Looking at buying the Canon 430EX II... quesitons

I have a Canon 7D (lenses are listed in my profile) that I love, the popup flash works well for some situations but am wanting to get more into basic portrait shots and am wondering if this flash will work well for me? I don't want to spend more money than what this is selling for. Also, is there a newer version coming out anytime soon?

I'm also wondering how well this would work with my 70-300 @ 300mm? I've read through Bryan's review and am looking for more input. I've never used an external flash so I'm starting my research here. Thanks in advance.

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Originally Posted by Photog82

I'm also wondering how well this would work with my 70-300 @ 300mm? I've read through Brian's review and am looking for more input. I've never used an external flash so I'm starting my research here. Thanks in advance.

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James, For family portraits and other household shots the 430 should work fine---especially off camera. -- or bounced. But what do you want to shoot that neccessitates 300mm and a flash? If you are shooting Birds, Wildlife, Pets etc, Then the Better beamer+430ex should you serve you well.

Hi Bob- I in the woods yesterday afternoon, the light was so-so due to tree coverage. I came across some fox kits and had to use my flash in a couple of instances which serverd its purpose, but I'm wondering if this flash would produce any better light in a situation like this. At first I was concerned about scarring them however they are 3 generations of living next to a highschool and busy road so they aren't as afraid of humans as they would normally be.

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Originally Posted by Photog82

Hi Bob- I in the woods yesterday afternoon, the light was so-so due to tree coverage. I came across some fox kits and had to use my flash in a couple of instances which serverd its purpose, but I'm wondering if this flash would produce any better light in a situation like this. At first I was concerned about scarring them however they are 3 generations of living next to a highschool and busy road so they aren't as afraid of humans as they would normally be.

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In this case, Definately yes---The 430 would be much better that the onboard flash. If you add another 20 bucks and get the better beamer, it should really help you out.

Bob

I got one recently and for indoor family shots it is much better, just bounce off the ceiling. With the included stand and teiggering it remotely (not sure if the 7D does that out of the box) it is also a fun tool/toy for your creativity.
It definitely has more power than the built-in flash. The AF assist beam comes in handy in low light, even if you shoot without flash
Arnt

I don't use flash much, but my 430EX II has worked perfectly for the few instances when I needed it. Bouncing off a ceiling works very well indoors. And Cowboy Studios make a great little remote kit that's very inexpensive. I've never used it outside, though.

Looks like the 7D has the speedlite transmitter built in

The 430EX II is a great choice, IMO. I started with one, now have two (and a new 600EX-RT).

It seems likely that Canon will come out with an RF version of the 'one step down' flash, a 440EX II or similar. Unless you plan to go the RF route down the line (Canon's system, that is - I use PocketWizards for remote triggering), the 430EX II will serve well, and cost less than the replacement.

There is little comparison between the output of your built-in flash and the 430 EX II.

The 430 is a great little flash if you don't want (or can't afford) a 600 EX RT and want the piece of mind of having a flash that works perfectly with your canon body. Obviously it isn't as powerful as Canon's pro flashes but it really performs quite respectably for a flash of its class as measured by the Seedlights.net Power Index. Other drawbacks compared to the pro flashes is that it can't rotate 180-degrees to the right, isn't as durable and weatherproof, and can't act as an optical trigger master. However it makes a great wireless TTL slave. And it costs a lot less. If you upgrade to a pro flash in the future, the 430 makes a great backup unit.

I don't know what kind of distances you are trying to achieve with your flash, but one thing to consider is that you can place your 430 on a stand or tripod 45-45 feet ahead of your camera (unobstructed and slightly to the side), with the flash body facing back toward you, and use the 430 as a slave triggered by your built-in flash. That will get you a bit more effective working range.

I read in the review that this flash only supports up to 9 AF points, will this be a problem on the 7D?

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Originally Posted by Photog82

I read in the review that this flash only supports up to 9 AF points, will this be a problem on the 7D?

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No, I wouldn't say that's a problem. I use the 430EXII with my 7D and I'm happy with it. I didn't even know about this limitation, but on the other hand I mostly use the center AF point - especially in dim light where the AF assist beam is used. I haven't done any testing, but I suppose the AF assist beam may not cover the outer AF points of the 7D. I wouldn't bother too much about it though.

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Originally Posted by Photog82

I read in the review that this flash only supports up to 9 AF points, will this be a problem on the 7D?

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No, it's fine - covers the 9 AF points on a 5DII, which gives a much wider FoV (in terms of physical dimensions) than the 19 points on the 7D, for a given focal length.

I haven't bought a speedlite since I last updated this thread, but I have some money for one now and am thinking about getting the 430EX II still, I read a rumor awhile back about Canon potentially releasing an update. Does anyone have any news on that?

Certainly nothing official. It seems likely that at some point, we'll see an update to the 430EX II to make it a slave flash in their -RT system (currently the 600EX-RT and ST-E3). My personal opinion is that such a flash is already designed and ready to go, but they'll continue to milk 600EX-RT sales as long as they can, and that could be quite a while...

CR is the place for all your rumours, but I haven't heard anything lately.
They will eventually replace all the current speedlites (or at least the top models) to have Radio Triggers not just optical, it's a question of when not if.
For now they'll be lovingly milking everyone who wants radio triggers by forcing them into the 600RT, but that's been out for a while so it's time for more Radio Triggers this year I reckon.

Here is the latest CR rumour, december 4th saying "not far off, maybe 1st or early 2nd quarter 2013". When that translates into 'actually in-store' could be anyone's guess, seeing as we're dealing with Canon here (although, to be fair, it's not a 600mm lens, so it might ship quicker than 2 years).

