Flash - other make question

[Pixels]

I don't use flash very often, but my question is - is it safe to use a non-Canon flash unit on a Canon DSLR (I have 500D and 5D at present)?
The Canon 580 for example seems a lot dearer than some of the third party makes; however I would go for Canon if there could be a problem with other makes' units compatibility.
I would welcome any feedback/comments on this.

[gonzogolf]

You want a flash that is ettl compatible. Thats the auto flash control system canon uses. There are other brands that make ettl compatible flashes, sunpak, sigma, and metz come to mind. I would consider the canon 430ex or 430exII, a stop less powerful than the 580 but still a very good flash. What you want to avoid for use on your camera are older flashes with high sync voltages that may cause harm to your camera.

[Pixels]

Thanks Gonzogolf for that helpful information.

[gonzogolf]

Happy to help.