Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT User manual

QuickGuide to Speedlite 600EX-RT
Radio Wireless Flash Setup
INTRODUCTION
The Speedlite 600EX-RT allows you to set up multiple Speedlites
as “slaves” which are wirelessly controlled and synchronized by a
“master” unit. As compared to ash units that use optical signals
only, the 600EX-RT’s radio-based wireless E-TTL offers signi-
cant advantages, such as the freedom to place 600EX-RT slave
units up to 98 feet from the camera and “master unit”, all without a
direct line-of-sight between the master and slaves. Your wireless
radio setup options include:
• Automatic E-TTL with equal output from all units
• Automatic Ratio E-TTL with unequal (ratio) output
between ring groups
• M – Manually-set power output (you can set a different
ash output for each slave unit or ring group)
• GR – Different groups have different ash modes, with
up to ve groups
Only a 600EX-RT or ST-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter attached to
a camera can be a master. You can, however, use two or more
master units by setting up multiple cameras, each with a master
unit attached, and switch from one to another during a wireless
ash shooting session. The slave lighting setup will remain the
same. Only 600EX-RTs can be slaves when you are shooting in
radio control mode.
COMPATIBILITY
EOS cameras released since 2012 (such as EOS-1D X, EOS 5D
Mark III, EOS 6D, and EOS Rebel T4i) – full compatibility
EOS cameras released before 2012:
• Flash sync speed must be one stop slower than the
maximum
• No high-speed sync shooting
• No group (GR mode) ash
Note: Full ash sync, including Hi-Speed Sync, is available with
the 600EX-RT with all EOS SLRs when used in optical wireless
E-TTL control mode.
INITIAL WIRELESS RADIO FLASH SETUP
You must rst set the master and slaves to matching transmission
channels and wireless radio IDs. Once you have done so, any
settings you make to the master will automatically be transmit-
ted to the slaves. This eliminates the need to adjust the slaves
individually and manually.
1. To set the master unit: Press the Wireless Flash Button until
the RT icon (upper-right corner of the unit’s LCD screen) and
<MASTER> appear.
The wireless ash cycle via button is: Conventional on-camera
ash > Radio-based Master unit > Radio-based Slave unit >
Optical-based Master unit > Optical based Slave unit.
2. To set the slave unit(s): Press the Wireless Flash Button until
the RT icon and <SLAVE> appear.
3. To set the transmission channel: Set the master and slave
units to the same Transmission Channel, otherwise the
slave(s) will not re. Use the same procedure below for
master and slave.
a. Press Fn Button 4 until <MENU 3> displays.
b. Press the channel button (Fn Button 1, under the “CH”
icon). The channel number will highlight immediately
below RT icon. Turn the selector dial to the channel
number of your choice (1 to 15) or AUTO. If you set
AUTO, the 600EX-RT will automatically set the channel
with the best reception. Set the master and slave units
to the same Wireless Radio Channel.
c. Press Fn Button 4 until <MENU 3> displays.
d. Press Fn Button 2 to highlight ID.
e. Turn the Select Dial to the digit you want to set. There
are four digits.
f. Press the Select/Set Button to activate the digit setting.
g. Turn the Select Dial to set any digit from 0 to 9, then
press the Select/Set Button to register your setting.
h. Repeat steps e – g to enter a four-digit number. You
can enter any number from 0000 – 9999. The master
and slave units must be set to same ID number. The
number you set must be different from that of any other
600EX-RT shooter in the vicinity.
i. Press Fn Button 4 to return the ash to shoot-ready
mode.
j. The <LINK> lamp should light green to indicate a
working link between the master and slave, assuming
both are turned on and set to same Channel/ID.
• If you are using more than one master, the color of the
<LINK> lamp will vary depending on the order in which
you turn the masters on. The rst/main master is green.
Subsequent/sub-masters are orange.
• If the LINK lamp is continuously red, check to make
sure the master and slave are set to the same channel
and ID.
• If the LINK lamp is blinking red, either your setup totals
more than 16 units or you may need to turn the power
off and on again.
MASTER FLASH FIRING ON/OFF
You can choose whether master ash ring is ON and therefore
the master contributes to the ash exposure, or OFF and does
not. The master ash will still control the slaves, regardless of
whether it contributes to the exposure.
1. Press Fn Button 4 until Menu 2 displays.
2. Press Fn Button 1 (under Flash On/Off icon) to ON or OFF
a. Three little beam lines coming from ash icon on LCD
panel indicate Master Flash ON
b. Beam icons disappear when Master Flash OFF
is active
WIRELESS E-TTL — “ALL” (FLASH RATIO OFF)
In this mode all ash units will re at the same output, with full
E-TTL auto ash exposure, which you can adjust with ash
exposure compensation (FEC) on your camera, as necessary.
