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I'm new to studio lighting. I have continuous lighting, but I loathe it. I have been slowly moving to using flash lighting in studio.

I have 2 speedlights: 1 Insignia TTL External Flash for Canon and 1 Yongnuo YN 560 III for Canon. I have been using just the Yongnuo with an umbrella, but I need that 2nd speedlight.

My question is: What kind of wireless trigger do I need to purchase? Will my trigger talk to both flashes as they are different brands? I am a bit clueless and not even sure if these are the right questions to ask.

Can anyone help me?

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I have 1 Insignia speedlight and 1 Yongnuo speedlight. Using Canon 7D. \$\endgroup\$ Feb 9, 2017 at 18:03
  • \$\begingroup\$ What do you want beyond the need to transmit a "fire" signal? Do you require power/zoom head control from the camera via the transmitter? Do you want E-TTL capability with the Insignia flash? Or are you happy to set each flash's power and zoom via the controls on the flash and only need the wireless trigger to fire them? \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Feb 9, 2017 at 23:03
  • \$\begingroup\$ What trigger are you using now for the YN 560 III? \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Feb 9, 2017 at 23:04

2 Answers 2

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Built-in Optical Triggers

If you're shooting in studio conditions, you could use the S1/S2 optical slave modes built into both of your flashes and your pop-up flash (if you have one) as the master trigger. This will have a more limited range and require line-of-sight between the master and slaves, and be less reliable outside in bright sunshine without bounce surfaces around. But it should work. In S1 mode, your pop-up flash must be in M mode (no preflash), and in S2, your pop-up flash must be in eTTL with Canon's wireless function turned off (single pre-flash). Canon's optical wireless system is a different triggering system that uses multiple preflashes; S2 mode can only ignore a single preflash.

Adding Radio Triggers

If you need reliability outside in bright sunlight or need to ditch line-of-sight requirements, then radio triggers will work. But, of course, you won't have remote power control/TTL/HSS with your Insignia, if you get manual triggers, and if you get TTL triggers, you won't have remote control/TTL/HSS over the YN-560III. (For definitions of TTL, HSS, etc., see What features should one look for when selecting a flash?)

Your dilemma: Manual vs. TTL triggers

Yongnuo makes both manual and TTL triggers, but they do not interoperate with each other. You could get a YN-560-TX transmitter which can remote power/zoom/group control your YN-560III through its built-in receiver. Then you could add on an RF-605 to your Insignia flash, and be able to turn its group on/off and fire it remotely, but you won't have power or zoom control.

You could also get a YN-622-TX transmitter, and add YN-622C transceivers to both flashes. You'd have TTL, HSS (if the Insignia can perform this--it may not be able to), and remote power/zoom control over the Insignia, but you could only remotely fire the YN-560III (it only has one pin on its foot, and that's for the fire signal. All the other pins are needed for everything else).

Last thoughts

If you can afford it, I'd actually recommend ditching both the Insignia and the Yongnuo, and consider Godox flashes, like the TT-600 (manual) and TT685 (TTL), which can both be power and HSS controlled from the Godox X1, as well as giving you TTL access to any flashes that have them. A TT-600 and X1 transmitter cost roughly the same amount as a YN-560IV/YN-660 and a YN-560-TX, and the system can let you grow your lights up to studio strobes, if you want. Yongnuo never designed their speedlights/triggers as an overall system, while Godox did.

Of course, this may all change, as the world of cheap Chinese speedlights revolves quickly. The flashhavoc blog is a good source of information on what's current.

See also:

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  • \$\begingroup\$ So, if I get the YN-560-TX and mount it to camera, and add the RF-605 to the Insignia, they will all talk to each other? My biggest concern is line of sight. I sometimes can't light my subject how I want because my flash can't see my camera. \$\endgroup\$ Feb 9, 2017 at 18:18
  • \$\begingroup\$ You could also use a YN-560-TX to control the YN560 III. A YN622C made since Dec. 15, 2014 or any YN622C II attached to the Insignia as a receiver would allow the YN-560-TX to fire and also control the power and zoom of the E-TTL Insignia flash in manual flash mode (no E-TTL). You could use a second YN622C or YN-622-TX to control the insignia/YN622C with full E-TTL functionality when the YN560 III is not needed (or you could add another YN622C to fire the YN560 III but power/zoom would have to be adjusted on the YN560 III control panel rather than via wireless). \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Feb 9, 2017 at 20:41
  • \$\begingroup\$ flashhavoc.com/yongnuo-yn-622c-and-yn-622c-tx-updates \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Feb 9, 2017 at 20:41
  • \$\begingroup\$ flashhavoc.com/yongnuo-yn622c-ii-for-canon-now-available \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Feb 9, 2017 at 20:42
  • \$\begingroup\$ @inkista Please see the two flash havoc links above. The Yongnuo manual and E-TTL trigger systems now do provide some interoperability. The YN-560-TX can remotely control power and zoom on E-TTL flashes set in manual mode via a YN622C receiver made after December 2014 or any YN622C II when used as a receiver on an E-TTL compatible flash. \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Feb 9, 2017 at 20:51
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You can try a Yongnuo 560 TX iii flash trigger. it will work well with the YN 560 iii.

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