If you’ve ever worked with speedlights, you probably used flash triggers to operate them. A flash trigger allows you to control multiple lights together that even using wireless connectivity!
A decent trigger gives you about 100 meters of range and allows you to separate the flashes into different sections to shot at different times. Being convenient, the radio-frequency trigger has become popular amongst most professionals.
This article will discuss the best flash trigger for canon cameras you may get around. I’ve also included a necessary buying instructions that would help in making a decision. Without further delay, let’s begin!!
- Godox Xpro-C: A Superior flash trigger for Canon
Supports TTL auto flash, 1/8000s high-speed sync, multi flash, manual flash, one-shot & multi-shot setting, smart TCM button, built-in Godox 2.4g wireless x system, magnification function.
- YONGNUO RF-603C-II-C3: Best Budget Flash Trigger
FSK 2.4GHz wireless remote-control system, max sync speed: 1/320 second, supports controlling multiple cameras and flashes at the same time, transmission distance: 100m Channels.
- Neewer Wireless Flash Trigger: Preferable For Portrait Photography
433MHz transmit frequency for fast response and stable transmission, 16 channels, transmitting distance: 30 meters in all directions, max sync speed: 1/250sec.
- YONGNUO YN622C II: Best Valued Flash Trigger
2.4GHz wireless flash trigger, supports E-TTL, Manual, Multi flash mode, max sync speed: 1/8000s, AF assist, transmission distance: 100m Channels, easy to use.
- Altura Photo Wireless Flash Trigger: Preferable For Beginners
16-channel transmitter and receiver unit, operating distance: 30m, Max Sync speed of 1/250th sec, allows triggering both flash and camera.
- ESDDI PLF-350 Speedlite: A Trigger For Creatives
Duration:1/200s-1/20000s, records multiple actions in the same photo, overheating protection, multi-mode, wide compatibility with a standard hot shoe, color temperature: 5600±200K.
- Nissin Air 10s Flash Commander: High-Performance Flash Trigger
High-speed sync: 1/8000, operating distance: 100m, 2.4 GHz wireless controller with 8 radio channels, TTL compatible, color LCD with dial control, manual zoom.
TTL vs. Manual Flash
When it comes to choosing a wireless flash trigger for canon speedlites, many seems to be in a dilemma between the manual and TTL flash. Both manual and TTL flash have some pros and cons depending on the situation. Before going to the product review section, let me clear your thoughts about those so that you would be able to choose one easily.
TTL Flash: TTL stands for “Through The Lens” which is known as “E-TTL” for canon flashguns. The flash automatically uses the in-built metering system of the camera and throws a quick burst of light to measure what power it needs to deliver.
It can detect whether the subject has moved closer or further from the source of light and adjusts power accordingly. This feature comes in handy especially in event photography where you can’t determine how far the subject will be.
The drawback of the TTL is that it is manipulated with the brightness of the subject’s clothes. If the subject’s clothes are bright enough, the flash power will be lower than expected. In the case of a dark subject, the result will be just the opposite.
Manual Flash: To state it simply, “set it and forget it” is what manual flash means. When you know exactly where the subject will be, you can go for manual flash for the best output.
The drawback of manual flash is that you need to set the flash power before you start taking photos. And the other one is the distance obviously. If the subject moves a little bit close or far from the light, it may cause a drastic exposure difference. Imagine, your subject is moving and the amount of light you’re getting is constantly varying with every picture. How disastrous that might be!!
Both TTL and manual flash have advantages in specific situations. TTL flash would be best for event photography where you exactly can’t determine the subject’s distance always. On the contrary, manual flash might work best for portraits where you know how far the subject will be.
Best Flash Triggers For Canon: My Honest Review
Wireless flash triggers make your job a lot convenient. Nowadays, flash triggers offer numerous features to even take sharp pictures in the dark. The reviewed products are selected through intense research so that you get the best in the market.
1. Godox Xpro-C TTL Wireless: A Superior flash trigger for Canon
Specfications: Wireless range: 100m || AF Assist: Yes || Remote flash power control: Yes || High-Speed Sync: Yes || Flash groups: 16
If you are seeking the most premium flash trigger for Canon, Godox Xpro-C would be a great consideration that is compatible with most of the Canon EOS cameras.
The flash trigger comes with a large LCD screen displaying five groups simultaneously. This helps to keep track of what actually is going on. The five group buttons and four function buttons offer convenient control and customization.
The Godox flash trigger for canon supports TTL Autoflash, multi-flash, and manual flash that makes your job easier to use them depending on the situation.
The Xpro-C enables you to change all groups of flashes at a time by a specified number with the help of the “All” function. It helps you to get more variations of images quickly and easily.
Another prominent feature the trigger adds is TCM which allows you to fire in TTL in searching for the right exposure. Once you find the appropriate exposure, the TCM button sets all the group flashes to fire in manual at the power level for your desired exposure.
The manuals aren’t particularly well translated which is the main drawback of the trigger. Also, the cheap plastic screw foot is inevitable for getting the high-quality flash trigger at a low price.
👍 Pros:
- TCM Transform Function
- 1/8000s High-Speed Sync
- TTL-Convert-Manual Function
- Controls multiple groups simultaneously
👎 Cons:
- Manual isn’t well-translated
2. YONGNUO RF-603C-II-C3: Best Budget Flash Trigger
Specfications: Wireless range: 100m || AF Assist: No || Remote flash power control: No || High Speed Sync: No || Flash groups: No
Yongnuo RF-603C-II-C3 is a budget flash trigger for those who seek a trigger that is effective to speed, distance, and stability.
The Yongnuo RF-603 II-C3 offers a wireless range of about 100m with the help of a 2.4GHz radio frequency link that allows you to fire far from the light. It can be set to both transmit state (TX) for testing flash and transceiver state (TRX) for automatically switch transmit and receive state.
The transmitter supports wireless wakening up and triggering the flash through the camera hot shoe. It allows you to control multiple cameras and flashes simultaneously.
Even though the trigger has only a normal on/off button, you may still adjust flash power and zoom manually.
There isn’t any group option present in the trigger. However, you’ll have sixteen frequency channels that effectively avoid interference.
The Yongnuo claims to have the highest flash sync speed up to 1/320 second with successful avoidance of misfires during burst shooting.
👍 Pros:
- Affordable
- Simple and easy to use
- Good build quality comparing the price
- Can be used as transmitter and receiver both
👎 Cons:
- No group options
3. Neewer Wireless Flash Trigger: Preferable For Portrait Photography
Specfications: Wireless range: 30m || AF Assist: No || Remote flash power control: No || High Speed Sync: No || Flash groups: N/A
This is another popular choice for the photographers. The device is engineered for photographic studio and on-location work to trigger various flashlights.
This flash trigger comes with a 433MHz wireless remote system and offers up to 30 meters of outdoor operating range. It may seem the device doesn’t allow you to move further from the lights but in reality, most photographers don’t cross so much distance while taking photos.
The remote trigger for canon delivers a synchronous speed up to 1/250sec which isn’t that fast. But, as compared to other devices with a similar price tag, the speed isn’t bad at all. The simple receiver includes an on/off switch, and an LED to indicate triggering.
Neewer wireless receiver doesn’t include any groups as well. It lets you flash manually while not including TTL. However, its sturdy build quality makes it stand out amongst its competitors in this range.
👍 Pros:
- Long battery life
- Very good remote
- Best for snap portraits
- Connects to soft umbrella
👎 Cons:
- Slight timing delay than other competitors
4. YONGNUO YN622C II: Best Valued Flash Trigger
Specfications: Wireless range: 100m || AF Assist: Yes || Remote flash power control: Yes || High-Speed Sync: Yes || Flash groups: 6
This flash trigger is one of the prominent brands for producing high-quality flash triggers. Yongnuo YN622C II, no wonder, also a promising radio frequency trigger that has the ability to be a part of your photography. It is compatible with all Canon EXII series flashes.
The YN622C II supports E-TTL flash for your convenience to determine the light power automatically. In case you might need the manual flash, it also includes manual and multi-flash as well.
It also supports flash zooming in both auto and manual modes. The AF assist beam emitter present in the trigger helps you to focus on your subjects even in low light conditions. It also includes high-speed sync up to 1/8000s sync speed.
Being an E-TTL radio wireless flash transceiver, the unit can act both as transmitter and receiver. The transmitter mode is activated when placed in the camera’s hot shoe and it automatically operates like the YN-622C-TX controller.
With the remote-control mode, you can control the flash parameters using the camera’s flash control menu screen. The radio channel and speedlite groups can only be attached to the transmitter.
Another unit is set to the speedlight to ensure that the same channel and groups are attached. The two batteries deliver a decent battery life as well.
👍 Pros:
- AF assist lamp
- Supports E-TTL
- Support USB firmware upgrade
- Equipped with quick lock design
👎 Cons:
- Triggers may stop responding sometimes
5. Altura Photo Wireless Flash Trigger: Preferable For Beginners
Specfications: Wireless range: 30m || AF Assist: No || Remote flash power control: No || High-Speed Sync: No || Flash groups: No
The Altura Photo wireless flash trigger receivers and transmitter can assist you in a multitude of functions. The trigger is compatible with all Canon cameras with the help of a standard hot-shoe mount attached separately.
The multi-purpose trigger set allows you to wirelessly trigger your camera or flash with the help of a 433MHz wireless remote system. It offers an operating distance of up to 30m or 100 ft, which is well enough if you want the trigger to experiment within different photography.
To use the device as a wireless remote controller, plug in the cable provided to a receiver and the camera’s input. You need to make sure the switch is set in the “CAMERA” mode to use it wirelessly as a transmitter to take photos.
Similarly, if you want to use the set for wireless flash triggering purposes, you need to attach the transmitter to your camera’s hot shoe mount at first. Then, set the flash/flashes to the hot shoe mount/mounts of the receiver/receivers. Also, don’t forget to switch to “FLASH” mode and you can proceed to place the flash however you desire and take photos as per wish.
👍 Pros:
- Easy to use
- Good build quality for the price
- Can be used as both transmitter and receiver
- Compatible to all canon cameras with a hot shoe
👎 Cons:
- Slow sync speed
6. ESDDI PLF-350 Speedlite: A Trigger For Creatives
Specfications: Wireless range: 100m || AF Assist: No || Remote flash power control: No || High Speed Sync: No || Flash groups: 3
ESDDI PLF-350 Speedlite is an impressively priced TTL speedlight that is compatible with most of the DSLR cameras with a standard hot shoe. The wireless trigger offers slave modes, multi-mode, and other top-quality features that make it stand out.
The slave-1 and slave-2 modes are for slave flash to generate many lighting effects. You can use the built-in flash or the top external flash as the master flash, and the flash is placed in various directions. S1 mode is valid for manual lightning environment whereas, S2 mode is the applicable TTL flash for the environment.
The flash Output Displayed on the LCD screen lets you control the light exposure manually 1/128, 1/64, 1/32, 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 1/1, which allows you to control flash precisely.
You’ll also get a rich flash perspective with the flexible vertical rotation angle from 0-90 degrees and horizontal rotation angle from 0-270 degrees.
The ESDDI device comes with a power-saving mode that automatically turns into standby whenever not in use. Also, the thermal cut-out function protects the device from being overheated. The features ensure the battery lasts longer than usual which saves both your money and time.
👍 Pros:
- Overheating protection
- Generates different lighting effects
- Power saving mode saves battery
- Captures continuous movement of a moving object
👎 Cons:
- Doesn’t support TTL
7. Nissin Air 10s Flash Commander: High-Performance Flash Trigger
Specfications: Wireless range: 100m || AF Assist: Yes || Remote flash power control: Yes || High-Speed Sync: Yes || Flash groups: 8
If you are seeking a high-performance flash trigger, I bring Nissin Air 10s Flash Commander which uses a 2.4GHz radio frequency link. It helps the trigger to cover a huge 100m wireless range.
The 10s Flash Commander is easy to operate with a large and clear display. Also, there are sufficient control functions that make the job a lot easier. It is packed with enormous useful features like remote power control of eight flashing groups, an autofocus (AF) assist lamp, wireless TTL compatibility, and many more.
The high-performance wireless flash trigger Canon cameras also includes high-speed sync up to 1/8000. The eight radio channels restrict all kinds of interferences successfully.
The device has a TTL memory function that remembers the exposure during the TTL mode and allows that to switch to manual mode instantly. You can save time as the device takes the TTL data automatically leaving your job to adjust the exposure manually.
👍 Pros:
- AF assist lamp
- High-speed sync
- Instant strobes setup
- Easily updated with a micro SD card slot
👎 Cons:
- We didn’t find any cons
What to Consider Buying Buy The Flash Trigger
While opting for the high-quality wireless flash trigger for canon, you need to consider few factors before buying one. This section of the review will discuss some of those factors.
Types Of Triggering
You’ll get two major types of triggering systems involving TTL and manual flash triggering. TTL offers automatic measuring from the subjects while manual flash offers better exposure if measuring is alright. Premium flash triggers often include both types to be used in different situations.
Wireless Range
The radio-frequency triggers eliminate the necessity of line-of-sight for triggering off-camera flashes. Most decent triggers offer a significant optical triggering range to control remotely. You’ll get more range if you go for expensive triggers such as Profoto Air Remote TTL-C offers up to 330′ (100m) for TTL triggering and 1, 000′ (304m) for normal triggering. However, most photographers don’t require such a long-range but it’s good to have at least a 30m triggering range to operate smoothly.
Brand
Wireless flash triggers are usually designed to work with specific brands like Canon, Nikon or Sony, etc. While some of them are compatible to be used for multiple brands, most of them work with a single brand. So, check before whether the trigger you’re about to buy is compatible with your Canon device or not.
Sync Speed
Usually, a decent flash trigger allows the shutter speed up to 1/250sec. However, professional users seek high-speed sync triggers that are compatible with flashguns. High-speed sync triggers offer the shutter speed up to 1/8000sec.
Conclusion
The review on the flash trigger for Canon discusses some of the top-quality flash triggers that are compatible with your Canon cameras. I’ve categorized the products for different kinds of photographers starting from beginners to professionals.
I hope the article will be able to assist you in finding the most appropriate one for you in the future.