This mode is best for lighting setups where you want even lighting
throughout the scene. E-TTL is also great when ash-to-subject
distances may change from shot to shot.
1. Perform the initial ash setup described above. Conrm that
master and slave are set to the same transmission channel
and radio ID. Position the camera and ash within correct
operating range (30 meters/98 feet.)
2. Set the ring group on each slave unit. Set the slave unit to
ring group A, B, or C. The slave will not re if set to group D
or E, when ratio control is set to ALL. You can assign multiple
ash units to the same group.
3. Set the master to radio-based Wireless E-TTL. Press the
<MODE> button on the master unit to set the master to
E-TTL.
4. Set the Ratio to “ALL” — On master unit, press Fn Button 4
(under “Menu 1” icon) until Menu 2 appears. Press Fn
Button 2 (under “Ratio” icon) until “ALL”
appears on master unit’s LCD panel.
5. Conrm wireless link. Conrm that the <LINK> lights on the
600EX-RT’s are lit and green and that the AF-assist beam
emitter on the slave is blinking at 1-second intervals. Also
conrm that the red ash ready light is lit on the master unit.
6. Shoot.
a. Press the test ash button on the master ash to check
operation. If a slave does not re, make sure it is within
the correct range.
b. Take the picture. The ash exposure conrmation
lamp will light for 3 secs to conrm normal exposure.
1 2 3
Fn Button 1
Wireless
Button
Flash Ready/Test FlashFlash Mode Button
Fn Button 2 Fn Button 3 Fn Button 4
Select Dial

c. The master ash’s ash-ready light will illuminate when
all ash units have recycled. You can enable C.Fn-20
on the master unit to also trigger an audible beep when
the slaves have recycled.
WIRELESS E-TTL WITH RATIO CONTROL
In this mode you can divide the slave units into different ring
groups (A:B or A:B C) and control the ash ratio (relative output)
between them. You can then adjust the overall brightness with
ash exposure compensation (FEC) on your camera, as neces-
sary. This mode is best for lighting setups where the ash-to-sub-
ject distance may change from one shot to the next and you wish
to maintain consistent output ratios between ash units.
1. Perform the initial ash setup described above. Conrm that
master and slave are set to the same transmission channel
and radio ID. Position the camera and ash within correct
operating range (30 meters/98 feet).
2. Set the ring group on each Speedlite 600EX-RT slave unit:
a. With Menu 1 displayed on a slave unit’s LCD panel,
press Fn. Button 3 on the master unit (under the “GR”
icon).
b. Set one unit to <A> and at least one slave unit to <B>
(do not set a slave unit to “D” or “E”, since it won’t re in
those settings).
3. Set the ratio on the master unit:
a. Press the master unit’s Fn Button 4 to display
<Menu 2>.
b. Press Fn Button 2 (under the “Ratio” icon), to toggle
between <ALL>, <A:B> or <A:B C>.
Note: A:B requires a minimum of two units. A:B C
requires a minimum of three. In either case, you can
adjust the power ratio only between groups A and B.
Group C is independent of A and B, and is best used
for background or accent lighting, rather than lighting
the main subject.
c. Press Fn Button 3 under the “GR” icon.
d. Press Fn Button 3 again to display <A:B ±>, and
highlight the ratio scale.
e. Turn the Select Dial to set the ash ratio, then press
the Select/Set Button.
f. Press Fn Button 4 to return to shoot-ready mode.
All ash ratios are expressed as A relative to B and as relative
amounts of exposure. For example, “1:1” means ring groups A
and B will produce equal output, “2:1” means A will produce
twice as much output (one stop more) than B, “1:2” means B will
produce twice as much output as A, and “8:1” means A will
produce eight times (3 stops) more output than B.
E-TTL GENERAL NOTES
1. Flash coverage is set to 24mm by default when the Speedlite
600EX-RT is set for wireless operation. You can manually
set the ash head to a more narrow angle of coverage if you
wish.
2. Press the depth-of-eld preview button on the camera if you
want to re the modeling ash.
3. If you’ve set Master Flash ON, the master unit is always part
of the A Group—no exceptions.
4. When set for radio-based wireless ash, the master ash unit
will enter sleep mode (auto power-off) after 5 minutes of inac-
tivity. Activative Speedlite 600EX-RT Custom Function 01-1 if
you wish to disable sleep mode on the master unit.
