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

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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 dont 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 dont 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 cameras 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 masters 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 Arenas "Speeliters handbook" is one about the technical aspects of Canon gear, while Niel van Niekerks "Off-camera flash" deals more with the corresponding lighting techniques. I recommend both. Please dont hesitate to ask me questions either directly or through comments.

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0:00 0:00 This video is not intended for all audiences. What date were you born? January February March April May June July August September October November December 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920 1919 1918 1917 1916 1915 1914 1913 1912 1911 1910 1909 1908 1907 1906 1905 1904 1903 1902 1901 1900 Submit Adobe Flash Player is required to watch this video. Install Flash Player This is my first video review so please excuse the lack off skill :). The camera was set to 1/80 F1.4 ISO 250 for the pictures taken. The no flash picture was out of focus (could you tell by the delay) so I decided to take three consecutive pictures at the time of posting this to maintain consistency. It was a little darker out but all of the pictures were taken at the same time. Overall I love this flash. This is coming from someone that got into photography because I hated flash. I hated the way pocket cameras washed out pictures with flash. I worked my way up through higher end pocket cameras and eventually went with a DSLR. I am the last person that ever thought that they would enjoy using a flash. It is now used in almost every situation. Learning how a flash can fill a picture evenly (even in "well lit" situations) is extremely useful when trying to improve the quality of your images. Like my review? Click like below and support the individuals that take the time to write personalized reviews. Be cautious of purchased reviewers trying to make products seem better or worse than they really are. We are entering an age where reviews can command a market. A better reviewers community will help weed out the cons. I hope this helped!

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Ive been an avid picture taker (high amateur I would say) since the days of 35mm film. I used to develop my own B&W film in my own dark room, and was into making prints as well as doing all the tricks with the enlarger (burning, dodging, masking). I paid $200 for my old Canon AE-1 35mm camera (considered a low end professional back then), but could never afford the expensive dedicated flash (cost more than the camera). I bought a Vivitar manual zoom flash. I loved its power, but it was all manual. I upgraded to a Canon T3i last year, and was still using my old Vivitar $50 zoom flash that was still working great. The problem with a manual flash: you cant count on taking pictures without setting up each shot whenever you move to a different area, or someone is wearing white versus black, etc. The other day I learned that I was nominated to be THE photographer at my nephews wedding. While I was happy to oblige, I knew I could not trust my manual flash, so bought this one after reading reviews of it. I can concur - this is a great flash. I was a bit nervous, because it came in the DAY OF THE WEDDING! And I had no time to read the directions. I literally put batteries in it and attached it to the hot shoe of my T3i, and 15 minutes later was taking pictures at the Brides apartment waiting for the limo. I took a few quick shots and they all came out great. I know this is a zoom flash, and I see this is automatic too! Meaning, with my 24-55mm zoom lens, if I am zoomed out all the way and take a photo that needs the flash, the flash will confirm that it changed zoom of the internal lens of the flash to 24 mm. I actually heard the zoom of the flash once or twice. I then zoomed to full 55 mm and took a shot - the flash showed 55mm zoom. I then threw on my 55-250 telephoto lens. I zoomed all the way to 250 and took a photo, and the picture indoors came out great, despite the zoom on this flash only goes as far as 105mm which is displayed on the LCD display when I shot. I wondered how it would work if there was enough light NOT to need the flash, but I had the flash turned ON. Again fully automatic and idiot proof - beautiful photos at higher shutter speeds when using the "P" program mode with flash still turned on. In other words, just because I left the flash on didnt force a 1/60th or whatever shutter speed. I was happy about that. Also, the flipside - while taking pictures indoors at the reception, I turned the flash OFF but kept it mounted on the camera, to see if that would confuse anything. No - the camera took the photo at the slower 1/30th speed since it knew the flash was not enabled. I took over 500 photos that day from limo to wedding ceremony to reception. I was really pleased with the way the flash and camera worked. About the only pictures that didnt come out lit perfectly were If there was a white subject in the foreground that wasnt the intended subject, and the flash rightfully stopped down lighting the very close arm or body of the person in white, but my centered subject 6 feet away was a bit dark. But I was surprised when taking 55 mm shots at 10 and 15 feet, this flash lit up the room very well. Cycle time was not an issue. I would take 2 and 3 shots for many of my candids and dont remember waiting for the flash longer than maybe 1-2 seconds. I know there are flashes that cost double the money, but for this price, and my first dedicated flash, with a history of having a manual flash, my indoor pictures are now at a near professional level thanks to this flash. A great all-around flash. I havent yet played with bouncing the flash off the ceiling or walls yet. My first experience was popping this thing on, not reading any directions, and taking 500 wedding pictures being the family photographer. And I think they will be very happy with the results.

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Excellent flash, I couldnt be happier. Yes the newer flashes (like the iii version of this one) have more features, but this does everything I need it to do. Its plenty powerful, I can illuminate birds in flight 100 feet away, sometimes 200 feet away (though not as intensely). The high-speed sync is great, the wireless functions work flawlessly. I love being able to have A and B and C groups, it has made my nature photography so much better. Theyre fairly big and heavy, so when I have my macro rig connected to my camera with 2 of these ones connected, it is a lot of weight. But for that weight you get a lot of power, better battery time, etc. Im very pleased!!!

