CanonSpeedlite 430EX II Flash for Canon Digital SLR Cameras Bulk Packaging (White Box, New)

Just do it. The 430EXII flash is the second best thing I ever attached to my Canon DSLR. I'm a bit sorry I waited all this time to get one.I have never been a fan of flash photography, and I peg that squarely on the shoulder of on-camera flash units. Sure, they are great when there is no other light, and one just HAS to have that picture..... but it will be poorly exposed, and flat as a pancake. I always prided myself on having a steady hand, and shooting sans-flash until lack of light made it ludicrous.Well.... after watching a pro work a wedding with a shoe mounted flash, I was ready to give it a shot. Enter the 430EXII.In the last week I have been bouncing flash off everything I can, experimenting. Several hundred photos later, I'll say this... the flash unit will go with me everyplace the camera does now.The quality on this unit is good. The metal shoe is solid, the battery door is not mickey mouse, and overall heft gives a feel of confidence in durability.The controls are as complicated as they need to be for the features offered. While there is a learning curve to use everything there, there is also the easy option of sliding it into the camera shoe and simply turning it on. For 90% of the casual photographers out there nothing else needs to be done. The flash, coupled with an EOS camera, is almost idiot proof. Turn on the flash, turn on the camera, and shoot.The flash head swivels in two planes, making bounce flash a treat. Suddenly flash photos are coming to life for me, with depth, color, and eye pleasing qualities. Exactly opposite of what the built in flash usually offers.As for rapidness of recharge, it easily keeps up with the camera's top shooting speed. In fact, I can manually trigger full power blasts as fast as I can push the test button, appearing like a strobe light to anyone watching.The pre-focus light works well, although only at shorter ranges. Across a room, no problem. Across the street in the dark? Forget it. At that point, switch to manual focus and shoot. The flash will keep up with your best effort.For the $260 I paid, with two day shipping..... I call this the best purchase I have made since I got the camera itself. Along with the L lenses I have, this flash will one day move to a more advanced camera body, and I won't consider myself under equipped at all.

This is the one I always have with my 7D - granted, because the pocket where I store it is slightly too tight for my 580EXII and I don't need the optical master mode with the 7D.What this has:● ETTL, i.e. automatic flash exposure measurement Through The Lens, when paired with a Canon camera, including the rebels or the G15 and such.● Manual mode. Obvious but it is worth mentioning if only because it is very useful, especially for macro.● Guide number of 43 - i.e. decent maximum power for a small flash.● Optical remote slave mode that supports ETTL (not just manual) when not attached to the camera and paired with an optical master. More on that below.● A swivel head● A zoom that matches that of the Canon camera to maximize the illumination of the target when zooming out. This only when the flash is mounted on the camera and aimed straight forward.What it does not have:● An external power port for additional batteries - would have been nice, but not such a problem.● Multi mode where it could output a string of flashes at programmable interval - that can be useful for some physics experiments but not much more.● Master mode for optically controlling other remote flash - more on this below.● A swivel head that can go 180 degrees to the right. It can to the left but not to the right. Usually not an issue, especially since when mounted on a camera held in portrait with a battery grip, the flash in on the left of the camera, therefore the important angles are to the right of it (at that time: to the top)I use it mostly with a 7D which features a popup flash with optical master for the Canon remote flash system.Why is that so nice?Much of the problem with on-camera flash, whether built-in or added, is that the light comes from the direction of the camera, thereby giving red eyes and flattening everything. (This is the reason why the usual advice about having the sun in the back of the photographer is a bad idea.)To avoid that, the obvious solution is to have the light come from the side, so as to have modelling of the subject shape.There are several ways to achieve that: you could position your subject 5 feet from a north window. Assuming you have a north window and it is daytime that would be preferred, but you don't need a flash for that.You can shoot the flash sideways or upwards to a white wall or ceiling, hence the swivel head. This gives you a very nice, soft light not coming from the camera - usually a great idea, however the loss of light can be huge, it is hard to control spillage (light splattering everywhere) and it tends to get a color cast if the wall or ceiling is not white, or if there is a big colored object in the room.Then of course you need a wall or a ceiling.What else?Move the flash away from the camera.You will need to control the flash so that it fires when the shutter is open, and you will have to control the flash power.Synchronization can be optical (synced on another flash), cabled or radio. Cabled and radio involve more hardware.Exposure control can always be manual - this flash here supports ETTL over optical wireless, meaning you can use your flash as if it were attached onto your camera, although actually it is not.You will need a master for that, either another flash your camera's popup flash. If you have a 7D or a 70D you are in luck.Is optical remote control perfect?No: for it to work you will need the 430ExII to see the master's light, i.e. a reasonable combination of dark location, short distance and line of sight: it works very well indoors but if you try triggering a flash hidden behind a tree 50' away in broad daylight it will not fire.There are other issues but they will not kick in unless you mix and match multiple different flash - if you are interested, please check out my review about the Yongnuo YN560-II which has the details of how to make it work in such a setup.Practically:● Set your flash to remote controlled by holding the zoom button down for 4s. This is not obvious and poorly documented.● Select the group (use default A unless you have multiple flash)● Select the channel (pick one between 1 and 4 and stick with it)● Set your master flash as such:If you use a 580ExII you set it as remote by holding the zoom button down as well, then select the master mode and the same channel as on your 430ExII.If you use a 7D, go to internal flash menu, select the remote flash capability and the same channel as on your 430ExII.Try it out, it is really worth the effort: it can be set up in minutes and you will have a nice new tool in your belt.I would recommend the 430ExII for any Canon shooter, regardless of the camera as long as if features a hot shoe.Beginners will have a very easy tool shooting in ETTL to take pictures without too much hassle and will have room to grow into it.More seasoned photographers probably already have a heap of assorted gear to choose from. For them the 430 can be a nice, less expensive backup flash or a travel flash as I am using it.It comes with a soft pouch; you may want to consider procuring some gels for it (at least CTO and half CTO) and maybe a small soft box.There are excellent books about these flash and how to use them. Syl Arena's "Speeliter's handbook" is one about the technical aspects of Canon gear, while Niel van Niekerk's "Off-camera flash" deals more with the corresponding lighting techniques. I recommend both.Please don't hesitate to ask me questions either directly or through comments.