topic Re: 6D, 600EX-RT with 320EX as slaves in Speedlite Flashes

6D, 600EX-RT with 320EX as slaves

triple — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 16:12:08 GMT

I am interested in using 320EX as slaves to the 600EX-RT for taking interior real estate photos. As the rooms get larger, smaller, just add or subtract 320EX as needed. Does this make sense?

Re: 6D, 600EX-RT with 320EX as slaves

7D5D — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 16:33:29 GMT

Makes perfect sense. I have zero experience with the 320 EX. I'm assuming it can be set as an optical slave. If so set your 600 as an optical master and you'e all set.

Re: 6D, 600EX-RT with 320EX as slaves

triple — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 17:05:01 GMT

I want the slaves out of sight and only use radio to use them.

Re: 6D, 600EX-RT with 320EX as slaves

7D5D — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 17:58:10 GMT

In that case add a second 600EX-RT, one will be on on your 6D as the master and the 2nd can be hidden as a radio controlled slave. If you got the funds, get a second 600 and the ST-E3-RT. The ST-E3-RT on your 6D will radio control the 2 600s as slaves. I have this setup and love it.

Re: 6D, 600EX-RT with 320EX as slaves

digital — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 18:39:20 GMT

Then it won't work as stated in the previous post. 320EX is optical transmission capable only. If the 320's is in line of sight you can switch the 600 to optical and make it work.

Re: 6D, 600EX-RT with 320EX as slaves

triple — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 12:09:41 GMT

If the only radio operated speedlite is the 600EX-RT,

you can only set up multiple hidden flashes by using multiple 600EX-RTs.

Duh!

None of the other Canon speedlites will work as radio transmitted slaves.

I seem to have been confused by how the term wireless is used to mean Infra Red (line of sight) wireless and/or Radio Transmitted (radio) wireless.

Based on this a 600EX-RT MSRP $629.99 x 3 = $1,889.97 for a minimal radio set up of 3 flashes. Leaves a lot of room for third party flashes that are only radio transmitted.

Re: 6D, 600EX-RT with 320EX as slaves

digital — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:35:41 GMT

Eventually Yongnuo and others will have them out there but for now Canon is the only one.

Re: 6D, 600EX-RT with 320EX as slaves

7D5D — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 14:08:12 GMT

I don't know if this helps but this is a little less expensive than the $1,890 you calculated above.

600EX-RT - $569 (Amazon & B&H)

ST-E3-RT - $306 (Amazon)

ST-E3-RT - $319 (B&H)

2 Speedlites with ST-E3-RT - $1,444

3 Speedlites - $1,707

No doubt, a lot of money, keep an eye on used (ebay, CL) and upcoming Canon rebates. Do you have a lens rental facility in your town who rents Speedlites?

Also there has been a rumored radio controlled flash for some time to replace the 430EX which will obviously be cheaper than the 600EX-RT. I was expecting to see it before then end of 2012. I think someday we will see it but I've given up on any predictions. I think Canon wants to sell more 600s first.

Re: 6D, 600EX-RT with 320EX as slaves

triple — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:18:56 GMT

MSRP numbers are great for calculating set up cost. Time spent doing the searching, calculating and testing become the costs of taking photos with the best gear.

You always feel better when you go to a great source such as B&H, Adorama or Amazon and get a better price than Canon's MSRP.

I am located in Canada and I have local sources as well, including Canon.ca, B&H.ca and Amazon.ca. Pricing is historically higher here.

Learning the logistics of acquiring the best Canon gear for the best price has become a great learning experience.

My confusion over wireless IR vs. Radio wireless has led me to pick up 2 320EXs used. Sure I can use them with IR but that was not my intent. I thought that 320EX was the rumored radio controlled flash............ the compactness and LED feature may be worth it.

I will buy the 600EX-RT today. I do not see me buying a transmitter @ 60% cost of a full flash.

Thanks for your input

Re: 6D, 600EX-RT with 320EX as slaves

digital — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 18:44:37 GMT

The Camera Store in Calgary is better than B&H unitl the 28th. $70 off and free shipping. Just over $30 less. Great place to deal with.

Re: 6D, 600EX-RT with 320EX as slaves

triple — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:09:52 GMT

Thanks for the tip, but I could not wait!

Just bought the Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT @ Royal Photo in Montreal for $527 + tax.

First reaction in auto mode, it's fast to focus, fast to recycle with 24-105mm on the 6D.

Re: 6D, 600EX-RT with 320EX as slaves

digital — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:41:12 GMT

With that price it loos like you got the $70 rebate and the base price is lower @ Royal Photo so it would have been about the same since you had to pay both taxes as opposed to one in Alberta.

Re: 6D, 600EX-RT with 320EX as slaves

triple — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 21:15:50 GMT

Price is available 'til the end of the month as well.

Service was first class.

Re: 6D, 600EX-RT with 320EX as slaves

digital — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 21:29:04 GMT

Already bookmarked

Re: 6D, 600EX-RT with 320EX as slaves

5008cooper — Sat, 03 Oct 2015 02:14:53 GMT

I have a ST-E3-RT mounted on my 6D to remotely trigger my 600EX-RT flash, it works easy. I also have a 320EX which I'd like to use as a slave but I can't figure out a way to link it with my (ST-E3-RT)+(600EX-RT) set up, any advice on how to make it work?

