Canon R7 -- Wireless Flash Help Needed

kli wrote:

PDE94301 wrote:

If I owned an R7 (or any of the newer cameras with the enhanced hotshoes) and was planning on 90% of my flash work being fairly "basic" (e.g., a single speedlite on or off camera) I would definitely be checking out the new wireless trigger from Canon (ST-E10) and new EL-5 Speedlite.

Just want to reiterate: the EL-5 can only work with the newer hotshoes on the R3, R7 and R10. It can't be used on any older Canon bodies. It's a great choice if your only camera body is one of those three models; not so much if you want to use it on-camera with other Canon bodies

If/when I needed to add additional more powerful lighting I would check out Westcott gear as they're supposed to be compatible with Canon triggers (although I would want to test it out before committing given how new the ST-E10 and EL-5 are).

Yes, the Westcott FJ system should be RT-compatible. However be aware that Westcott (and presumably Rollei) did more than just rebrand Jinbei's RT system, they also made their specific versions incompatible with Jinbei's RT system. So, counter to the expectations a lot of us had, you cannot use the other Jinbei RT-system AC-powered strobes or triggers, or the HD610 TTL Pro that Westcott isn't rebranding together with Westcott's FJ lights. So, it's a much smaller system than Godox's. Granted, you do gain Westcott's customer support, and that universal TTL foot over Godox.

Good points. I assumed the OP didn't already own older Canon bodies and was looking for a basic 1-2 speedlites+trigger setup. I think the small size/price and rear camera display integration of the ST-E10 looks attractive, plus, the battery-free design means no need to carry spare AA's in the bag. Although certainly not cheap, the EL-5 is priced much more attractively than the EL-1. Just my opinion, but for casual run-and-gun speedlite work I wouldn't want to deal with 3rd party stuff and the potential compatibility issues in ETTL/HSS. It should "just work." Of course, for more controlled manual-mode lighting (or if it needs to be compatible with older Canon or non-Canon bodies), or if cost is a major concern, then the 3rd party stuff looks more compelling.