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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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Ive been shooting with the 430EX II for 8 months and its proved to be a wonderful flash with no issues: quick refresh, good exposure for direct and bounce and a lot of flashes per set of batteries. I use it on 5D MKII, 6D and 7D cameras and operation has been flawless as both main flash and slave to a ST-E2 trigger. Unlike my prior 430EX, its fully compatible with the flash menus on all my cameras. I love the one-stroke shoe lock. It sure beats the lock wheel on the prior 430EX. Also, the foot is metal, a nice upgrade over the plastic foot used on the 430EX. Honestly, there isnt a huge difference in flash quality over the 430EX but there are nice tweaks beyond flash menu compatibility: more consistent control of color temperature, slightly faster refresh (especially with Eneloop batteries), quieter, zoom automatically scales coverage for APS-C and Full Frame formats and AF assist light works better with outer AF points of my cameras. It even sports a pull down diffuser for wider than the 24mm auto zoom range. All in all a solid upgrade to the 430EX and a perfect unit for events, small groups and daytime fill.

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First of all, this is an amazing product. I really never imagined I had so many uses for an external flash until I bought one. On a recent trip to Europe, I used it constantly; but mostly during the day for a fill flash. When youre photographing people in the afternoon sun, they usually have harsh shadows on their faces. This little bad boy will cast just the right amount of flash to their face and itll look natural. Now here is why you must purchase this from Amazon. On this same trip to Europe, my 430EX suffered a fall from six feet onto a very unforgiving concrete surface. The small clip that holds it onto your camera must have failed. I know s--t happens, but it was a major setback for me. Anyways, when I got back home to the states, I chatted with a representative online from Amazon and they approved me to send my defective and highly damaged item back for an exchange. I thought I would have to wait until the broken item made its way to their return center, get processed, and then wait for the replacement (refurb) to come to my house. Boy was I wrong! Not only did they send me a brand new item, but they overnighted it to my house! I was on my way to give UPS my broken unit when my regular visitor-my UPS guy-showed up to my house with my brand new unit. Just amazing customer service.

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Before I review the 430EX II, perhaps a little info on myself is in order. I am a photographer with a small newspaper and work with other photographers with various opinions on flash. Before I bought this little guy, I was an avid fan of "natural lighting." At this stage, I should have known this was a poor choice in the long run; I stuck with it and truly took some great photos with natural lighting. As my assignments varied however, it became harder and harder to avoid high ISOs and harsh lighting conditions. This flash caught my eye as a beautiful way to enter flash photography, the master ability, like the 530EX II, did not seem important enough for me to pay the extra money. I have been using this flash now for a couple weeks and I must say that I have fallen in love with it. I dont think I have been on any assignments where I have been without it. Automatic mode keeps up with me and never over or under exposes. One little caveat I do have. I was at an Olympic Training Wrestling meet and my flash did not recycle quick enough and I ended up missing a great shot. So I thought, external battery, lo and behold I cannot find any that are compatible. Could this kill the deal for some? Probably. Does this make me regret buying the flash, not at all. Its a great little flash and if I ever do get the 530EX II, this will make a great slave.

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If youre tired of your pictures looking like a deer wandered into car headlights... If you long for photographic results that rival commercial photography...If you want to take your images to a whole other level of WOW....Then this is the item for you! When I first started in bounce flash photography I was 20 years old, now Im 48 and I wish I had started using bounce flash even sooner. When I first got back my images I shot with my 35mm Canon Camera (using bounce flash) I was AMAZED! I thought the pictures were shot by a PROFESSIONAL commercial photographer! Since that day I never looked back. One word of suggestion here...When you shoot with bounce flash...try shooting in TV mode and use the fastest shutter speed to keep the ambient light from blurring your people pictures. I use my Canon Speedlite 430 EX II with my Canon Rebel Xsi and yes I have to experiment with the Flash Exposure Compensation button. Sometimes I set my exposure to 0 and sometimes I turn it down or up, depending on how close or far I am to my subject. Remember: Bounce flash works only if the ceiling or wall that youre using is fairly close by and is a white surface (or close to white). Since the advent of digital cameras you can experiment with the flash and see what angle works best for you and what exposure is most effective. Sometimes a slightly darker image is just what the doctor ordered. So, add this accessory to your cart and in no time youll become a master commercial photographer, at least thats what people will think when they see your images with bounce flash! Add to cart now and enjoy the results!

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I was actually looking at getting a prime lens to add to my enthusiasts kit, but the reviews here and in other areas convinced me to get a flash instead. I was quite hesitant as I really wanted to get my sticky fingers on a new prime lens, but Id heard time and time again that what changes many a photographers shooting experience is a good solid flash. I had done plenty of photos for family and friends, but I was constantly frustrated by poor indoor lighting and having to compensate with post processing or upping my ISO at the risk of graininess. I figured Id take the plunge and forgo the new lens and get a flash instead. I wanted a good, solid quality, and while this was rather pricey for a simple enthusiast like me, my husband sprung it for me as a Christmas gift. And yes, I agree with the other reviewers - wow! How can we have all lived without it?! It completely changes the way you take photos, so Im glad I made the right choice! Now I go everywhere with this guy tucked in my camera bag. Im still new to flash photography, so Ive spent a lot of time reading up on and experimenting with the flash. Im still learning, but for all intents and purposes, it works straight out of the box. On camera, or off, its ready to go. Coming with a stand of its own, you can set it down anywhere and fire it using the on-camera flash. Ive eaten some batteries up with my enthusiastic testing, however, so Im going to be looking into getting rechargeable batteries to save that part of my pocket. A note also is that this unit can only be a slave unit, but eventually, hopefully, Id love to get a 580EX II to go with it.

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