# Is Yongnuo YN600EX RT as good as a Canon Speedlite 600EX?



## LovePhotography (Jun 6, 2015)

Is this as good?
Just curious if people have used both.
I have three Canon 550EX, but one of them is on the fritz... 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yongnuo-YN600EX-RT-Wireless-HSS-Master-Flash-Speedlite-for-Canon-Diffuser-US-/251862532383?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3aa42d411f


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## sunnyVan (Jun 6, 2015)

I have the YN remote that works fine with my canon 600ex-rt. No personal experience with YN600 ex rt but I heard that there's mixed reviews.


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## kphoto99 (Jun 7, 2015)

I have 2 YN660EX and they are well build and work well. Can't compare it to Canon's since I have never seen it.
The 2 Yongnuos were bought at different times, yet are identical.


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## Ozarker (Jun 17, 2015)

LovePhotography said:


> Is this as good?
> Just curious if people have used both.
> I have three Canon 550EX, but one of them is on the fritz...
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yongnuo-YN600EX-RT-Wireless-HSS-Master-Flash-Speedlite-for-Canon-Diffuser-US-/251862532383?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3aa42d411f


No.


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## andrewflo (Jul 8, 2015)

There are a lot of reviews out there if you Google. 

Seems like the general consensus is:

Build quality is 85% as good
Flash quality is about the same (slightly cooler temperature than Canon though)
Wireless consistency is a little mixed but to sum it up maybe like 90% of Canon
Overall reliability is also mixed, a few here and there sent back faulty units. Just make sure to buy from somewhere that will easily replace if you run into any issues

Overall, it's a tremendous bargain for the price. But if you want the best and most reliable solution, go for the Canon. Personally, I'm in the Yongnuo camp for flashes but have had a lot of misfires with the 560IV + TX since I added a 2nd 560IV and am investigating further to decide if I need to pay the premium for Canon or similar


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## bergstrom (Jul 8, 2015)

I bought one and I regret it to be honest!


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## archiea (Jul 8, 2015)

I don't have experience with the chinese knock offs, but I do with the canon. I do know that when I got my M3, it immediately worked with my canon 600 ex-rt. Anyone with a budget, its a great way to get into radio strobes, but be aware you are buying a chinese knock off of a japanase made flash, the 600 ex-rt. Japan shares a similar standard of living as we do. China does not. Consider the human cost when you get a "bargain".


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## FEBS (Jul 8, 2015)

Yongnuo is very good compared to their price. I don't want to say that the quality level is the same as Canon from which I don't use any flash, but for sure I didn't have any problem with all my Yongnuos. 

I hear people tell that they aren't reliable, however most of them didn't use them, just from hearing on the internet. And please, don't tell that the quality of China is less then from other countries. In every country you will find unreliable products. And China is producing top products for international brands that have their manufacturing plants over there seen the much lower labour cost.

The only problem I can see over there for the RT series is that Canon is doing modifications to their radio transmissions, so that the third brands can't work anymore. I know, the firmware can be updated of the Yongnuo RT products, but as it is reverse engineered, there might be something unforeseen.


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## Hjalmarg1 (Jul 8, 2015)

FEBS said:


> Yongnuo is very good compared to their price. I don't want to say that the quality level is the same as Canon from which I don't use any flash, but for sure I didn't have any problem with all my Yongnuos.
> 
> The only problem I can see over there for the RT series is that Canon is doing modifications to their radio transmissions, so that the third brands can't work anymore. I know, the firmware can be updated of the Yongnuo RT products, but as it is reverse engineered, there might be something unforeseen.


I have similar experience with my Canon and Yongnou flashes. Yongnou construction quality is about 80-90% of Canon counterpart, recycling time is a bit slower and radio reliability is also about 90%.


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## stan_tall_man (Jul 8, 2015)

I have two 580exII's and I recently sold my old 430ex (version 1) to buy a yn600-rt. I'm glad I did because it's much more useful than the old 430 and I came out even $ on the upgrade. I tell my beginner photographer friends to buy the YN because it's a fantastic deal. For real pro work myself I just use it as a backup but it's built just fine. As other have said you can kinda tell the quality difference but it's still really solid. The only real thing I've noticed is sometimes it doesn't seat super well in the hot shoe and the plastic plug covers aren't very good but neither has impacted it's usability. I've read others say that theirs seats better. It doesn't bother me because I mostly use it off camera anyway. All in all for the price it's almost a carbon copy of the canon and it's well worth the price.


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## BLFPhoto (Jul 8, 2015)

I own 6 x 600EX-RT and 2 x YN600EX-RT. I also own 1 each of the Canon and Yongnuo transmitters. The Yongnuo flashes are indistinguishable from the Canons in about 95% of applications. The Yongnuos are about a stop less powerful, according to my light meter, measuring output from both at a standard distance and at various zoom lengths. Maybe 2/3 if you're being really generous. Either way, they make great backups or when used to gel backgrounds/small background objects. They also make a great on-camera fill while controlling a Canon off-camera. 

I don't like the YN non-locking swivel aspect. The hotshoe locking mechanism is VERY MILDLY less well built and/or fitting than the Canon as well. 

