Advice on canon flashs needed.

[JohnTudor]

Looking for someone who is using/or has used both the Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash and Canon 580EX II Speedlite Flash I'm looking to buy a new flash but money is playing apart in my choice.

Don't use flashs that much, and I looking for something I can use only when needed, I'd like to be able to use it off camera aswell (camera I'm using is an EOS 5D mk1).

If anyone's got any advice that would be great,


cheers JT.

[TonyHoward]

I cannot fully answer your query as I have a 580ex II and a 420 ex rather than a 430ex II. But a few thoughts. I do find the increase in power output with the 580 helpful. This is especially so using things like diffusers or ceiling/wall bounce. The 430 is only be a bit up on the 420. Otherwise operating specs between 580ex II and 430ex II look pretty similar to me. Big advantage of the 580ex II is the transmitter for multiple flash use. Can fail in bright light or if line of sight is not maintained (though this can be OK indoors via reflected light if you forget to swivel your slave) but I do find the exposure control and establishment of accurate flash output ratios via TTLII very good indeed. If this sort of photography is not your thing, 430ex II might be the more cost effective answer.

[JohnTudor]

Thanks Tony, I do very little work with a flash, but its handy to have one, if I find I'm doing more inside work I may go down the lightbox route.

cheers JT.

[Lee Iggulden]

John, Eifion has some flash guns that we have got from Cambrian, would they be of any use to you? Give him a call and he will help you all he can.

Lee :)

[Eifion Williams]

Hi John,

If you use the Canon guns in full TTL mode you will find that they are pretty accurate in their exposures and take a lot of the guess work out of it.

As Lee said we have some older guns at the office which would be suitable to use off camera with radio triggers in manual mode.
I use these quite a lot and they enable you to get creative with minimal cost, you can use these as a portable studio in your gadget bag.
As i said you use these guns in manual mode, either turning the power up or down on the guns or by moving the guns nearer to increase the power or further away to de-crease the power.

Its all down to the cost and if you want to learn more about flash.

Eifion.