Currently viewing the tag: "yongnuo"
The Yongnuo RF-603 Wireless Radio Flash Transceiver (left) and PT-04 Wireless Flash Receiver
Let’s compare the specs:
| Yongnuo RF-603 | PT-04 | |
|---|---|---|
| Channels | 16 | 4 |
| The receiver has an on/off switch, and an LED to indicate triggering | Yes | Yes |
| Transceiver Type: Each unit can be a transmitter and a receiver. | Yes | No |
| Battery Power: | 2 x AAA | Transmitter Power: 23A 12V battery. Receiver Power: 2 AAA Battery |
| Maximum Working Distance | 100m | 30m |
| Channel Dip Switch | Internal inside battery compartment, hard to use. | External, easy to use. |
| Max Sync Speed | at 1/320 and up, severe shadowing, at 1250 minimal shadowing, clean at 1/200 | at 1/320 and up, severe shadowing, clean at 1/250 |
| Wireless Shutter Release. | Yes | No |
| Studio lights interface | Standard PC Socket | None |
| Metal bottom foot | Yes | No |
| Locking lever on bottom foot. | No | Yes |
| A standard ¼in screw mount | No | Yes |
| Hole on metal plate of the shoe mount to lock speedlites in place. | Yes | Yes |
| Umbrella Holder | No | Yes in some versions. |
The Yongnuo RF-603 Wireless Radio Flash Transceiver (left) and PT-04 Wireless Flash Receiver (right)
The RF-603 (left) has a much lower profile than PT-04.
You can see from the photo above that the Yongnuo RF-603 transceiver unit has a much lower profile than PT-04 Wireless Flash Receiver.
The bottom of the RF-603 (left) and PT-04(right).
As mentioned earlier in my review, the RF-603 despite having an upgraded metal foot lacks a locking lever to secure it in place when attached to a flash stand / light stand. This is a must have to some people, but for me, it’s not that of a big issue.
Inside the battery compartment of the RF-603.
Two places where Yongnuo lacks in ergonomics design, here’s one, in the placement of the channel dip switch and the On/Off switch. The channel dip switch is hidden inside the battery compartment making it hard to reach specially when you need to make quick last minute changes.
The RF-603 (left) and PT-04(right) with attached Yongnuo YN-560 flash.
Above you can see the RF-603 and PT-04 with flash attached. Here’s the second place where the RF-603 lacks in ergonomics, once a flash is attached to the RF-603, there’s no way to reach the On/Off switch. I like how the On/Off switch of the PT-04 is positioned, even if there’s an attached flash, it is still reachable.
The RF-603 (left) and PT-04(right). Some versions of the PT-04 comes with an umbrella holder, a great plus.
The Yonuno RF-603(left) and CowboyStudio Pt-04(right) with attached Yongnuo YN-560′s
So which one will you get? It really depends, they bought work, the RF-603 offers more distance(100m), uses 2 regular AAA batteries, it’s a transceiver type device, each unit can act as a transmitter and / or a receiver, it’s also a wireless remote shutter release. On the other hand, the PT-04 has been here quite a while, works for most application, doesn’t have the ergonomics design flaw of the RF-603 that I have pointed out. I have both, currently I have 2 PT-04 transmitter and 4 receivers and a pair of RF-603 and 1 more pair on the way. I can use them together side by side thanks to the RF-603′s transceiver design, all I need is to attached my PT-04 transmitter on top of the RF-603 hot shoe and it will trigger my PT-04 receivers the same time the rf-603 triggers other rf-603′s. Let me just mention that after using the PT-04′s for almost a year, I’ve seen it misfire a lot of times, and I have to retake the photos because of luck of light. I find the RF-603′s pretty accurate especially in long distance application. But again, I have not tested this. In the end it’s a decision you have to make. If you can get by some of the mentioned weaknesses of both devices then one of them maybe right for your application.
Review of the Cowboystudio PT-04 I did almost a year ago.
Review of the Yongnuo RF-603 here.
Where to buy?
