Get a new flash?

[coldpenguin]

Can someone suggest any good flashes/alternatives?

I have a Canon 7d, a 580 EX II , and a Yongunuo 460 II.
I like to be able to control the power of the 580 EX II from the on-camera flash. However, the YN 460 means that exposure etc. has to be in manual mode (S1 slave), whereas if I shot without it I could use the E-TTL mode in the camera. I generally use the YN-460 for backdrop/background lighting (or white-out), so not being able to control this isn't a major issue...

I was thinking of adding another flash, and started looking at the prices. I note that the 580 EXII appears to no longer be available, replaced with the 600-RT, at quite a cost.
The 430 EX II at the moment has £40 cashback, meaning that I could in theory get it for around £150, ish.

Either of those would add a fourth light source to the mix (I already use a reflector when I remember, however using a controllable light-source would be preferable).

Then I saw in another thread the YN-622 was suggested. Is my understanding of this correct? One fits to the top of the camera (meaning that the 7d could no longer be a light source). Another fits to the flashes themselves. I.e. I would need to buy 3 of the YN622 plus another flash just to stand still with my current setup.
Does the YN-622 (c? for Canon) communicate with the camera in a similar way to the 580 EX II, i.e. it looks like a master on the top of the camera?
Can I set up groups etc. in a similar way as I could if I were to use a 430 or 580 as slaves, but instead I could use 'cheaper' YN flashes (and the existing 580 as a slave).
However, I would loose the on-camera flash of course.

Any suggestions as to which solution would be best?
One thought was the 320, but I don't do much video-ing at the moment.
Another useful ability to me in the past has been the IR/Red focus assist beam that the 580 EX II has. Using the 7d as the master with optical wireless I loose that ability anyway.

 

[Phil V]

Firstly you could use your current YN in S2 slave mode and in manual and you'd still have the built in flash and the 580ex in ETTL mode.

If you bought a pair of YN 622s you'd have 2 remote flash guns, with the 460 as an optical slave, with another ETTL flash and a further 622, you could have 2 remotely controllable flashes (manual or ETTL) and the 460 manually controlled.

You set groups with the 622s and control them via the camera menu. The camera treats the on camera 622 as a master, as such if you put a flash in its pass through shoe it's group A.

You can do fancy things with channels too using the YN 622s, but that requires more receivers and flashes.

 

[coldpenguin]

Thanks Phil, I think that clears up what I thought could be done.
I have tried S2 mode in the past, and although the flash fires, it doesn't seem to do it at the correct time (basically no light hit the sensor). I assumed that this was down to the 7d sending the 'flash settings' signal and confusing the flash pulse. I will try again.

I guess I need to decide whether I would like more than 3 'strengths' of controllable flash (the 7d has the ability to have the onboard, plus 3 groups).