The Yongnuo YNE3-RX

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I just ordered a nice 1′ x 3′ Profoto strip softbox and want to put two speedlites in it for the upcoming anime convention Sakura-Con in Seattle, WA. The problem is I use two light modifiers and I have have two Yongnuo YN600EX-RT and one Canon 430EX II speedlites. How do I make them all work together wirelessly?

I could go with the old standy Yongnuo YN622-C transceivers. They work reliably and support full Canon E-TTL and high speed sync. They are also another piece of gear that adds size, weight, and two more AA batteries each. With three flash units I need four YN622-C units and eight AA batteries, one unit for each flash and one on the camera. My Yongnuo YN600Ex-RT speedlites have the Canon wireless system built in and I own the Yongnuo YN-E3-TX controller. It would be really nice to make the Canon 430EX II speedlite work with that system, but how?

Sidenote: The Yongnuo speedlites and transmitter are actually owned by my brother. I own a pair of the YN622C and this YNE3-RX unit.

Enter the Yongnuo YNE3-RX. I know the model numbers all sound the same , but bear with me here. This receiver works on the same Canon wireless system that the Yongnuos emulate. It effectively makes any flash work wirelessly. Because the Canon 430EX II supports E-TTL and high speed sync I get all of those features wirelessly too! It is very close is size and weight to the YN622-C and has a really nice backlit screen for the settings.

Notice the 1/4″-20 thread in the shoe.

It uses two AA batteries just like the YN622-C.

The backlit setup screen is pretty easy to use. There is an odd space between the first two numbers of the Id.

 

Here are comparison shots of the YNE3-RX and the YN622-C.

They are both very similar in size and weight. The main difference is the lack of a locking mount on the YNE3-RX.

The YNE3-RX has a 1/4-20 thread in the shoe, but no locking collar. This isn’t a problem for me since I will have it mounted in a locking shoe mount.

The power button is in the same location and is not as easy to switch on and off. This may be good or bad depending on your experience with the 622C’s switch.

The PC sync ports are in the same location, but the YNE3-RX has a USB port for firmware updates.

The YN622-C has buttons to change it’s channel and group, whereas the YNE3-RX has a setup screen with configuration buttons. The buttons on the former were always too easy to push on accident.

 

Here is how the YNE3-RX on the Canon 430EX II compares to the YN600EX-RT alone.

 

And finally a shot of the family of speedlite gear I have.