580EX II vs 430EX II - Worth the Difference?

[Warlord3A]

I'm considering purchasing either a Speedlite 580EX II or a 430EX II but I'm not sure if the 580 is worth the extra $160. I would appreciate any constructive input.

[sharkkk]

Advantages of the 580EX ii

Originally Posted by http://photo-tips-online.com/review/canon-430ex-ii-vs-canon-580ex-ii/nutshell/

* More power output (58 meter vs. 43 meters)
* Wireless master mode
* White reflector card (catchlight card)
* Weather sealing (battery compartment, shoe mount, body and head, connectors)
* Superior controls (select dial, newer buttons design, better on/off switch)
* External metering sensor
* External battery pack connector
* PC connector
* Head turns 180 degrees to the right (430EX II does only 90 degrees)
* Head tilts 7 degrees down (430EX II does not go down at all)
* Six extra custom functions

Personally what sold it for me was the ability to use it as a wireless master (and my paranoia when buying several flashes; I was initially thinking of a master 580 with slave 430s.. but if the 580 died I'd be stuck without a master!)

[sybren]

I got a 430EX as my first flash. Then I wanted to go off-camera and bought a ST-E2. After that I bought a 580EX-II when I saw it rather cheap in Thailand. After I got both the ST-E2 and 580EX-II I could compare the two as master, and the latter is way, way better. I went back to the photo store where I got the ST-E2 and traded it for a 430EX-II.

The 430EX-II is fine when you want to stick it onto your camera and flash people straight in the face. When you want to go remote, you can either go for cheap manual strobes with optical slaves or get the 580EX-II as the master unit. Most of the time I shoot with my strobes in manual mode anyway, so I could use the cheap slaves. However, that would make you walk up to them if you want to change a setting, whereas with the all-Canon system I can change the slave's power output on the master. This is quite useful when the other strobe is hanging on a fence a few meters into the water, or somewhere up a tree!

[inkista]

The general wisdom is, if you can afford the 580EXII, get it. You won't be sorry. But if you can't afford it, then a 430EXII is a perfectly good workhorse flash.

The 580EXII is better for bouncing, no question: more power, and the ability to tilt and swivel in more directions just makes life a lot easier.

Two other nice-to-have but not necessarily vital features the 580EXII has over the 430EXII are the ability to do stroboscopic flashing (i.e., repeated flash bursts at a given frequency for a specified duration), and an auto-thyristor mode, which can help you out when the metering is going to be whack (i.e., primarily white or primarily black scenes) and eTTL will be thrown off.

[n_mazur]

Another thought: I could be wrong here since I don't own a flash yet, but if you're planning on doing anything on strobist's website you'll need the 580EX II. From what I've read about the specs of the two flashes I believe that only the 580EX II has a sync terminal. Though, as the website says, you can add one to your camera via a hotshoe adapter for $20, but then that brings you $20 closer to the price of the 580 anyway.

[sybren]

There are other options as well, such as non-Canon strobes with optical slaves built into them. They are much cheaper than 430EX's let alone 580EX's. One of the downsides is that you have to walk up to them to change their settings. If that's not a big issue (and often it isn't) then you may want to seriously consider that. The other "downside" is that you're forced to use manual. I tend to shoot in manual anyway so for me it's not an issue, but if you're in a rapidly changing environment and want to keep up, the eTTL metering you get with an all-Canon setup can be a life saver.

[inkista]

Originally Posted by n_mazur

Another thought: I could be wrong here since I don't own a flash yet, but if you're planning on doing anything on strobist's website you'll need the 580EX II. From what I've read about the specs of the two flashes I believe that only the 580EX II has a sync terminal. Though, as the website says, you can add one to your camera via a hotshoe adapter for $20, but then that brings you $20 closer to the price of the 580 anyway.

Actually, it depends on what triggering system you're going to use. Many of the radio triggering systems these days (Cactus V4s, eBay triggers, ttl PocketWizards, etc.) can connect directly to the flash's hotshoe. It's only if you use a trigger that requires a sync port connector on the flash (Cybersync, Radiopopper JrX, non-ttl PocketWizard, etc.) that you'll have to get the adapter, or learn to wield a soldering iron.

If you go with Canon's eTTL proprietary signalling system (and possibly RadioPopper PXs), then you won't need PC port adapters. And going with simple optical triggers isn't really an option with a one speedlight system since most Canon camera bodies [7D excepted] won't let you turn off the pre-flash in the pop-up. (The SB-26 is one of the few that can recycle fast enough to flash for both the pre-flash and the main flash, but it has to be set to 1/2 power or lower; I'd guess the LP120 has a similar restriction).

[ddr]

if you go so crazy as to buying multiple flashes, your next one can always be a 580 if you start with a 430.

[bindi]

I have both flashes and while the 580 has all the advantages that many have listed in other replies, I often use the 430 as it is smaller and lighter.

I find if I have the 40D, the 24-70L and the 580 ex11, I feel like I am doing a work out at the gym after not too long!

[Carl J]

I am using the lumapro flashes with built in optical triggers or skyport triggers with a master on a 50D. The 580 is on a stand. so far so good
Any comments??