Canon has refreshed its Speedlite flash family with the 600EX II-RT, a new flagship model with burst shooting as its focus.
The 600EX II-RT replaces the previous 600EX at the top of Canon’s Speedlite line, and is said to improve on that model’s continuous-shooting performance by up to 1.5x when powered by AA batteries. When using it in conjunction with the new CP-E4N battery pack, meanwhile, Canon states that this figure rises to 2x.
The new model has been designed with a zoom and bounce head that covers all focal lengths between 20-200mm inclusive, with a guide number of 60m at ISO 100 when the flash is used at its 200mm setting. A built-in wide panel, meanwhile, allows coverage to be broadened to 14mm, which makes it compatible with the likes of the EF 14mm fƒ/2.8L II USM and EF 16-35mm fƒ/2.8L II USM optics.
Wireless support allows you to control the flashgun from up to 30m away, and it can also be used in conjunction with additional 600EX II-RT models, or other models in the Speedlite family, for more complicated setups.
Canon claims the unit recycles silently in as little as 3.3seconds when using the Quick flash mode, although this can be shortened with the above battery pack.
The rear of the unit is dominated by an illuminated LCD screen, which shows all key settings and usable distance ranges among other things, and even the charge of other wireless flashes in a particular group when used as a master unit.
There’s also a customisable control dial beneath the LCD as well as a bounce adapter provided alongside to soften the model’s output, while full dust and weather-resistance matches the protection offered by the flagship EOS 1D X Mark II model for use in harsher conditions.