If you want/need to buy one now, just get one now, the 430 mk2 or even the 430 mk1 (which i've got), there's heaps of them around so used prices are very reasonable. If you want/need the RT, then you'll have to wait 3-6 months or buy the 600. If you don't want/need RT, then there's still an advantage in waiting for the 450RT announcement, after that the used prices on 430EX 1 & 2 should drop by a bit.

ha, snap.
I like how we both simultaneously used the word 'milk', cynical much are we?

Me? Never...never ever ever ever. :p

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Originally Posted by Dr Croubie

ha, snap.
I like how we both simultaneously used the word 'milk', cynical much are we?

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Lol!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

I'm not sure if I'd need RT or the 600. I plan on using it for shooting inside photos on our upcoming baby (May) and possibly other situations.

Another way to interpret it is: "Buy it now before Canon adds RT capabilities to the 430EX and doubles the price!"

Another option to consider, and I'd appreciate anybody who's used them to chime in, the the Metz mecablitz flashes. Their Metz Mecablitz 50 AF-1 is a tad cheaper than the Canon, supposedly supports everything (off camera triggering, high speed sync, etc.), but is slightly stronger (50m @ 105mm, ISO 100, instead of 43m), and can swivel both ways. Canon intentionally makes the 430EX only swivel one way to annoy people into buying the 580EX.

The Metz 50 is currently being phased out in favor of the 52 which is slightly stronger still, and trades buttons for a touchscreen, and has a (weak) modelling lamp to get an idea of where the light and shadows will fall without taking a picture and reviewing it.

I almost bought one right before Black Friday, as they were listed for $199, but when I went to the store they claimed that was an old special price, and it's now $249 (I think B&H has them for $199 for you Americans), so I remain flashless.

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Originally Posted by DavidEccleston

Canon intentionally makes the 430EX only swivel one way to annoy people into buying the 580EX.

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My 430EX mk1 swivels both ways not one, with the camera at your eye normally it goes 90 degrees right or 180 degrees left. Which is fine, but when you're in portrait that turns into 90 degrees to vertical, or 180 degrees past the ground to straight behind you.
Which (as I think Bryan noted in a review) is the completely pointless direction, because the best direction would be overhead behind you where that won't reach. Or is that what you meant by 'one way'?
(unless you hold your camera in portrait the 'wrong' way with shutter on the bottom like i've seen a lot of people do with a P&S, even my mum holds her K5 like a gumby in portrait because her left eye is better (or something).
But doesn't the 580EX do that too? or does the 580 go 180 degrees both ways?

Sounds like these metz ones might not be too bad in theory if they go the whole way, do they work as an optical-slave from, say, a 7D?

I was using the onboard flash on my 650D and was getting so-so shots. I splashed out for the 430EX II and the difference is night and day. The 430EX II is an amazing flash, and to be honest I don't know how I even did without it before.

I didn't think the 430 did 90/180, that changes things a bit. The Metz goes a bit further (300 degrees total instead of 270), but I had thought the 430 only went one way (because you hear of people complaining about it not swivelling for portrait use).

Yes, the Metz supposedly works with the 7D style optical triggers. I was mainly looking at them because I thought the 430 was more swivel-limited that it was. Still, it's a bit cheaper, with a bit stronger flash. I saw the new 52 has an AF assist LED, and the touchscreen auto rotates if you place the flash in a portrait orientation, making it easier to fiddle with. Assuming anyone who has used one can give Metz flashes a thumbs up, they could be a decent option.

The 430EX II is a great flash. While not as powerful as the Canon's flagship flashes, it does pretty well for itself - especially in its price point.

See Speedlights.new Power Index for a comparison to other flashes. Again, pretty great bang for the buck (considering full ETTL II comparability).

The optical trigger built into your 7D's popup flash works quite well in relatively enclosed spaces, such as in a typical home. In my home I've been able to trigger my 430EX II around corners (i.e. out of line-of-sight), which is technically not supposed to happen because there's enough light generated by the pre-flash trigger to bounce into the next room. So, I've been able to get creative without the bother of cords or radio triggers, which is a nice convenience.

The 430EX II would be perfect for indoor photos of your new baby and it will give you a lot of additional capabilities that you can explore.

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Originally Posted by jrw

try to locate a ProPhoto store near you. Think there are a couple in the Ottawa/Hull area. They tend to put the Metz flashes on sale a couple of times a year.

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I've never heard of ProPhoto, and, it seems Google doesn't know it either. We've got Vistek, Blacks, and a handful of Henry's (Where I previously saw the 50 AF-1 for $199 instead of $249), and the big box stores (FutureShop, BestBuy, Staples). Vistek and Blacks are often one of the most expensive options in Canada that there is, according to photoprice.ca. Henry's varies from normally priced to super expensive item by item. It's why all my gear is from the US, aside from the 70-300L which is from Aden in Toronto.

When I ordered my first kit (T1i+50mm+85mm+battery+SD), Adorama was $800 cheaper than Vistek even after shipping and currency conversion. I'm not exactly thrilled with the local stores I know of. If there's a secret store in town with reasonable prices, I'd love to know about it.

Thanks. Enjoy the sun.

Thanks everyone for your advice, I took it all in and watched some Canon DLC videos on the subject and decided to give it a try. WOW! I love this flash, I shouldn't have waited this long! I bought it at Best Buy, stopped at my parents house and put it on the camera and played with their cat. I'm very pleased with the results, I hadn't even read the directions at that time.


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