Customer Reviews

Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash Unit

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the first proper flash I bought for my EOS 40D and have been blown away by the quality of the images it lets me make. My previous experiences with flashguns have been pretty hopeless, totaly nuked out highlights and black backgrounds.

I wasn't expecting much from this but the e-ttl metering really does a fantastic job of determining how much flash to give each image. I took a few photos of my daughter when she was wearing a bright white jumper and thought it would be totaly overexposed. No, they turned out fine, bright but not blown out.

Anyone in the know about flash knows that on camera flash is the worst place for a flash to be positioned. However, the quality of light given by this flash really does look good. Sure, I prefer to bounce the flash or get it off camera but in a pinch it can be left on camera, set to auto and pointed right at the subject.

The feature set is pretty formidable, hi-speed sync at all shutter speeds! This lets me take flash photos at 1/8000th sec which is cool. The manual controls are good, with power reduction down to 1/64th. There is a modelling light, 2nd curtain sync, focussing beam and slave functions.

The big drawback with Canon SLR's is that the flash cannot be remotely fired by the camera unless you purchase the Speedlite ST-E2, which is basically a hotshoe mounted infrared trigger. Sadly this item is hugely overpriced at about 150 pounds. This immediately limits the creative aspects this flash offers unless you get into radio triggers. The cheap ones from ebay do the trick but unfortunately the e-ttl ability is lost.

This is a hugely disappointing move by Canon, how hard would it be to incorporate an infra-red trigger into the SLR's? Nikon and Olympus do it.

However, once this difficulty has been overcome the flash comes into its own. The look from bounced flash is very natural and evenly light. I have started bounce flashing from walls and interior doors and the effect is subtle and really nice looking.

In summary, if you have any interest in using flash forget the built in flash on your camera, it is not going to take you too far. Try this flash and your photographic opportunities will be expanded exponentially.

A fantastic flash.

I bought this flash to go on my new 40D and although i had previously shirked a flash i am very pleased with the results. It comes with a great carry bag and stand, although it cannot be used off camera unless you have another on the camera to fire it. The sensor seems very good and in automatic produces great results.

I bounce this off the ceiling for most shots and the result is a perfect even light, no shadows, and because it's so versatile it doesn't matter what angle i have the camera at.

One word of warning, don't scrimp on your batteries! I used a cheaper brand and it reduced my recycling time to nearly a minute, useless! After some experimenting, including the new lithium AA batteries, i have found that the energizer rechargable 2500 batteries are the best. Practically no time between flashes for the first 5 flashes and then it recovers superfast and you can do it all again. Great for weddings and children photography where you just can't wait.

Buy it now and enjoy blinding your friends with it!

My first 'proper' flashgun. What a difference it makes right from the start. I haven't read the instructions yet, but have just placed it on top of my Canon 450D and practiced some shots with different settings and angles of the flash.
Even with my limited experience so far, it makes a fantastic difference. Much, much better than the on-board flash - much more even fill and balance.....bouncing the flash from different angles gives you more chance to experiment and gives portrait photos a different look.
The on-board flash can sometimes wash out a subject and be too harsh - no such problems with this flash, but you will need to either bounce it off a wall or reflector or use an additional diffuser (STO-FEL make good ones).
The flash turns 180 degrees front to back (turning to the left) and 90 degrees from front to right.
There is a really good locking mechanism to attach it to your camera which is easy to use and solid.
There is a pull-out-flip-down fresnel-type lens incorporated into the flash-head.
The display is easy to read - although you will need to read the manual to understand what's being displayed.
My camera automatically gave me the flash controls via the camera's menu system.
All-in-all this is an expensive flashgun, but if you're moving into wanting to take more better quality shots (particularly portraits) then you won't go wrong in buying one of these. There are cheaper flashguns for the Canon, but they won't 'talk' to your Canon camera like this one does - so you'll be able to get good shots almost straight away - and giving you the time to get to know how to use it to your advantage.
Worth every penny, IMHO.

Originally I had intended to wait until I could afford this flash's big brother the 580 Ex II, but after some consideration, I started to ask whether I really needed it for my own personal usage. There is an argument that the extra power of the 580 is beneficial for bounce flash, but this also has to be balanced against extra cost as well as weight.

My Canon 40D is already quite a heavy camera, so weight was a consideration when not using a tripod so I finally decided to buy the 430EX II. I am really delighted with the output after spending a day and evening trying out a range of shots with a wide range of set-ups. The flash really does allow subtle effects but it's sophisticated ability to get the colour temperature right when the camera is set to Auto White Balance is awesome.

So all in all, if like me you are hovering on a decision, just consider the power and weight issues and decide what is appropriate. If you are true to your reasoning, you won't go wrong.

When researching flashguns for my 550D, I wanted something reasonably sized - not an enormous brick unbalancing the camera. I considered the Canon 430EX II, the Canon 580EX II and the Metz 50AF-1. The Metz distributors told me that it can't be controlled from the camera's menu system. The much more expensive Canon 580EX II seemed too huge and grossly overpriced. So I went for the Canon 430EX II, and I'm glad I did - guide numbers aren't all that matters, so is handling. To get the 580EX II's wireless capability, I simply bought a Hahnel Combi TF. That gives me off camera capabilities with the 430EX II, master capabilities for several other flashes, and a long range remote control! The 430 EX II's full integration with the camera is nice, and it also transmits its white balance readings to the camera. I haven't yet managed to take a horrible looking flash shot with it, even in a completely dark room - when the flash instantaneously projects red crosshairs at the subject to enable the camera to focus. All in all, this flash on a modern Canon SLR gives fire-and-forget capabilities much like a compact camera, and perfect exposures every time. The addition of a Hahnel Combi TF gives all the off-camera facilities you could want, and together the price is about £100 less than a 580EX II.

Was asked to be the wedding photographer at my sisters wedding, so decided that I needed a proper flash. This was recommended to me and I was not dissappointed. Fully adjustable head for bounch flash with diffuser for macro work. Just leave it on fully auto or adjust as much as you like. For studio photographers you can link these up for remote shooting. A must have for the next step up!

Moving from the onboard flash of my 450d to this is like eating a hamburger on a market stall to eating in a Michelin star restaurant. With flash bounced off a wall my shots look so much better, softer tones, richer colours, generally much more natural. Plenty of features to keep the amateur and budding pro happy. It's well built, fits nicely onto the camera. Quite heavy with 4xAA, but par for the course I guess. I'm happy anyway!

I bought this recently for a Canon 40D & have found it excellent both indoors (bounced or straight) or outdoors for fill flash. Its not too big or heavy, only has E-TTL or manual, but this is all you need.
Nicely made as well & now features a locking metal mounting foot.
Recommended.

The purchase of this flash has made an instant difference to the quality of the indoor pictures that I have taken with my EOS 450D. The automatic detection and compensation for the focal length when using the zoom lens is a big plus. Also tried it with the 50mm F1.8 single lens to great effect. If you take your pictures seriously it's a must.
I have no adverse comments after using this for the last 4 weeks.

Sure the Canon EOS series come with a built in flash but these are for the most part weak. For dark nights and indoor shooting then a good flash is the way to go. The flash is very powerful and forfills the needs of every normal photographer. Equiped with Angle shooting (45° to 90°) as well as direct mode red eyes never need to occur. With a bright ceiling aiming the flash up will light the entire room. Recommended.