For Canon:
For Nikon:
PT-04 Canon /Nikon
For corrections, inquiries or suggestions regarding this post, please let me know, I do value your inputs, feel free to post a comment below. Thanks.
The Yongnuo RF-603 Wireless Radio Flash Trigger and Wireless Shutter Release
I was looking for a wireless radio shutter release remote control for my Canon camera’s when I found this on Amazon. I’ve heard about the Yongnuo RF-602 before, but since I already have a set of PT-04 which has almost the same features and specification, I did not pay much attention to it. I bought the RF-603 for two reasons, 1st for it’s wireless shutter release functionality, (which really works by the way) and 2nd for it’s wireless flash trigger functionality.
The Yongnuo RF-603 uses 2 AAA batteries. You can also see that the RF-603′s hot shoe mounting foot is now made of metal. Upgraded to add more strength and durability.
Description:
The Yongnuo RF-603 is a 2.4GHz wireless remote system just like it’s older brother the Yongnuo RF-602. It is a remote shutter release as well as a multi-functional radio flash trigger which can synchronously trigger flashes and studio strobes. Each unit in the pair can act both as a transmitter and or as a receiver, just put one on top of the camera’s hot shoe and you now have a receiver and the rest will function as receivers. Each unit of the RF-603 are powered by two AAA batteries unlike the RF-602′s transmitter which is powered by a more expensive and sometimes hard to find CR2 battery. It can trigger 1 flash with one set, since one serves as trigger and one as a receiver. You can also buy additional transceivers to trigger more flashes at the same time. The RF-603 is not compatible with the older RF-602, so if you have an existing RF-602 receivers, it cannot be triggered by an RF-603 directly. But don’t throw them yet, because the RF-603 has a hot shoe, you can put your current RF-602 transmitter on top of the RF-603 and it will still trigger your old RF-602 receivers without any problem. I have not tested this setup but I’m pretty sure it will work. I have tested it in combination with my current set of PT-04′s and they worked like a charm.
The Yongnuo RF-603 on a Canon EOS 60D with a PT-04 Transmitter on top to trigger my existing PT-04 Receivers.
Also here you can see how the RF-603 is connected to the Canon EOS 60D shutter release input connection to function as a wireless remote shutter release.
The Yongnuo RF-603 on a Canon EOS 60D with a PT-04 Transmitter on top to trigger my existing PT-04 Receivers.
The Yongnuo RF-603 Wireless Radio Flash Trigger and Wireless Shutter Release Box Set
What’s in the box?
- A User’s Manual in English and in Chinese
- 2 RF-603 transceivers
- 1 C1 shutter release cord with 2.5mm jack (will only work for Canon Rebel XS/XSi/T1i/T2i/T3i/ and Canon EOS 60D only)
Specification:
- FSK2.4GHz wireless remote system
- 16 selectable operating frequencies for eliminating interference
- Range: 100 meters
- Flash sync speed: Up to 1/320, but I tested to work on 1/250, best at 1/200 on a Canon eos 40D
- Shutter release : half-press, full-press
- Shutter interface : 2.5mm socket
- Studio flash light interface : Standard PC Socket
- Battery: 2 x AAA
- Stand-by time: up to 45 hrs
- Size : 37mm x 30mm x 81.5mm (W x H x D)
The Yongnuo RF-603 (left) has a much lower profile compare to the PT-04 Receiver (right)
Impression:
The build quality of the RF-603 is really good, I like it better than the PT-04. It feels quite solid and it is quite noticeable that it is made of quality plastic material including the battery doors which as we all know will have the most beating aside from the hot shoe mounting foot. I’ve read some articles about the older RF-602 having weak battery doors which easily broke. It’s a different story with the RF-603, it seems that Yongnuo did some needed upgrades. Also the RF-603′s hot shoe mounting foot is now made of metal and not plastic like the older version which is a welcome changed. A plastic feet can cracked overtime especially when too much pressure is applied from clamping cold shoes and when used with heavy speedlights. With a metal mounting foot, it adds strength and you won’t hesitate to use a flash as big and as heavy like the Canon 580EX II combined with a softbox or some sort of light modifier. One thing missing on the bottom mounting foot is a locking ring or lever, it relies on friction when used on the camera’s hot shoe or when placed on a flash stand. Maybe not a big issue but not having a locking ring can be an issue in some situations. Thankfully Yongnuo didn’t forget to add the hole in the metal plate of the shoe mount that accomodates the locking pin on Canon speedlites.
