OCF on a budget: YongNuo RF-602

Posted by Las Vegas Photoshoot Locations under ,

YongNuo RF-602 Remote Trigger
This article is to review, and give some information on YongNuo's RF-602 Remote Trigger system. This is their second trigger system. (CTR-301 being the other popular system) with this one surpassing the last. Let's start with the documented information, the stuff they put on fliers and ads, then get into practical use.




-triggers hotshoe, 1/8" jack, along with an adapter for 1/4" studio strobes
-sync up to 1/250
-has a range of 100 meters
-as a remote shutter release, full-way press thre release button starts continuous or long exposure.
-2.4GHz band, with 16 frequencies
-half-way press and full-way press
-20,000 fire battery life (CR2 lithium battery in transmitter)
-Receiver stand-by time: up to 45 hours (AAA battery)

First impression and build:
Feels very solid. If someone handed me this kit and said: "Yo, look at this new name-brand trigger kit, they're priced the same as CyberSyncs." I would believe them. They feel well made, they don't have loose pieces that fall off like the Cactus V2s. The on/off switch is solid, the channel toggles are inset, and not easy to accidentally move. The receivers are low profile (much improvement over cactus) with a 1/4" screw on the bottom (I attach these directly to umbrella brackets, so it's useful and will keep it solidly in place.) Two design flaws: 1: on/off switch gets covered by the flash when mounted... just turn em on before attaching the flash :) 2: Transmitter does not have a locking ring, mine fits tight, but it's not too hard to remove, could cause an issue if bumped, causing it to fall.

Sync and Distance:
I tested this as both a remote flash trigger and shutter release system. Firstly, I'll talk about range. It says it works up to 100 meters, but I went outside, and tested every 10 meters. I was successful 100% up to 120 meters, with success falling off from there to about 140 meters. Indoors, it worked fantastically. Flash in kitchen fired when I was in the living room, bedroom, inside closet in the bedroom, garage. Fired from anywhere in the house. Another good note: I was able to get full flash sync of 1/250, whereas I'd get banding at 1/160 with Cactus V2, and, I've heard from people with d70s, it works at 1/4000. I'll test this myself once I find a camera with an electronic shutter. As a remote shutter release, it's also effective (though I did not test range, it should be the same, since it's just a signal) I set my camera on Auto (eww) and tested the half-press on the transmitter. The flash metered, the camera caught focus, and fired at full-press. I've been wanting to buy a remote shutter release, and no longer have to :D

Accessories:
I purchased a 2 reveiver kit, and was mailed 3 boxes. I got a full kit (receiver and transmitter) and a second receiver, along with the shutter release in the third box. Each receiver came with the receiver, batteries, cable (ending in a 1/8" jack) with a 1/8" to 1/4" jack adapter.

Warranty:
The manufacturer, HKYongnuoequipment (14264 seller rating, 99.7% positive) offers a one year warranty.

Final Thoughts:
Solid, well-build, and (so far in my testing, currently at about 15,000 fires) reliable flash triggers and wireless shutter system this cheap?

Transmitter + receiver: $35 or so, with add'l reveivers for $20ish.

Hells Yes.

0 comments: