which flashgun

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ed34

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sean edwards
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i have a question,i'm going to buy a flashgun,never had one before so i need your help please.
i'm looking at the canon 430ex speedlite and the 580ex speedlite.i'm going to start doing some portraits and wondered if it was worth getting the 580ex instead of the 430ex,all comments welcome..

sean
 
Hi Sean :)
I'm currently on the prowl for a flash too, i'm probably going to go for a 430ex, my reason for thinking this is that if at a later date i really need the extra power, wireless master and other functions of the 580 i can get it, keep the 430, then i'll have a slave for playing with creative lighting and a spare if i ever need it :)
 
I'm in the same boat too, and I'm thinking the same way as Col_M

For how many times I use a flash the 430EX at £156.00 looks beter value than a
£261.00 580EX
 
I was in a similar position until just recently.

I've been only using my onboard flash, and even then...not too often, so I kept thinking "I hardly use flash, so I'm hardly likely to need the extra features of the 580 over the 430".

I was undecided at first whether to go for the Jessops 99.99 one, or the Sigma 500...In the end I decided to go Canon for the guaranteed compatibility, and to buy a flash that was literally dedicated to my camera.

I think if money wasn't a concern, then I would have gone for the 580, purely to cover the chance that I might need its features in the future.
But saying that, I got my 430 from Onestop Digital for 142.99, which was about a 85 saving over the 580. I could have used my voucher to get 35 cashback on the 580, leaving it at a price difference of about £50.
But then I thought "Am I *really* likely to need the extra features....can I justify the extra cost?"

In the end I decided, no, I couldn't, and plumped for the 430.

I think my answer to your question would be....if you can afford to go for the extra without batting an eye, then go for the 580. I've read reports of people missing the extra features and upgrading later.
BUT, if you're not likely to ever use the extra features or need them, or if the price difference is too great, then you really can't go wrong with the 430.
 
thanks guys for your advice :thumbs:

marcel i was thinking along those lines too about the price diff of about £50,what i don't want to do is buy a 430ex and then think i should have bought the 580ex.but at the same time i don't want to just buy the 580ex if a 430ex will be suffice:shrug: .i think i need a lie down my heads hurting:bang: .

cheers sean.
 
I've got the 550 and wonder whether it was worth waiting to get the 580 and am still wondering!

Either try to get a 2nd hand 580 or go for a new one but if you can, go for the one you really want, it'll bug you forever otherwise!

Carl.
 
Similar to Marcel and yourself I was dithering which to go for.
Common sense and bank ballance won the day. I got the 430 and havn't regretted it.

Only place it fails a little is if you are trying to bounce off a high ceiling or illuminate a large hall. Since the 580 is more powerful.
 
Of course, if you can pick up a second hand 550EX at a good price, as I did, you're laughing! ;)
 
Just to throw a spanner in the works why don't you have a look at metz flashguns? Youn can now get them with the camera manufacturers mount on them rather than using the old adaptor system and every review I've read of the of the MZ54 says that it is a much better flashgun than the dedicated minolta and sony ones.
 
how badly does the 430ex eat batteries, and will top quality rechargeables do?
 
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