Thanks,

Re: 6D, 600EX-RT with 320EX as slaves

digital — Sat, 03 Oct 2015 12:31:49 GMT

You can't link it. It has no radio transmitter (RT). It can't be used as an otptical slave either. While Canon's RT system can do either, it can only do one at a time, either optical or radio. Optical won't worked either because the ST-E3-RT does not have a flash to fire an optical signal. You can only fire it oprically from your 600RT which you woulld have to set to optical mode but then you can't use the ST-E3-RT.

You might be able to run a wire from the 600 RT or ST-E3-RT to trigger it. The other option is buy optical slave sensor which which attaches to the 320. Very inexpensive. It detects when flash fires and will itself fire. No ETTL or any control except the power level you set which you will have to do manually.

Contact this person by email. Very helpful.

[Mod note: Removed per FORUM GUIDELINES]

The only way to do this properly is get another RT flash and you will have it all. ETTL, group mode and you can control everything from the ST-E3-RT. Canon has come out with the 430 EX.

NOTE: You can't use 3rd party radio transmitters. Not comaptible with Canon's RT system.

Re: 6D, 600EX-RT with 320EX as slaves

5008cooper — Mon, 05 Oct 2015 13:23:12 GMT

Thank you very much, Digital.

Your information is very useful to me, after your advice, I also get more advice from the Canon technical support reps and I tried below:

I can only use the ST-E3-RT to remotely trigger the 600-E3-RT flash, but not the 320-EX flash because they are on different frequency.

I could use the 600-EX flash, mount directly on my 6D, set as master, then trigger remotely the 320-Ex, set as slave. it worked. However, the ST-E3-RT is not used in this case. If I use the ST-E3-RT, which is set as Master, then my 600-EX flash has to be set as slave, then it won't be able to trigger another slave (320-EX).

just to put the information for the others in case they are in same situation. in order to make both the 600EX and 320EX work as slave, I need to make some other arrangement as you said.

Appreciate your help very much.

Re: 6D, 600EX-RT with 320EX as slaves

digital — Mon, 05 Oct 2015 13:34:05 GMT

NP. You get stuck in that Optical to RT transittion world. Other options is getting less expensive Canon compatible 3rd party RT fllashes. There are two out there now and I'm not sure I should be saying this on a Canon site.

I went from a Canon 580 EXII. 580 EX, Yongnuo 560 and PC Bluff triggers to and ST-E3-RT and 3 x 600 RT's. I love it and never loojed back even if it hurt the budget a bit.

Re: 6D, 600EX-RT with 320EX as slaves

TCampbell — Mon, 05 Oct 2015 15:45:51 GMT

@5008cooper wrote:

I can only use the ST-E3-RT to remotely trigger the 600-E3-RT flash, but not the 320-EX flash because they are on different frequency.

I could use the 600-EX flash, mount directly on my 6D, set as master, then trigger remotely the 320-Ex, set as slave. it worked. However, the ST-E3-RT is not used in this case. If I use the ST-E3-RT, which is set as Master, then my 600-EX flash has to be set as slave, then it won't be able to trigger another slave (320-EX).

The ST-E3-RT trigger can only trigger flashes that have an RT suffix in the name such as the 600EX-RT or the new 430EX III-RT. The RT flashes use radio for communication and triggering.

Canon flashes that support either master or slave modes but do not have an RT in the name are optically triggered and require a visible line-of-sight between the on-camera trigger and the off-camera flashses.

The 320EX can function as an off-camera slave, but it requires an on-camera optical master to trigger the flash. The ST-E3-RT has no optical capabilities at all... only radio.

The 600EX-RT actually supports both opitcal or radio technology but you have to pick a mode. In other words if it is in radio mode it will not work as an optical trigger. If it is in optical mode it will not work as a radio trigger. Also the 600EX-RT can function as an on-camera master or as an off-camera slave. So you could use a 600EX-RT if mounted on-camera and put it in optical master mode to trigger an off-camera 320EX which which would need to be in slave mode -- provided the 320EX has line-of-sight to the 600EX-RT. The 320EX can only be a "slave" (it does not have "master" functionality).

The wireless (optical) receiver is on the lower part of the 320EX unit (down near the "Canon" logo on the front). This is the part that must be able to see the flash fire on the 600EX-RT. Since the flash head on your 320EX can tilt or swivil, you can rotate the lower body of the 320EX to face the 600EX-RT but swivel the head of the 320EX to face the direction where you want the light.

If you want to be all radio-based (which is more versatile because you can hide flashes behind objects, install them inside soft-boxes, etc. and not worry about line-of-sight issues) then you could either get (a) another 600EX-RT or (b) get a 430EX III-RT as an off-camera flash. The 600EX-RT flashes are more powerful. I use a pair of 600EX-RT flashes with an ST-E3-RT trigger and do everything with radio; it's rock-solid reliability and fires every time.

Re: 6D, 600EX-RT with 320EX as slaves

5008cooper — Mon, 05 Oct 2015 17:15:07 GMT

Thank you very much, Tim.

You made everything very clear to me. Next time I will get another 600Ex or 430-EX RT.

Appreciate it very much.