, with the 5D Mark III its not nearly as necessary as you would think it is. Other than that, the ST-E3 is a 600EX-RT that was sawed in half (well a little less than that). We're going to use it for portraits so we don't have a flash on top of our cameras (too heavy). I wish I could write more, but there's no point. It's the flash without the flash. That's all there is to it.
Conclusion
I know for a lot of you, the real questions are this: "How is the range?", "Can I shoot how I like to?" and "Is it worth the money?". The videos above should help you answer the first two questions and will probably help you answer the third. Before I give my recommendation let me say that I almost never think that buying camera gear is a bad decision. It holds it's value so well that it's a very small risk purchase.
With that said (and if you can afford it), I wholeheartedly recommend the 600EX-RT. I want to be clear that I don't think it's perfect. In fact I started this review with that sentence. If you shoot portraits with a 800mm lens, you might not have the range you need. If you hate velcro, your life didn't get any easier with this flash. But if your name is Tony Hoffer or you are fed up with years of wires and flash gadgets, the 600EX-RT is quite an impressive beast. If I worked for Canon, I'd probably strip away a ton of the extra gizmos and make a receiver only version of the 600EX-RT and sell a million more. But for what it is, I love it and I think I'll probably own them for a long time!
If you have questions or comments, feel free to leave them below...
Tony,
I agree. I was lucky enough to pick them up about a month ago. They have worked great for me at Weddings and portrait sessions. I just got sick of pocketwizards and radio poppers. These work and I don’t have to worry about all the wires and sleeves and other crap.. Nice review of a good product.
Hi Tony! Thanks for the time to do this review… Me and my wife work as a wedding photographers team in Chile, and I am really thinking on getting these. We currently use 2 580EXII on camera and 1 430EXII off camera triggered with strato multis (one on each camera using the second flash for both cameras in a 2 camera setup each). I really want to get a set of these, so heres the question: I see you use a simillar configuration, but I have been hearing that these fail if you stand in between the master and the slave. Are you seeing the same? I am wondering because I use these in reception venues a lot, probably larger than 100 feet some times closer to 150 feet from where I stand to the flash and if people start interfeering with these I will be in deep trouble. Thanks!
This is a sweet review and definitely valuable since I’ve been renting PW’s and Cybersyncs recently to test out at shoots. For all manual shooting, the Cybersync is so attractive it seems.
How do you currently attach gels to your speedlites? Velcro on the gel and the speedlite?
I was waiting for Jason Voorhess to come out the bushes with his knife. KILL kill kill flash flash flash.
Great review Hoff.
I’m totally happy with my 600EX-RTs. I did some quick range tests but I found that I could get it to misfire when you start putting some interference between the master and slaves (e.g. walls, cars, etc) but the link light would still show connected. However, I’m thrilled to not have to carry additional gear (aka PWs) especially when you want to shoot spontaneously. Thanks for taking the time to post a review Tony!
Max, I’ve been using them about 3 weeks and haven’t had any interference issues in receptions.
Adam, Yes, velcro.
Can you do ETTL on camera and Manual off camera with a 5D mark II?
Hey Tony,
Can you turn flashes off from the st-e3?
Perhaps a dumb question, but does 600RT flash work as well as the ST-E3 as a transmitter? I’m asking because I’m wondering if I should get two RTs or one 600 and one ST-E3…
I need to learn flash. It perplexes me so much!
I watched the first part of the video simply because I miss you! :-) Hope you’re well!
Just had a peek at the range test… did you actually test SYNC at long distances?
As range increases with some radio triggers the flashes will still fire but NOT sync with the camera.
To really test the STE3 and/or600EX you need the transmitter mounted on camera and to make sure the flash appears in the shot when you press the shutter button…
I’ve got three of the 600′s, sorry but I don’t get your comment about the gel system at all. A single piece of plastic that snaps on is too complicated? Give me a break. Finally we have a manufacturer providing a factory gel holder system, no more ugly, stupid and clumsy velcro systems.
Hey Fred, It’s not the plastic piece, it’s the multiple gels that have to be fit perfectly and are small. It’s 2 pieces now instead of the one we’re all used to. Just my opinion of course. You’re free to disagree :)