Every day it seems like a new, inexpensive Chinese radio flash trigger hits the market, but according to Photographer Phil Steele, of SteeleTraining.com, the Yongnuo RF-602 is different.

In his video test and review of the RF-602 (on which this article is based), Steele even claims that it may be the "PocketWizard Killer," the inexpensive trigger that finally takes market share from the long-time industry standard.

What makes the RF-602 unique among the low-budget Chinese triggers is that it works in the 2.4 Ghz frequency range, rather than the 344 and 433 Mhz range like most of the inexpensive triggers, and even the venerable PocketWizards.

Why does this matter to photographers? Because some flashes, such as those in the Canon Speedlite family, are known to put out radio noise in the 344 and 433 Mhz range. This can cause unreliability with radio triggers that work in that range.

In the video, Steele tests the RF-602 extensively and compares it to his experience with PocketWizards under similar circumstances, finding that the RF-602 is actually more reliable for him than PocketWizards costing nearly 10 times as much.

In fact, during the course of the testing with the RF-602, there was not a single misfire. Even in the distance test of approximately 70 meters, the RF worked perfectly and synced at speeds of 1/250th of a second.

Was the RF-602 perfect? No. It did fail one test, when Steele tried to use it as a wireless shutter release using the cable included for this purpose. But that was a secondary function for this review, which was primarily a test of the RF-602 as a wireless flash trigger.

Steels also notes some minor inconveniences with the RF-602. For example, the transmitter takes the CR2 style of battery, which is less readily obtained than more common AA or AAA batteries. And the transmitter does not lock onto the camera's hot shoe, making it prone to getting bumped out of place or knocked off.

Also, the position of the on/off switch on the RF-602 receiver is inconvenient and can't be reached when the unit is mounted on certain Canon flashes.

But in the end, these are small inconveniences in a system that performs remarkably well given its low price point. In the final alaysis, Steele concludes that the RF-602, despite its flaws, may really be the PocketWizard killer that the marketplace has long been looking for.

For a video version of this review, visit this YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5shvFGUf3g