Yongnuo's 600-exrt compatinle transmitter!

[Jamesy]

So after using my YN-E3-RT in a pro environment for a few weeks I have to say, it sucks. Mine has been unreliable, with regular loss of communication, remote misfires, and very touchy menu interface that only happens when the thing is mounted on a camera.

I now have to take it off camera to make any adjustments to remote or menu settings, also once the thing drops a flash you have to take it very close to reconnect, even with fresh batteries.

The thing is a frustration, when it works it is fantastic, especially on pre 2012 bodies, when it doesn't, I just want to throw it away. It is not in the same league of reliability as the Canon ST-E3-RT that I also own.

Here is a review of the YN-E3-RT and the reviewer has issues with his unit too.
http://www.lightingrumours.com/yongnuo-yn-e3-rt-review-5576#.UxPpnJ2EjaQ

Perhaps there are some early reliability kinks to be worked out. Is the unit USB flash-able?

 

[privatebydesign]

So after using my YN-E3-RT in a pro environment for a few weeks I have to say, it sucks. Mine has been unreliable, with regular loss of communication, remote misfires, and very touchy menu interface that only happens when the thing is mounted on a camera.

I now have to take it off camera to make any adjustments to remote or menu settings, also once the thing drops a flash you have to take it very close to reconnect, even with fresh batteries.

The thing is a frustration, when it works it is fantastic, especially on pre 2012 bodies, when it doesn't, I just want to throw it away. It is not in the same league of reliability as the Canon ST-E3-RT that I also own.

Here is a review of the YN-E3-RT and the reviewer has issues with his unit too.
http://www.lightingrumours.com/yongnuo-yn-e3-rt-review-5576#.UxPpnJ2EjaQ

Perhaps there are some early reliability kinks to be worked out. Is the unit USB flash-able?

Yes it is, and I am running the latest firmware.

My issues are not like his, his sound like a hardware quality control problem. Mine are quite different, mine works great for an hour or so (if taking it off camera to make adjustments is OK) but after that it becomes more and more unreliable, even if I switch it off, put new batteries in it etc.

 

[Janbo Makimbo]

All that glistens.....

 

[Marsu42]

All that glistens.....

Not to question pbd's review, but he's using 1d3 cameras (afaik) and seems to be the first one to report these problems. Imho it's a bit to early to doom Yn's controller, if one select Canon product would show issues this would be attributed to rtfm, broken hardware, impossibly unlikely circumstances and whatnot. I hope Yn will contribute some insight once pdb sends them a description.

 

[AvTvM]

while pbd and other reports are valuable and certainly raise a "caution" flag, we don't know yet, whether the Yongnuo YN-E3's suffers from

• general design issues and/or
• problems related to reverse-engineering of Canon technology involved and/or
• quality control issues

or whether the rpeorted problems are "unfortunate, but isolated" ... as they also can occur in much more expensive OEM gear, including Canon.

What concerns me a little lateley is the relative inactivity on Yongnuo's side.

• Following launch of the YN-E3 there were firmware updates almost on a weekly basis, but that has stopped with FW v1.08 ... either because Yongnuo considers things to be "as perfect as they can be at the moment" ... or due to other reasons.
• Yongnuo is still not giving a release date for its YN-600EX speedlite - announced in 10/2103 ... and they do not provide any reasons for the delay. Hardly any communication from their end. Maybe they did run into technical problems ... and/or Canon has started to bring down the legal hammer on them ... who knows

let's see how this story develops ...

For professional photogs in need of reliable gear, getting an original Canon ST-E3 along with the only RT speedlites available up to now [600EX-RT] has been and will be no big issue anyways. Especially if they are using 2012+ camera models ... as is the case for many, if not most.

 

[Marsu42]

What concerns me a little lateley is the relative inactivity on Yongnuo's side.

I absolutely agree about general caution concerning newly introduced tech items, but "relative inactivity" makes me rather think of Canon :-> ... think how long it took them to ack and fix the 600rt+5d3 af assist lag!

It's likely the Yn engineers are currently busy with the 600ex-clone flash and will pick up working on the controller once they've got to integrate these with the Canon environment. I'm hopeful Yn has build the controller as generic as possible, so that a lot of issues can be fixed with a fw update and the hardware isn't blocking a solution.