The RF603 has 16 channels. However the dip switches not only require a tool but are located inside the battery compartment making the channel feature annoying and pretty much useless. I mean, what where they thinking putting the dip switch inside the battery compartment, and underneath the batteries.
Range, it’s rated at 100 meters, I have not tested it that far but in approximately 30 to 40 meters and behind a wall, it works and no misfire.
One great feature of the RF-603 is it’s wireless shutter release functionality, just put one of the units in the camera’s hot shoe, while you hold the other unit on your hand, hook the included cable from the RF-603 to the camera’s remote shutter release input and you now have an instant wireless remote shutter release. A half-press activates auto-focus, a full-press releases the camera shutter. For Canon users, if you are using your cameras back button focus(like me) to activate autofocus, the half-press on the RF-603 won’t work, you must switch your camera back to the default auto focus (AF) settings by going to your camera’s function menu. I like this remote shutter release better compare to most common traditional ones because it uses radio frequency and not infrared. I can control the camera from any angle even from behind a wall or from afar not just from behind or front like what most common infrared remote shutter release does.
By the way, the included C1 shutter release cord with 2.5mm jack will only work for Canon Rebel XS/XSi/T1i/T2i/T3/T3i and EOS 60D. For owners of the Canon EOS 20D/40D/50D/7D/5D/1D series you will need to purchase the Yongnuo RF-603 C3 Shutter Release Cable separately. I also bought one for my Canon 40d.
The Yongnuo RF-603 works well with my current set of PT-04 .
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Works well. So far, it’s reliable.
- Great Build quality.
- Upgraded metal foot.
- Uses regular AAA batteries.
- You get 2 devices in 1 packaged. Serves as a wireless remote flash trigger and as a wireless remote shutter release.
Cons:
- No locking lever on bottom foot
- Synch speed is limited to 1/200, at 1/250 there’s minimal shadowing at the bottom on a Canon eos 40 and EOS 60D
- On / Off switch hard to reach when flash on top.
- Channel Dip Switch is inside battery compartment
Conclusion:
To summarize it all, the RF-603 works. The best thing about it is, you get 2 device in 1 packaged, a wireless flash trigger and a wireless remote shutter release. For me the only thing I don’t like about it is the sync speed limitation. I just wish I can use a shutter speed at least at 1/250. The missing locking lever on bottom foot really doesn’t bother me that much. Would I recommend? My answer is yes, I’m actually getting one more, for my needs, it works, and I actually like it better than my PT-04. And with the RF-603, I can still use my existing PT-04′s. If you are someone who works with lights a lot, has 2 or more flash, and you can get around the limitations that I have mentions above(like me), then this is a great solution, it’s really cheap, build quality is pretty good and it works.
Where to buy:
For Canon:
For Nikon:
I will update this post as I continuously use the RF-603.
Yongnuo RF-603 and Cowboystudio PT-04 Comparison
For corrections, inquiries or suggestions regarding this post, please let me know, I do value your inputs, feel free to post a comment below. Thanks.
I’ve started to play with two off camera flash, and slowly getting the hang of it. For this practice shot, I took a photo of my Canon EOS 40D with a EF 85mm F/1.8 attached.
First thing I’ve learned from David The Strobist Hobby is to Vary the Position of The Light.
