Cheers. Yes, think I'll definitely be looking
second hand anyway if i go for the 430ex. Ebay doesn't seem to have too many good deals on them.
There's an independent trader on here that a lot of people use, including me. Best prices, sometimes by a long way. You can PM him from here under the name
kerso
Do you guys use yours all the time indoors - never the onboard flash at all now?
If I have it with me, yes. In fact, I usually take a flash before a second lens. There are a heck of a lot of pictures that are improved with flash, even in bright sun. You have probably seen quite a lot, but didn't realise what was being done. Subtle is often good
Is it complicated to learn how to use bounce?
It couldn't be easier, so long as you have enough flash power (bounce needs quite a bit). 430EX should be fine. All the latest cameras have very sophisticated automatic flash exposure control systems (like Canon's E-TTL II) that are fully integrated with the normal ambient light metering. The camera blends the two automatically.
Basically, just put it on auto and it's point and squirt, usually for very good results. Then when you get more confidence and have worked out what's going on, you can start bouncing the flash off all sorts of surfaces, reflectors and light shapers, add extra flashes etc, turn the power up and down, and so it goes on.
You can do a heck of a lot with a good modern flash gun, and it only needs to be as complicated as you want it to be
