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

I work as a photographer who does small weddings, family and high school senior portraits, and a few business gigs. I downgraded from the 580EX II to the 430EX II after misplacing my flash, and I dont miss the 580EX II much at all these days. The 430EX II works great for standard shoots and is more than adequate for hobbyists or simple portraitures. I wish it had a built-in bounce card that the 580EX II comes with, but you can buy an aftermarket one or DIY your own -- problem solved. The 430EX II is much lighter and much smaller than its bigger brother, and had I never owned a 580EX II, I wouldnt really know what I was missing. For those with multiple flash setups and want a flash that works as a master, youll want to go with a 580EX II. Youll also want the bigger 580EX II for bigger projects that need light at longer distances. The 580EX II also has a better range of motion on the swivel, which leads me to the main reason I give this flash four stars: the 430EX II flash head swivels 180-degrees to the left but not to the right, which makes it a bit awkward for me to get a vertical shot. And even with the knowledge of what makes these two flashes different, I have no intention at the moment of upgrading until I get into some bigger projects that require a master At the moment, my current

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I purchased this product as a gift for my wife who loves to take pictures of our 3 beautiful little girls. It sat in the box un-opened for about 6 months before I finally got it out, put it on our camera (Canon Rebel Xti) and took a few pictures with it for her. After showing her how simple it was to use and how much better picture quality turned out with using this flash, she does not take pictures without it. In fact, she rarely even takes it off the camera. Before I purchased this 430EX II, I did my research on several different models of flashes and compared all the features and specs. I had my decision narrowed down to this 430EX II and the 580EX II. I decided on the 430EX II because the cost was considerably cheaper than the 580 and it looked like it would do everything and more than we wanted to do with it. I would have given this 5 stars however when I purchased this flash, I expected the wireless flash would work off the camera and I could not get this feature to work. Turns out it didnt work because my camera (Canon Rebel Xti) did not support this feature with this flash. Video reviews of this feature working were with the Canon 7D and I assumed it would work with the Xti model as well. Overall, this is a great simple to use product and you wouldnt be disappointed.

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Im pretty happy with the flash. Pointing it at the ceiling inside makes it easy to get really good warm shots without a problem, day or night. I will add DO NOT BUY this from Five Star Camera. The one I received had been dropped, and the recessed cover was broken and missing. It was listed as used in "good condition". Missing pieces isnt close to good. But at least it was functional. Im satisfied with the features, although Id be more satisfied if it had come with the manual in ENGLISH and not Chinese. (The pitfalls of buying used) Im leaving 4 stars but as far as the flash goes I cant find a real reason to complain so far. But I cant say it leaped off the page amazing me, and I seldom leave five stars unless I truly love a product.

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I was planning to use this together with my older 420EX in a wireless multi-flash setup. I just wanted another flash like my 420EX. However, Im so impressed with the upgrades that I may buy another 430EX II to replace my 420EX. The quick-twist show lock is great. (It was always so tedious to spin the shoe lock ring on the 420.) The single-button aim lock is brilliant (instead of separate pan and tilt buttons like on the 420.) Best of all is the built-in, flip-down diffuser. How did I ever live without that? I will say that the controls were vastly easier to use on the 420. This new model uses an LCD screen that looks fancy but is actually many times more difficult to decipher than simple LED lights. This new model has critical functions like the master/slave switch un-intuitively hidden as a button you have to press and hold (the same button does something different when you just press it quickly.) Who the hell designed THAT? But once you learn its idiotic quirks, its a powerful tool. While it could be much easier to use, I like it enough to consider buying another one just to replace my 420EX.

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