By taking the flash off of my camera I can change the position of the light thereby allowing me more flexibility on where to put it, I can now position the light where I need it. This allows the flash to define the three-dimensional shape of my subject. Strobist-Lightning 102
Strobist Info:
Strobes : 2 Yongnuo YN-560
Position: Camera Left – Flash with grid, Camera Right – Flash with snoot
Power : Flash Camera Left : 1/16 , Flash Camera Right : 1/8
Focal Length: 53mm
ISO: 100
Aperture : F/18
Shutter Speed: 1/250th
The photo above was taken using a Canon EOS 60D and a Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8
Gear:
- Canon EOS 60D
- Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 SP XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) for Canon
- YN-560 Speedlight Flash for Canon and Nikon
- CowboyStudio NPT-04 4 Channel Wireless Hot Shoe Flash Trigger Receiver for Canon EOS
- Opteka OSC18 1/8″ Universal Honeycomb Speed Grid
- Opteka SR-90 Universal 8″ X 10.5″ Snoot & Reflector for External Camera Flashes
Yongnuo’s latest offering, the Yongnuo YN-565EX is now available. The speedlite costs $180 and is available at the official Yongnuo store and other ebay merchants. Currently available in Canon mount. The Yongnuo YN-565EX offers E-TTL / I-TTL support, large guide number, multiple trigger mode, auto zooming and other features found top brands like the Canon 580EX II Speedlite.
So, will you buy one? I sure will, but I may have to give it a little more time, and if I ever decide to get one, I want to buy it from a U.S. retailer like Amazon, so that if anything goes wrong, I won’t have a hard time returning it or asking for replacements.
When it comes to flash photography your ISO plays a big role. ISO signifies how sensitive our camera’s image sensor is to the amount of light present. The higher the ISO number, for example 800 the more sensitive the image sensor to light, enabling us to take pictures in low-light conditions. The downside, the higher the ISO, the more noise we get on our images.
The photo above was taken indoor, there weren’t enough light around making it challenging to take photos of this fast moving Pale Headed Saki. I would have not made this shot without raising my ISO to 800. I do this in situations when I feel that the ambient light won’t be enough give me the result I need. I would rather choose a grainy / noisy image than a blurry one.
Like on our photo above, if I shot it at ISO 100, the photo would have been dark and probably unusable, or the only choice that I have was to use a slower shutter speed which wouldn’t be possible because of how fast our guy here can move. I choose to increase my ISO so I can use a faster shutter speed that will ensure me I that I will get a sharp image, I also needed to stop down my aperture to f/5 to get details on that cute face of our model. When using flash, I always remember that if I raise or lower my ISO, it affects my flash exposure and my ambient. Like what I’ve mention earlier, when I feel that my ambient isn’t enough, I have no other option but to increase my ISO.
Settings :
- Aperture : F/5
- Shutter Speed : 1/250
- ISO : 800
- Flash : 1/8
- Focal Length: 165mm
Gear :
- Canon EOS 60D 18 MP DLSR
- Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM Lens
- YN-560 Speedlight Flash for Canon and Nikon
- Demb Flash Diffuser Pro
What's in the box? YN-560 Flash unit, flash stand, soft pouch, instruction manual and a 2 page leaflet with a quick guide and overview of the flash unit. This is a review of the Yongnuo YN-560 Flash unit. A month ago, I bought my first Yongnuo flash unit, the YN-560. At first, I was really hesitant, but after reading some good reviews specifically on the YN-560, I took my chances and bought one from Amazon. I figured, if it does not work, then I'll just return. Exactly one month after purchasing the first unit I find myself holding my second YN-560, I like it so much I bought a another unit from Amazon. The YN-560 is a manual flash that is easy to use and is perfect for most type of photography application, most especially strobist type of work. I have been continuously using my YN-560s to see if it will fail, but so far it has perform well according to specification. YongNuo is a third party manufacturer of cheap flash units from China, their products started popping up on ebay in late 2009 and became widely known to most photographers in 2010 at least to me. In the past year they've improved the quality of their products from mediocre to above average, especially with the release of the YN-560 which directly competes with mainstream flash units like the Canon 580EX II and Nikon SB 900.
