Is the Canon ST-E3-RT (Ver. 3) as bad as the reviews?

[jcass]

I've done some research and I'm hesitant to spend $$$ on a Canon Speedlite Transmitter ST-E3-RT (Ver. 3) given the reviews on B&H and Adorama. On the other hand, I'm also concerned that the Godox will not work with my Canon EL-5 speedlight with because of the new hotshoe design. So, I have two questions for folks with flash trigger knowledge and experience:

1. Is the ST-E3-RT as bad as the reviews in a WiFi environment?
2. Does the EL-5 work well on a Godox X1R-C TTL wireless receiver?

Here is my gear...

• R5 II
• 600EX-RT
• EL-5

My use cases:

• Outdoor portraits (not studio)
• Macro - main flash with a fill or backlight and would also like to focus stack if possible
• Landscape with off-camera fill lights

 

[Archibald]

My goodness, complicated.

I don't know much about the flash devices you mention, but your setup looks unwieldy.

No going back now I guess, but I would use a Godox speedlight in the hotshoe, and a Godox off-camera flash (AD200 for instance) in a softbox for off-camera use. Trigger it with the Godox X3 trigger - or use the Godox speedlight to trigger it.

Instead of the AD200, you could also use a speedlight in the softbox, but the light will be wimpy.

Your 600EX will work great for on-camera macro work. Make yourself a lens-mounted diffuser, and direct the flash onto that diffuser. It will help to use a snoot that is reflective on the inside. Extend it from the flash to the top of the diffuser. There are lots of designs and most of them work great.

The issues will be with off-camera use. Optical triggering is not reliable. Radio triggering is what you want to do. You are married to the Canon system, so the choices are limited.

 

[David Berry]

You are married to the Canon system, so the choices are limited.

Especially if your flash terminal looks like this (R5m2):

• Join to view EXIF data.

 

[Bryan Conner]

I agree with Ed. Godox wireless systems use a different frequency etc. than Canon. So, you have to be either all Godox or all Canon.

I am not sure why you are concerned with the hotshoe design, the EL-5 has the correct hotshoe for the R5 Mk II. You can use it to trigger the 600EX. You could then add lower power Canon flashes if needed for additional fill etc., the 430EX could do this.

From what I read in your post above, you didn't mention typical scenarios where I would expect the wifi problem to be present. At a wedding or other event where lots of smartphones etc. are connected to the wifi all of this competing "noise" is what apparently causes the problems.

If I had your current gear, I would stick with Canon just because of the hotshoe issue. Personally, I am in Godox world and absolutely love it, but if I needed to replace my gear, I might switch to Canon just to avoid having to use the AD-E1.

I tried to use my Godox flash without the AD-E1, but the locking pin on the flash hotshoe isn't in the same position as the hole for the locking pin on the R6 Mark II. The combination without the adapter just didn't feel good to me and therefore I am very happy that I bought the AD-E1. Everything works flawlessly together.

 

[Ronomy]

I have the R7 and R6 mkiii and my Godox flashes locking pin line up perfectly! TT 350, TT 685ii and my X3C trigger!

 

[Bryan Conner]

I have the R7 and R6 mkiii and my Godox flashes locking pin line up perfectly! TT 350, TT 685ii and my X3C trigger!

I have to correct what I said above. It is only my Solmeta GMAX-EOS2 which will not work without the AD-E1. Looking back, that was the first hotshoe device which I tried with the new hotshoe on my R6 MkII. It does not lock into place, and I assumed that my other legacy hotshoe flash, Godox V860IIIC would also have the same problem, since they both locked into place perfectly well on my old EOS R. So when I said that I had tried the Godox flash, that was not true, or maybe a failure on my part to make sure it was inserted all the way in.

Your statement made me check everything, my Godox flash works perfectly without the AD-E1. But the GMAX-EOS2 will not. It not only will not lock into place in its normal configuration as well as it will not transmit gps data to the camera via the hotshoe. But when I attach the Solmeta GMAX-EOS2 to the AD-E1, it locks into place with ease and when the AD-E1/GMAX-EOS2 combination is attached to the R6 MkII, everything works perfectly, the gps data is transferred.

The GMAX-EOS2 has a weather sealing gasket to seal around the hotshoe and this is what causes it not to lock the pin in place. When I removed this gasket, the locking pin locked into place as it should, but it still would not deliver data to the camera. So I will have to use the ad-e1 with the GMAX-EOS2.

Thanks for questioning my information and prompting me to really check it out. I was only assuming that the flash would not work. And, like I learned from one of my first managers back in 1992, never assume anything. He handed me a piece of paper and pencil and told me to write down the word assume, after I had caused a bit of a problem by assuming something of a customer.

I wrote down ASSUME. He told me to find the 3 words inside the word ASSUME. ASS U ME....he told me "never assume anything, if you do, you will make an ass out of you and me.".

Normally I don't assume anything without remembering him, very vividly, telling me that. But, this time I didn't remember.

 

[Ronomy]

I have to correct what I said above. It is only my Solmeta GMAX-EOS2 which will not work without the AD-E1. Looking back, that was the first hotshoe device which I tried with the new hotshoe on my R6 MkII. It does not lock into place, and I assumed that my other legacy hotshoe flash, Godox V860IIIC would also have the same problem, since they both locked into place perfectly well on my old EOS R. So when I said that I had tried the Godox flash, that was not true, or maybe a failure on my part to make sure it was inserted all the way in.

Your statement made me check everything, my Godox flash works perfectly without the AD-E1. But the GMAX-EOS2 will not. It not only will not lock into place in its normal configuration as well as it will not transmit gps data to the camera via the hotshoe. But when I attach the Solmeta GMAX-EOS2 to the AD-E1, it locks into place with ease and when the AD-E1/GMAX-EOS2 combination is attached to the R6 MkII, everything works perfectly, the gps data is transferred.

The GMAX-EOS2 has a weather sealing gasket to seal around the hotshoe and this is what causes it not to lock the pin in place. When I removed this gasket, the locking pin locked into place as it should, but it still would not deliver data to the camera. So I will have to use the ad-e1 with the GMAX-EOS2.

Thanks for questioning my information and prompting me to really check it out. I was only assuming that the flash would not work. And, like I learned from one of my first managers back in 1992, never assume anything. He handed me a piece of paper and pencil and told me to write down the word assume, after I had caused a bit of a problem by assuming something of a customer.

I wrote down ASSUME. He told me to find the 3 words inside the word ASSUME. ASS U ME....he told me "never assume anything, if you do, you will make an ass out of you and me.".

Normally I don't assume anything without remembering him, very vividly, telling me that. But, this time I didn't remember.

Funny manager story. I've worked in engineering my entire life and still working... absolutely true what you said. You did what i would do. Go back recheck and correct your mistake. Many people cant do that which is sad.

Thank you for the correction. Godox makes some nice flashes so good that we all have this option to save a few bucks.

Cheers!