 

[Jamesy]

I am watching this thread with great interest as I am considering getting one of the YN-600 flashes when they come out. I have been using YN stuff since 2008 and while the build quality has never been as good as OEM gear, I have generally been really happy with their product. I hope the recent issues are isolated cases and are fixed via a FW update.

 

[Sam18]

I've been using my YN E3-RT very lightly, but I took it out the other day, set my 600EX-RT to slave and it connected right away. I mostly use it for ExpoDisc exposures so I can fire the flash at the camera with minimal hassle.

 

[privatebydesign]

All that glistens.....

Not to question pbd's review, but he's using 1d3 cameras (afaik) and seems to be the first one to report these problems. Imho it's a bit to early to doom Yn's controller, if one select Canon product would show issues this would be attributed to rtfm, broken hardware, impossibly unlikely circumstances and whatnot. I hope Yn will contribute some insight once pdb sends them a description.

Yep, 1Ds MkIII's predominantly.

My overview of the YN-E3-RT is this, if you have pre 2012 bodies get it if you are not going to be a heavy or long session user. If you have post 2012 bodies don't get it, the ST-E3-RT is a much better buy and it is certainly worth $100 more then the YN. If you have paid >$2,000 for a body, $450 per flash then the $100 difference is not worth saving, and at this point in time the only flash the YN works with is a $450ish flash, saving $100 shouldn't be paramount in that market.

As for contacting YN, I have done that before, there is no point. They steamroller you and don't listen.

If any body wants a used YN-E3-RT drop me a PM, I am going to stick to my reduced functionality, but 100% reliable, ST-E3-RT.

I am not down on YN in general, I still have and use their RF-602's, and for manual flash via radio the YN-560II is crazy good value at $75, but they shouldn't be playing in the $150 trigger market.

 

[digital paradise]

Interesting. I have the ST-E3 and three 600's. The extra features like AF assist or second curtain sync never bothered me. If I need AF assist I'm mobile and have a 600 on the camera for bounce and two others on stands. In the studio the ST-E3 is on the camera. 5D3 so Group Mode is ousting. Thanks for the write up.

 

[brad-man]

I suppose I'd better chime in on the reliability factor. I bought my YN-E3-RT in December from Yongnuo's ebay store and have used it very little. I took it out a few weeks ago to use and the batteries (freshly charged eneloops) were dead. When I removed the spent batteries, a small piece of plastic followed the batteries out the door. The unit still works fine, but it drains the batteries when not in use and has a piece of plastic that intermittently rattles around inside. Today I emailed their ebay store about the problem and will report back on their response, or lack thereof.
I am one of those people who don't like to use flash if at all possible, but when I want/need it, then I want it. Fortunately, I lucked out and snagged a new Canon ST-E3-RT off ebay for $239. Since I still occasionally use a 5Dll and a 7D, I hope Yongnuo honors their warranty and sends a replacement. This scenario is why I decided to buy from their store and pay a little more ($146) in the first place...

 

[alexanderferdinand]

Oh, thats bad luck....
Mine is working fine.
I even managed to fire my 600EX RTs with my Fuji X100s.....

Nice little piece!

 

[Marsu42]

When I removed the spent batteries, a small piece of plastic followed the batteries out the door.

Where exactly did that come from - anything you suggest to prevent this from happening?

As for the reliability: Just from a couple of posts in a forum - no matter positive or negative - we'll never get a good survey, esp. there's a bias against 3rd party manufacturers: If Sigma/Yongnuo/... breaks it'll be on the Internet as a systematic failure, when Canon breaks it's an isolated case covered by the warranty. Still, I do regret ordering the Trigger as cheap as it comes from an obscure eBay seller as I doubt he'll make good on the warranty (if there's any).

 

[alexanderferdinand]

I understand your point.
But having the original as a backup there was no risk of having no transmitter.
And the extras I like a lot.
The build quality is good, not like the original, but solid.
I do not regret buying it.

 

[brad-man]

When I removed the spent batteries, a small piece of plastic followed the batteries out the door.

Where exactly did that come from - anything you suggest to prevent this from happening?