YN-560 shown with the built-in bounce card. When I got my first unit, my first impression was that the YN-560's build quality is really great, it feels really solid and does not look cheap at all, except for the back display, which uses a row of LEDs. Many will agree that the YN-560 looks more like a Canon 580EX II, they are also similarly sized, and like the 580EX II, the YN-560 has a built-in bounce card for softer reflected light and beautiful catch light. The flash head tilts and swivels without the use of a bounce lock found on the canon 430ex II and 580ex II. I like it, this really simplifies things, now I can move / rotate /swivel the flash head without worrying about the release bounce lock. The flash head's build quality feels solid and sturdy and with the looks of it, it can handle all the swiveling, bending and rotating, I tested it several times when I got my first unit, and it was perfectly fine. The flash head can be moved up from 0 – 90° left from 0 – 180° and right from 0 – 90° . The YN-560, features a new and improved zoom function, and according to them, it's better than their previews products. By pushing the button on the flash, it can cover focal length range of 24 to 105mm. It is motor driven and can be quickly adjusted using the buttons on the back panel. When zooming in and out, there is a sound which indicates the activity, this is one of the features I actually tested when I got my flash and suggest you do this test to, there are some units that has a faulty zoom motor like the one that David Hobby (The Strobist) got.
Back display of the YN-560. One thing I don't like about the back panel is that there are no separate indicator for the zoom and power level indicators, when I change the zoom settings, the light indicator will revert back as a power level indicator after 5 seconds or so, I won't know what my last zoom setting was until I press the – or + zooms button which will display the last zoom setting I was in. I guess it's no big deal, especially for a $65.00 flash unit. What I Like about the YN-560
- The best thing I like about the YN-560 is that, I really find it easy to use, the buttons on the back panel are well designed, except for the zoom and power level indicators I've mentioned, but once you get to know it, it's no big deal and won't affect the performance of the unit. When adjusting the flash power using the buttons on the panel, I find it easier to press compare to my Canon 430 EXII, the buttons on the 430ex II are kinda stiff and sometimes requires me to push twice for it to recognized the adjustment, the buttons on the YN-560 are made of rubber and are well sized.
- Has remote S1 and S2. Compatible with Canon's wireless remote features, therefore I can trigger it remotely using my Canon 60d's built-in pop-up flash.
- Build quality is great and feels really tough / solid.
- Now includes a Standard PC Port.
- Recycle time is fast and accurate.
- So easy to swivel / tilt /rotate / and doesn't have a release knob.
- New and improved battery doors.
The YN560 now includes a Standard PC Port. 
New and improved battery doors. Better than older models. Notes : The YN560 is a manual flash and doesn't support E-TTL or I-TTL. On camera or off camera, the YN560 can only sync up to 1/320. More Features:
-
Improved Zoom Function Covers Focal Length Range of 24mm To 105mm.
- Guide Number: 58 At ISO100, 105MM
- Slave Function ( S1, S2 Mode)Can be triggered remotely by Canon 580 EX II, STE2, or the built-in flash on a Canon EOS 7D, EOS 60D, Rebel T3i. It's quite accurate, I've tested it using my Canon 60D's built-in flash to trigger the YN560, outside on bright sunlight and it works fine.
- Sound Indicator When The Charging cycle Is Finished, The Flash Will Give A Sound, So You May Concentrate On The Creation Process.
-
Supports External Power Pack Compatible with Yongnuo's SF-18 And SF-17 battery pack models
- New PC Synchronous Port The YN560 now includes a Standard PC Port.
- Super Fast Recharging Recycle Recharges a fraction of a second faster than the 430EXII at full power
- Supports High Speed Continuous Shooting YN-560 can support 8FPS high speed continuous shooting under power level of 1/8 and below.
- The Improved Power Saving Mode
- Automatically saves your settings
- Overheat Protection
Sample Photos: I have use the YN-560 on outdoor events.
Daytime Outdoor Events. Daytime Outdoor Events. I use it frequently on macro.
Macro Photography. 
Macro Photography. Other application.
Portraits. 
Portraits. Review Conclusion: For more than one month of continuously using the YN-560, I find that it is a reliable manual flash. I actually have two of this units and luckily both of them still works. The YN-560 Speedlite
Months ago, YongNuo, a third party manufacturer of inexpensive flash units and other lighting accessories announced the new YN-565EX speedlite. The new speedlite will support both Canons E-TTL and Nikon’s CLS systems. The YN-565 is part of YongNuo’s EX series which promises E-TTL / I-TTL support, large guide number, multiple trigger mode, auto zooming and other features found on top of the line Nikon and Canon’s Flashes.
I’m really excited about this flash, just take a look at some of the many features and tell me if you won’t be impress:
- TTL FLASH WITH LARGE GUIDE NUMBER
GN58@ ISO100, 105mm; which reaches the level of the mainstream hot shoe flashes, supports TTL/M/Multi mode. - MULTIPLE TRIGGER MODE SUPPORTED
The YN565EX can be triggered by hot-shoe, flash command slave mode, optical S1, and S2(pre-flash-canceled mode). - AWL SUPPORT FOR Nikon’s & Canon’s SYSTEM
The YN565EX can be triggered by Canon 580EX II, ST-E2, or Nikon SB-900/800/700, EOS 7D/60D and the new T3i, Nikon pop-up flash Commander and SU-800. - 3 Second recycle time.
- Support for Auto and Manual Zooming.
- PC Port like the YN-560
- Sound Prompt
- Metal Hot Shoe like the YN-560
Available in two models, one for Canon and one for Nikon, compatible with the dedicated TTL hotshoe of both brands. The Canon’s 580 EX II, the YN 565EX is capable of acting as a master or flash commander in Nikon’s lingo, and like the current YN-560 / 430ex II, the YN-565EX can receive Canon’s E-TTL wireless signals.
No details on price and release date as of this writing. I’m a big fan of Yongnuo since I got the YN-560, they’re cheap, but reliable flash. My only concern with the YN-565EX is the price.
You can checkout Yongnuo Flash Systems and other speedlite accessories here.
Wow!!!! All I can say when i first saw it, was Wow!!!. It looks like or close to a Canon 580EX flash, the build quality seems very good. I bought this as an additional flash for strobist setup. Now I have two flash the 430 ex II and this.
YongNuo Speedlite YN-560.First off, the YongNuo Speedlite YN-560 is a manual flash with a guide no. of 58 @ ISO 100, 105mm. This is comparable to mainstream flash from Canon or Nikon. I’d like to emphasize that it’s a manual flash that doesn’t support E-TTL or I-TTL.
YongNuo Speedlite YN-560.First impression.
Overall, I think I’m going to like it. This is a lot for $65.00. It came nicely pack on a box and wrap on a bubble wrap. It also includes a nice felt drawstring bag and a small stand. It has a PC Sync port, the charging cycle is fast at 3 seconds or less, faster than my 430Ex II, it has sound indicator that tells you if the charging process is done. Because of the improved wireless triggering sensor, I can use my Canon 60D’s built-in flash to wirelessly remote control the YN-560 without any problem. The indicators on the back panel is quite confusing at first but it gets easier to understand once you get the hang of it. The battery doors are nice, this is one of the reason why I did not get the YN-468 even though it is E-TTL compatible. Most people who bought the YN-468 complained that the battery door broke within a month. To summarize it all, here are the reasons why chose this flash:
- price, it’s really cheap for $65.00.
- this flash’s build quality feels really solid.
- power are comparable to high end flash from Canon and Nikon
- controls are well placed and easy to use, in fact, in manual mode, this is easier to use than the 430 EXII.
- supports external battery pack.
- includes a bounce card which can come really handy.
- supports power saving mode.
- pc connector plus hot shoe.
- remote ‘S1′ and ‘S2′ mode.
- compatible to canon’s wireless remote flash systems, can be controlled by a canon 60d’s built-in flash,a 580 ex on S2mode, or probably even an ST-e2 (have not tested it but it should work).
- recycle time is fast
- swivel and tilt work great, awesome for bouncing flash, or for any creative position.
After a night of playing with it and comparing it with my 430EX II, I can say that I can recommend it to anyone looking for an easy to use manual flash. In fact the only thing I find missing on this flash is the E-TTL, overall, it’s a great buy for $65.00. You can buy the YN-560 Speedlight from Amazon
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