5. If a slave enters sleep mode, press the master unit’s test
ash button to turn the slave back on. Slave units, by default,
stay active for 60 minutes before auto power-off. You can use
Flash C.Fn 10-1 to change this to 10 minutes to conserve
slave unit battery power.
6. The following ash settings are available during radio-based
Wireless E-TTL (set on the master unit):
• Flash exposure compensation
• Flash exposure bracketing
• Flash exposure lock
• High-speed sync
• Manual ash
• Stroboscopic ash
WIRELESS MANUAL FLASH
In this mode you set each slave unit to a xed output and set the
camera exposure manually. You can set each unit to the same
or a different output. This mode is ideal for lighting setups where
the ash-to-subject distance is xed and you want your exposure
setting to be consistent from one shot to the next—for example,
when you are photographing subjects whose color and reectivity
are variable.
1. Perform the initial ash setup described above. Conrm that
master and slave are set to the same transmission channel
and radio ID. Position the camera and ash within correct
operating range (30 meters/98 feet).
2. Use the Mode button to set the ash mode to <M> on the
master unit.
3. Set the ring group ratio on the master unit. While <MENU
1> is displayed, press Fn Button 2 (under “Ratio” icon) to the
output ratio of your choice. Your options are:
a. ALL (NO RATIO — EQUAL OUTPUT)
b. A/B (RATIO A:B)
c. A/B/C (RATIO A:B:C)
All ratios are between ring group.
4. Set each slave unit to a particular Group. With Menu 1 on the
slave unit’s LCD panel, press Fn Button 3 (under “GR” icon)
and set each unit to “A”, “B” or “C”. (If set to “D” or “E”, they
won’t re in A:B or A:B:C ratio settings.)
5. Set the manual power level you want for each ash group.
On the master unit, press Fn Button 3 <GR>, turn the Select
Dial, and select the group for which you want to set the ash
output. Select A, B, or C.
6. Set the ash output. Press Fn Button 3 <* ±> again, turn the
Select Dial to set the ash output (from full 1/1 power thru
1/128th power), then press the Select/Set Button to register
your setting.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 to adjust ash power for
additional groups
NOTE: Slave units will initially read “E-TTL” in the upper-left corner
of their LCD panel. However, if you have set Manual (“M”) ash
mode on the master unit (Step 2 above), this master will automati-
cally communicate this mode to each connected slave unit when
you take your rst photo.
GR: DIFFERENT FLASH MODE FOR EACH GROUP
The mode is available only on EOS cameras released since 2012
(such as the EOS-1D X, EOS 5D Mark III, and EOS 6D). GR
mode is best suited to advanced photographers who have
experience in multiple ash lighting. You can set a different ash
mode for each ring group, up to a maximum of ve groups
(A/B/C/D/E). The available modes include:
• E-TTL
• Manual
• Auto external ash metering
1. Perform the initial ash setup described above.
2. Set the ash mode to <Gr> on the master unit.
3. Assign each slave unit to a ring group (A, B, C, D, or E).
4. Set the ash mode on the master unit for each ring group.
a. While <MENU 1> shows on the master unit’s LCD,
press Fn Button 3 <GR>, then turn the Select Dial to
a group.
b. Press Fn Button 2 <* MODE> repeatedly to toggle
through available ash modes — E-TTL, M, or ExtA.
c. Repeat step b on the master unit to set the ash mode
for each additional group.
5. Set the ash output or ash exposure compensation amount
on the master.
a. While a ring group is selected, press Fn Button
3 <* ±>
b. Turn the Select Dial to set the ash function that cor-
responds to the ash mode, then press the Select/Set
Button. For example, set the ash output for M mode,
or ash exposure compensation for E-TTL or Ext.A.
c. If you press Fn Button 2 <* ±> when <Menu 1> is on
the LCD, you can set ash exposure compensation for
all ring groups (E-TTL or Ext.A only).
d. Repeat steps a & b to set the ash power of any
remaining groups
e. Press Fn Button 4 to return to the shoot-ready state.
MEMORY FUNCTION
You can save one set of wireless settings to memory and
recall them later. This saves time during wireless setups. It’s
also a quick way to switch from standard ash-on-camera to
a commonly-used wireless set-up. The settings vary slightly
depending on whether you are setting a master or slave.
1. To access the Memory menu:
a. On the master unit: Press Fn Button 4 to display
<MENU 3>.
b. On the slave unit: Press Fn Button 4 to display <MENU
2>.
2. To save the settings to Memory:
a. Press Fn Button 3 <MEMORY>.
b. Press Fn Button 1 <SAVE>.
3. To access the settings from Memory:
a. Press Fn Button 2 <LOAD>.
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