Radio communication issues.EL-1, 600EXII-RT, 430EXIII-RT, YN686EX-RT, ST-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter

[ZR]

Hello, Canon. Hi everyone, I've been a professional wedding and event photographer for 25 years, and in the last two years. I have used around six off-camera flash techniques using the six flashes mentioned above. After hundreds of weddings in the previous month, I have connection-linking issues. I read and checked every tutorial possible, and nothing helped.:( I know the menu's sub menus' custom settings, and the only flash linked for hours is the Yonguno YN686EX-RT. All of my Canon brands flash, losing connection after 5-minute. I attached two cellphone photos where you can see the problems after 5-minute. CANON or some of you guys have any idea what's going on? PLEASE HELP ME! Thank you so much. 

 

[tiffanyljohnson]

Thank you so much for all the detailed information! I will have to look into this myself too! I've never tried Godox - and it's such a shame that our Canon flashes (which are all so expensive) aren't working for us. Does anyone have ideas of how we can sign a petition, or somehow light a fire under Canon to get Canon working on a fix for flashes?! 

[BarneyH]

I am having exact same problem. 

el-1s won’t hold connections between each other. 
Nor will they maintain a connection with ST-E10. Nor with a ST-E3-RT (version 2). 

What on EARTH is going on? RT wireless connection is basic required functionality. And these are flagship flashes!!

Not having any problems with my Godox flashes.

Help! If Canon doesn’t fix or assess this rapidly no one (who needs this) will buy Canon flashes again … and they’ll have a lot of refunding to do. 

[Nick55]

Same issue here. I have 5 600 EX-RT’s and 2 ST-E3 RT’s.
Three weeks ago here at our home in the Philadelphia suburbs, this situation started, never ever before since 2012 when I invested into the 600 system. 
I tried rotating transmitters, 600 as Master linked to other 600 slaves. Changed batteries from Eneloop, to Alkaline to Powerex LD NiMH. Changed channels, ID. 
Tried and failed on both of my 5D Mark III’s. Everything would link Green light, and then unlink Red light on all of the 600’s in 5 minutes or so. However the Transmitter Link Green light would be on.

Last weekend we traveled to our other home in Central Pennsylvania. I linked everything in the Garage where I have Paper Rolls anchored to the wall, “my studio” everything worked just fine, like the old days. Linked all 5 lights with one transmitter for an hour, no drop. Did the same with other camera and Transmitter and again, just like the old days with seamless transmission. 
Back home to house in Phila. Suburbs…. Failure with in 5 minutes.  
next gig………. Good Luck. 
I did send my 2 Transmitters and four flashes in for service for update in Firmware to both 600’s and Transmitters. 
While they updated firmware in Transmitters, they did not in all four 600’s. They said it was up to date. However transmitters are now “Sender” not Master. 600’s are still Master and Slave…… not Sender and Receiver. Hmmmmmmmm…….

Could that be the solution?……. Don’t know if completion of service request is not fulfilled. 
No Apple HomePod here. Do have a Bose Soundlink Revolve II I recently purchased right before situation in another room and floor. This is powered off all day unless listening to when developing in Lightroom, as is my iMac, not while shooting downstairs and extensive Troubleshooting here as well. Took to neighbors house to doors away on back deck and drop again in 5 minutes.  
The next gig?????

[JimOsdale]

It's amazing listening to all of the comments, as I have the exact same problem of dropped links between the Canon EL-1 Flagship flash, and the newest ST-E3-RT Version 2 trigger. Some of these comments are way off base, asking if you changed the batteries? REALLY? 

So here's the scenario. It does not matter what camera is in use, in fact it does not matter because using TWO (2) EL-1 flashes, and the newest ST-E3-RT Version 2 trigger without the camera at all (I have the R5), the flash will always lose the LINK, just give it time. I've tried to isolate it, and there is interference in the house that kills the connection, and dropped link with the LINK LED turning off. 

So I tried two EL-1 flashes, and a 600 EX, all three will eventually lose the link. I also tried buying some of the fabric from Amazon (RF Noise filter) that you can wrap around the flashes, and it helps a tiny bit, but now you are limiting the radio transmission from the trigger to the flashes and when I test the 3 flashes, most of the time, all 3 will flash, but occasionally one or two of them will NOT test flash.

I even tried to get the wraps from pocket wizard for the older flashes, unfortunately these are for the older 600EX-RT flash and barely fits on the EL-1. Still, it does not matter, wrapped flashes with the RF noise fabric or the pocket wizard wraps, still get the dropped link on 3 of my flashes. 

Even more testing, I turned off the ST-E3-RT Version 2 trigger, and the flashes will lose the link, but the only way to know is to turn on the ST-E3-RT Version 2 trigger after about 15 minutes, and you'll see what flash lost the link, so in my opinion, it's got nothing to do with the trigger as it was off and the flash lost the link. 

So unfortunately, I bought two of the EL-1 flashes, plus the ST-E3-RT Version 2 trigger, and they are not working out, I can't depend on flashes losing the link. Do you know how much of a pain this is to power cycle the flash when on light stands, and the customer is looking at me like I have no clue how to be a photographer. 

Now I have to resort to Godox, they have a brand new trigger that supports the R5, up to 1/8000 shutter speed, rear curtain sync, it all looks good. At least I can buy them and not break the bank to see if they work better than the Canon radios. 

Wake up Canon, when the internet blogs are saying you have a problem, and the Godox guys, along with Yongnuo, and others have little to no issues after shooting for hours. You can ask us to change batteries, ask us pointless questions of "what mode" is the transmitter in, Manual or ETTL, it's pointless questioning, it all has to do with the 2.4Ghz band, where Canon drops the link, but the other guys don't have this problem.

Changing the channel, and setting different ID's are also pointless, been there, done that, to no avail.

[halocastle]

The battery information -- alkaline vs rechargeable (voltage issues) -- came from Godox and was provided here as a possible fix.

[tiffanyljohnson]

YES THANK YOU! Canon is avoiding fixing this problem and just acting like we aren't putting fresh batteries in our flashes, or that we aren't all professionals that don't know how to use our gear. I look so dumb in front of my clients trying to fix my Canon flashes that aren't working, fumbling around trying to get them to link. This is a serious problem, and I have THOUSANDS of dollars of flash gear with Canon that are useless to me right now. Canon - please help us!!!!!

[JimOsdale]

I have the latest EL-1 flashes (2 of them) plus one (1) of the 600EX-RT flashes along with the ST-E3-RT (version 2) and I have proven the transmitter ST-E3-RT is NOT the problem. What I did was connect all 3 flashes to the transmitter, and everything was good to go. I made this test with only the flashes and transmitter, the camera was not in use for these tests. 

In order to know if you have the link connection, you need all of the flashes and transmitter turned on, and you will see the link is green (on the EL-1), and green on the 600EX-RT also. When you turn off the transmitter, of course the green LEDs on the EL-1 will be off, and the 600 EX-RT has a red LED now. Occasionally, after 1 minute, I would turn on the transmitter, and all 3 flashes would connect with all GREEN LEDs on. 

Now going further, I left the transmitter off for about 15 minutes, turned it back on to see if I have the connection, and one for the EL-1 flashes had LOST the link. 

This tells me the transmitter has nothing to do with the LOST link because it was off when the EL-1 flash lost the link. 

I have given up, and I just ordered some of the Godox receivers and the newest Godox transmitter, I will make all of the same tests to see if I can stay connected to these flashes, which is really unfortunate because it's just more equipment to buy, more equipment to keep powered up with more batteries, when Canon flashes/transmitter have all of this built in. 

We'll know next week how the third party transmitter/receivers work out, and I will post the results. I'm certainly not here to promote third party equipment, I would just prefer if Canon would admit that WiFi 6 and the huge amount of wireless devices that are causing interference is probably the issue here, and just make the flash and transmitter connect BACK up automatically, instead of power cycling all of the flashes, which as you know is spread out all over the place, and in high places with light stands. 

[Nick55]

It’s frustrating as ….

[Danfaz]

Curious to see your results. I just had a job last weekend, and was embarrassed when my 600s decided to lose connection. I ended up resorting to optical transmission (luckily I was indoors).

[Nick55]

I’ve been using the 600 ST-E3 Combination since May of 2012. I have never had the “Link Drop” situation like I have since Mid January 2023.