Yongnuo RF-603II compatible with Sekonic L-608?

[david_r._edan]

<p>Hi.<br>

I'm trying to throw together a make shift setup for off-site use. It's a special project I'll be working on for a long time. Basically, everything just needs to be sitting there at this other place and be ready for me to come in and do a shoot every now and then. I'm on a tight budget here. So, at this point I'm still figuring out which way to go about the lights and the whole setup, really, because I can get all kinds of old stuff for practically next to nothing and some of it even for free (part of the arrangement).<br>

First, I probably should figure out how to sync for shooting and metering. The Yongnuo RF-603II seems to be a fairly decent trigger. No TTL, so no remote control of the output but at this point I don't even know what kind of strobes I'll have. It may appear that I'm doing this backwards but here's the thing. First of all, I will need to be taking a fair amount of incident readings and another thing is that most of the time I'll have to be away from the camera, taking the pictures, so I need a remote shutter release too.<br>

I have my old Sekonic L-608 that I can "sacrifice" for this project. It has the radio module installed. So I thought that by getting 3 Yongnuo transceivers I might be getting what I need. I just have a few things I need to confirm:<br>

1. Will the Sekonic L-608 meter (with the radio module installed) trigger a flash unit via the Yongnuo RF-603II transceiver?<br>

2. Does the flash unit need to be connected via the hot shoe in order to be tripped? Can't I just secure the Yongnuo to the light stand and relay the signal to the strobe via a short PC cord?<br>

3. Given that one Yongnuo is tripping the flash and the other is sitting in the camera's hot shoe, can I use a 3rd unit to remotely focus the camera and release the shutter, which in turn should trigger the flash? *In this configuration the Yongnuo that's connected to the camera would have to perform 2 functions. a: act as a receiver of the "focus then shoot" signal and b: act as a transmitter of the "fire the flash" signal. I think I might be asking too much but you never know....<br>

4. In order for the camera to signal to the Yongnuo transceiver, does the unit have to sit in the hot shoe, or can I just secure it to the tripod and connect it to the camera's PC port?<br>

5. Same for the remote shutter and focus. I know that the Yongnuo has to be connected to the 10-pin port (in my case, Nikon) but does it also have to occupy the hot shoe? Can't I just secure it to the tripod?<br>

So, where do I stand in regard to connectivity/compatibility? I know I'm probably asking too much but if this works out, it'll be sweet!<br>

<br />Thanx!</p>

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>The RF-603IIs have a P-C socket for firing a flash. However, the P-C socket is an <em>output</em> <em>only</em>, and can't be used to fire the transceivers. The transceivers must be fitted to a hotshoe or hotshoe-adapter in order to be triggered - apart from using the manual button.</p>

<p>I'd be surprised if the radio module for the Sekonic was compatible with the YongNuo triggers, but the meter has a P-C socket that an RF-603 could be connected to via a cheap P-C/hotshoe adapter to fire the flash.</p>

<p>The shutter trigger function of the RF-603 is completely separate from the flash firing part, and can be used with the trigger just dangling from the shutter release cable (or secured to a lighting stand). It can also be used handheld as a cabled release.</p>

<p>The manual for the RF-603II can be downloaded here: <a href="http://www.yongnuorussia.com/upload/download/yongnuo/RF-603II_cn_en_user_manual.pdf">http://www.yongnuorussia.com/upload/download/yongnuo/RF-603II_cn_en_user_manual.pdf</a><br>

where you can find out all about it.</p>

[david_r._edan]

<p>wow, man! That's some great info!<br>

The transmitter in the Sekonic meter is PocketWizard-compatible. So it boils down to whether YongNuo is compatible with PocketWizard. If it is and if I can get everything working on the same channel, it should work.<br>

At any rate, taping a YongNuo to the meter is an awesome idea! (plus I already have a hotshoe-to-PC adapter)<br>

The fact that the unit has to sit in the camera's hot shoe is not a deal breaker. And if I understand correctly, one possibility to work around it would be to connect the transceiver to a hotshoe-to-PC adapter and then run a short PC cable to the PC port on the camera.<br>

I'm gonna order me a couple of them YongNuo's right now. And later add 1 or 2 to the setup.<br>

Thanx!</p>

[pete_s.]

<p>YongNuo is NOT compatible with PocketWizard.<br>

The pocketwizard works over longer distances and uses a lower radio frequency.</p>

[david_r._edan]

<p>Thank you, Pete. Since I already bought 2 units, I'll be able to confirm your statement which is basically my assumption too, at this point.<br>

*In the manual (Sekonic) they list a frequency range which is in the megahertz.</p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>To my knowledge, each brand of radio trigger is proprietary and not comptabile with other brands. Sekonic sold meters with PW triggers built in because PW is the most widely used brand.</p>