As far as RT operation, I've only ever had one issue with the YNs and the RT network. That was the first night I used them, the day after getting them, and employing them in a 10 light setup (my 8 + 2 borrowed Canons) to light several Porsches. I had an intermittent issue with the 2 YNs falling off the network and not flashing. I still haven't figured out what was happening that night. And I've used multi-light setups with the YNs involved since then and not had a single issue since that first night. Bottom line is that they play seamlessly with the Canons, and with either transmitter. If I didn't tell someone they were YNs, they would be none-the-wiser.

I do like the Yongnuo transmitter better ONLY because it has IR focus assist. For the life of me I can't understand why Canon could not include that in their transmitter. It is so much lighter to mount the transmitter than having to use a non-firing flash in the hotshoe just to be able to use focus assist. 

If I were an amateur just looking to take advantage of the freedom that the RT flash system provides, I'd go for 2-3 x YN600EX-RT and the Yongnuo controller. You'll still come in well under the cost of a single Canon 600EX-RT, and have a complete solution. You'll likely never notice what you would be missing with the Canons. And if one happens to fail or break, it's a hell of a lot less painful on the wallet! 

As a working pro, I need the dependability and CPS backup of having the Canons as the basis for my "small lights" kit. I use the Yongnuos as backups and in the rare occasions when I hit a venue or job that needs a couple of extra lights for best coverage. I have done 2 "light" setups with four flashes in each "light" mounted on Foursquare brackets in 48" and 20" softboxes when shooting outside. 

One thing I haven't specifically tested is any difference in the overheat protection operation. I often use a Foursquare mounted four-flash setup with battery packs to shoot sports outdoors. In the summer I'm finding I can start hitting the overheat protection slowdown on the Canons about 100 runners into a race. They work great in cooler weather, but 90+ degree heat makes this setup untenable for larger, fast paced events. IF the Yongnuos are less overheat sensitive, that would be a plus. I should check that out. But then again, I just invested in several Profoto TTL/HSS lights so the point is moot to me now. No overheat issues with the Profoto B1s or B2s. Now I just have to spend $$$$$ for more batteries. :-[

Hope that helps with the Canon vs YN decision....from someone actively employing both in paying work.


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## Chuck Alaimo (Jul 8, 2015)

it's interesting the timing of this topic because I have been planning on adding at least 1 more flash to my bag. Last year I was posting a bit here trying to figure out which way to go and ended up making the commitment to the canon system. So, 3 600's and one transmitter later, I'm trying like hell to balance the needs. I just swapped out my old 70-200 2.8 non-IS for the newer one, and just added a 135mm f2. Looking at the cost of the canon is making me seriously consider the YN's, especially because they play nice with the canons.

Also, in the year with the 600's, I have watched as they fell from lightstands, I have cringed while setting them up in the rain or snow or high wind or on a beach with sand (shooting weddings so you kind of have to do that sometimes).

I am not selling the canons' but, for the cost of 1 canon I could have 3 YN's and a transmitter - that completely duplicates my canon set-up. Seems like a wise move to me.


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## K-amps (Jul 8, 2015)

BLFPhoto said:


> I own 6 x 600EX-RT and 2 x YN600EX-RT. I also own 1 each of the Canon and Yongnuo transmitters. The Yongnuo flashes are indistinguishable from the Canons in about 95% of applications. The Yongnuos are about a stop less powerful, according to my light meter, measuring output from both at a standard distance and at various zoom lengths. Maybe 2/3 if you're being really generous. Either way, they make great backups or when used to gel backgrounds/small background objects. They also make a great on-camera fill while controlling a Canon off-camera.
> 
> I don't like the YN non-locking swivel aspect. The hotshoe locking mechanism is VERY MILDLY less well built and/or fitting than the Canon as well.
> 
> ...



Great write-up, very helpful!


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## jackb (Jul 8, 2015)

+1


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## Luds34 (Jul 8, 2015)

I can't speak to the 600 directly, but for what it's worth I can chime in on the Yongnuo flashes in general.

I have a yongnuo 468 II that can do ETTL and it works very well. However I do not use it very often. I do own 3 of their 560 flashes (ver 1, 3, 4) which I use much more often and they are great for off camera, manual flashes. I fire them with the 603c in the hot shoe and they work very well for my needs.

I think the yongnuo flashes are great, like 9/10 of the Canon but a fraction of the price. Perfect for the weekend warrior. However, if I was a full time pro that relied on their equipment to just always work I'd possibly consider going Canon.


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## Chuck Alaimo (Jul 8, 2015)

lol, just pulled the trigger on a set of these guys (2 plus transmitter). I figure A) it'll lessen the the load on my much more expensive canon flashes, B) act as a backup to my canons, C) use in situations I don't want to risk my canons, D) I would like and would use that second curtain sync off camera (think night portraits where I may want to expose background with a long exposure but use flash for the couple...2nd curtain is nice for that!), and E) AF assist beam would be nice for some reception halls for sure, and finally G) the system is works with canon so I'm not really adding a secondary system. 

Note, the fact that the YN system can actually do a few things the canon can't, it's worth it just on that level alone. Cost wise, to add 2 more flashes and a second transmitter (i do roll with 2 bodies and primes) and use the canon system, that's a whole lot more than the $350.


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