Which Canon Flash? 270EX II or 430 EX II

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Flash noob question - sorry!

I am now looking at getting a separate flash for my Canon 500D.
I can pick up the 270 for £100 or the 430 for £190.

What is the difference between the two and what benefits/advantages are there in buying the 430 at an extra £90 please?

Thanks
 
The big difference is the ability to swivel and bounce - which is a big help with on-camera flashes as you can aim it off walls and ceilings to give a nice diffused and big light.

The other thing is the guide number... 27m versus 43m so the maximum power is a lot less.
 
incapete said:
The big difference is the ability to swivel and bounce - which is a big help with on-camera flashes as you can aim it off walls and ceilings to give a nice diffused and big light.

The other thing is the guide number... 27m versus 43m so the maximum power is a lot less.
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daugirdas said:
used 580EX mk1 or 550EX.

430EX is good, 270EX is nearly useless.
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david1701 said:
430ex has manual control which will be useful in a few months when you move on
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Thanks all

Souds like a few more £ spent on the 430 will pay off (just didn't want to splash out on something that had functions/capability that I wouldn't use)

Now...where to get one for a decent price...
 
It depends on what you want / need it for..?
so if its just "Off camera single flash +reflector for portraits" get a cheaper non dedicated unit...Because the Canon benefits = nothing and it costs more... and if used on camera its not much if any better than the built in unit.

The only reason to buy a Canon dedicated flash unit is to use the canon ETTL remote master and slave system... If you aren't bothered about using canon ETTL off camera then I would get yourself a more powerful unit. (off camera manual setting)
I initially bought the 430ex only to discover its very limited if you want to use the canon flash remote system( Cant be a master unit) and I have bought the 580ex (ebay) for about 150 quid. It can act as a commander and has ETTL + full manual if required. My 430ex now acts as a slave. in a multi flash setup.
I have a couple of Vivitar 285HV units ( £65 each on ebay) that I use manually for bigger setups with umbrellas + softboxes to cover most bigger setups before I go to the bigger studio strobes. Whatever you decide please check out Strobist A few simple fixes will transform how you treat flash photography. Good luck!:thumbs:
 
The 430EX over the 270EX - see if you can find the 430EX (rather than the EX II) - could save you some pennies :thumbs:
 
andyred said:
The 430EX over the 270EX - see if you can find the 430EX (rather than the EX II) - could save you some pennies :thumbs:
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Thanks for the tip Andy - anyone any link to a site comparing the 430 and the 430 EX II?

inaneredstripe said:
430. no question.
we bought three flash's from a certain gentleman on here who sells a lot of stuff from the states.
we have two 430's and a 580
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Thank you - I've PM'd Ian so just waiting for a price now...
 
I just bought a 580 ex for 150 quid... Used on Ebay but it looks like new...
 
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