Originally Posted by Chuck Lee
Well, he just noted how cumbersome manual power adjustment is on the 430s. However, it all comes down to "..how much do you want to spend??" The 430EXs are better flashes. And if he purchased a 7D, he'd be crazy to give them up (ETTL control from the pop-up flash). Even without the 7D, being able to manually adjust the flash from a RadioPopper JrX transmitter is a very nice feature to have. For that particular feature to work, you'd need the RadioPopper Cube which hasn't been released yet (and given their track record of release time tables, it might be 8 months before it's released). I've heard someone mention that they'd like to try the Item #0135 Deluxe Canon Hotshoe with Miniphone Jack (Female) from flashzebra to see if it'd work like the yet-to-be released Radiopopper Cube. If the TTL points are live (and not just dummy points), then the flashzebra option might just work.
All of that costs money--and not a small amount. Vivitars with traditional radio triggers work very well. They're relatively cheap, rugged, and it's a breeze to change the settings. I do carry an ND filter for the rare occasions I need 1/8 power.
There is no right answer. I built my setup over time. Vivitars, Cybersyncs, Lumopro supports, flashzebra accessories--they all work extremely well and they're perfectly priced for my needs. If you need to work quickly and hate walking around to adjust your flashes, then you'll likely spend your money on different items. Otherwise, just buy what you think will work. If in time you find out you want something different, write off the cost of your gear to a learning experience and buy what will work better. Sell the things you no longer need. It's more important to buy gear that isn't perfect, yet learn how to light perfectly with it. After you've got that down, then you can justify buying gear that makes the act of lighting more convenient.
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