Canon 320ex v 480exii

[ik631]

I am still new to the world of DSLR's but now I am at a point now where I want a flash. I have not found much searching for info on the new 320. I am wondering if the 320 or 480 would better suit my needs. I have a T1i.

- I don't do much video as my 5 yr old p&s does a better job
- I have kids and we are always somewhere with challenging lighting conditions needing a better/stronger flash than on camera
- I need small enough I can carry with me on excursions but powerful enough to hopefully help fix some of the problems I have been having like dark faces/eyes at the beach or playground
- I have already ruled out the 580 for this reason even though it is probably great it is so cumbersome I would never use it.

I have read all about the guide numbers but I don't really know what that translates to in real life as I don't have a flash yet. The 320 has 79 (ft.) / 24 (m) at ISO 100. My question is what won't and what will this flash be able to do with this strength? Get a good picture of my kids in front of a dinosaur in a dim museam and fill in the dark spots at the beach or should I step up to the 430 for $50 more?