As for the reliability: Just from a couple of posts in a forum - no matter positive or negative - we'll never get a good survey, esp. there's a bias against 3rd party manufacturers: If Sigma/Yongnuo/... breaks it'll be on the Internet as a systematic failure, when Canon breaks it's an isolated case covered by the warranty. Still, I do regret ordering the Trigger as cheap as it comes from an obscure eBay seller as I doubt he'll make good on the warranty (if there's any).

The piece came out of the guts of the transmitter. Nothing extraordinary caused this to happen. I can see nothing broken/missing when I look inside the door. There is another piece rattling around inside the transmitter that just wont fall out. The unit still works fine, but it will drain the batteries in about a week even when powered off. I have been in contact with hkyongnuophotoequipment and have sent them pictures/descriptions of the problem. They have asked me to send the unit back to them for a refund or replacement, so they appear, so far, to be handling this in a professional manner. I have since picked up a Canon ST-E3-RT as I already have 2 600EX's and so am committed to the system. I'm not sure whether I want a refund or replacement. I still use a 5Dll and a 7D, and I also find the focus assist light occasionally useful. I will probably go ahead and get a refund for now. The price of them has gone down to $138 on ebay and I suspect they will drop further, so I may pick up another one in the future.

 

[drjlo]

When I removed the spent batteries, a small piece of plastic followed the batteries out the door.

Where exactly did that come from - anything you suggest to prevent this from happening?

As for the reliability: Just from a couple of posts in a forum - no matter positive or negative - we'll never get a good survey, esp. there's a bias against 3rd party manufacturers: If Sigma/Yongnuo/... breaks it'll be on the Internet as a systematic failure, when Canon breaks it's an isolated case covered by the warranty. Still, I do regret ordering the Trigger as cheap as it comes from an obscure eBay seller as I doubt he'll make good on the warranty (if there's any).

The piece came out of the guts of the camera. Nothing extraordinary caused this to happen. I can see nothing broken/missing when I look inside the door. There is another piece rattling around inside the transmitter that just wont fall out. The unit still works fine, but it will drain the batteries in about a week even when powered off. I have been in contact with hkyongnuophotoequipment and have sent them pictures/descriptions of the problem. They have asked me to send the unit back to them for a refund or replacement, so they appear, so far, to be handling this in a professional manner. I have since picked up a Canon ST-E3-RT as I already have 2 600EX's and so am committed to the system. I'm not sure whether I want a refund or replacement. I still use a 5Dll and a 7D, and I also find the focus assist light occasionally useful. I will probably go ahead and get a refund for now. The price of them has gone down to $138 on ebay and I suspect they will drop further, so I may pick up another one in the future.

Are you stuck with return shipping fee back to Hong Kong?

 

[brad-man]

When I removed the spent batteries, a small piece of plastic followed the batteries out the door.

Where exactly did that come from - anything you suggest to prevent this from happening?

As for the reliability: Just from a couple of posts in a forum - no matter positive or negative - we'll never get a good survey, esp. there's a bias against 3rd party manufacturers: If Sigma/Yongnuo/... breaks it'll be on the Internet as a systematic failure, when Canon breaks it's an isolated case covered by the warranty. Still, I do regret ordering the Trigger as cheap as it comes from an obscure eBay seller as I doubt he'll make good on the warranty (if there's any).

The piece came out of the guts of the camera. Nothing extraordinary caused this to happen. I can see nothing broken/missing when I look inside the door. There is another piece rattling around inside the transmitter that just wont fall out. The unit still works fine, but it will drain the batteries in about a week even when powered off. I have been in contact with hkyongnuophotoequipment and have sent them pictures/descriptions of the problem. They have asked me to send the unit back to them for a refund or replacement, so they appear, so far, to be handling this in a professional manner. I have since picked up a Canon ST-E3-RT as I already have 2 600EX's and so am committed to the system. I'm not sure whether I want a refund or replacement. I still use a 5Dll and a 7D, and I also find the focus assist light occasionally useful. I will probably go ahead and get a refund for now. The price of them has gone down to $138 on ebay and I suspect they will drop further, so I may pick up another one in the future.

Are you stuck with return shipping fee back to Hong Kong?

When I replied that I would be happy to return the transmitter to them, I asked them what would be the best method. When they reply, I will find out. If they do not offer to cover return postage, I will bring the matter up.