Canon Speedlite Gets Heavier

Well, not really heavier as in weight - think more advanced - more features - more state-of-the-art. Like, Heavy, Man...

The big advance for the 600 EX-RT over the 580 EX II is 20 more. And the fact that it has wireless radio transmission capability already in-built. This means you can use it as master or slave and you are not restricted to line-of-sight infrared control like other systems.

You can combine it with a Canon ST-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter for control from the camera or use it on the camera itself to control other 600 EX-RT's. You can work backwards with some cameras and a Canon Release Cable SR-N3 to fire the camera body from the remote slave unit.

Good news is that it has been engineered to be reverse-compatible so that the previous optical transmission capabilities are also preserved.

In simple terms, radio-frequency control for TTL shooting and multiple flash setups is the way of the future. We see other manufacturers making add-on units that allow previous Canon flashes to make use of this idea, but now Canon themselves have a sleek integrated unit that will do it in one. This means the portable studio look is even more portable and easier to achieve in the field. Even photographers who shy away from flash can now get little bursts of easily controlled light to aid their natural light compositions. It is never too late to flash!

Note to all those older photographers who remember distance charts, guide numbers, reflector sizes, synch cords, battery boosters, and remote relay switches: Slide the 600 EX-RT on the hot shoe, put the diffuser on the front, and tilt it to the ceiling. Turn it on and put it on ETTL. Press the shutter button as many times as you want and they all look good. Don't growl at the young people who don't have to do what we did. One day they too will be horrified by how easy it will all become....