Best budget speed light for strobist work

Just been looking around for a good budget speedlight/flash unit that can be controlled manually but most bang on about ETTL and do not mention too much about full manual control.

I have the 580EXII and love the manual side of it where you can adjust it from 1/1 power all the way down to 1/128.

I would like these features in a budget friendly flash head for strobist type work to match up with the 580EX that can be fired via radio slaves.

Buying a 580/430EX for this at the moment is a bit pricey for what I need but might upgrade if get in to it a little deeper.

Any help much appreciated.

YN-560 does it for me.

Canon 430ez or 540ez with yongnuo rf-602 triggers...

Wonderful flashes.

what about yongnuo 560 units? full manual, no ETTL though, and run about $68 each.

http://www.amazon.com …TF8&qid=1312489​012&sr=8-1

they have a slave mode where they will fire when they see another flash.

LumoPro LP160 from MPEX.com. $160 with a US warranty.

Excellent... very fast replies there folks, thank you.

I'm in the UK but the yongnuo 560 is sold on eBay here for around £50.00 so that looks good, don't suppose any of you would have any strobist type shots with these flashes and the yongnuo radio triggers, would be really good to see your best shots using these budget units/triggers.

Also have my eye on the 430/540EZ film body flashes but just waiting to see what sort of price they go for first as I know what I'm getting with Canon.

They produce the same light as any other flash so just look through the hotshoe flash thread.

I am one broke photographer looking to get into off camera flash so I ordered 4 cactus V5's and 2 yn-560s with a umbrella kit on monday, Cant wait to try it all out. just waiting for my flashes and stands now. Got it all cheaper than one 580

I'd say get the 540ez. I had four of them and they were super reliable for a 15 year old flash. This was Canon's flagship of the film era. Attach a battery pack to it, and you have a great flash for off camera work.

There's not a lot of QC with the Yong Nuo units. I hate reading about people who were on a budget and bought one, only to have it go out after a few months.

Austin.Manny wrote in post #12877937
LumoPro LP160 from MPEX.com. $160 with a US warranty.

x2
I really like mine,

Gaarryy wrote in post #12878237
x2
I really like mine,

times 3

murkeywaters wrote in post #12878101
Excellent... very fast replies there folks, thank you.

I'm in the UK but the yongnuo 560 is sold on eBay here for around £50.00 so that looks good, don't suppose any of you would have any strobist type shots with these flashes and the yongnuo radio triggers, would be really good to see your best shots using these budget units/triggers.

Also have my eye on the 430/540EZ film body flashes but just waiting to see what sort of price they go for first as I know what I'm getting with Canon.

The 430ez go for about £40.00.

The 540ez go for about £70-80.00.

The 430ez has less control and is not so powerful, but it is easier to use in manual as you can press one switch up and down for a quick adjustment.

The 540ez has a quiet "whine" noise, but it is quite acceptable.

Yongnuo rf-602's are good triggers.

The 430EZ goes to sleep after 90 seconds of non-use. Not a good choice. The Yongnuo flashes are cheap but there are quality issues. But if they don't fail they give you a lot of bang for the buck.

^^The 430ez and 540ez's can be woken up by the yongnuo rf-602's, not everyone knows this, which makes these flashes good value for money if you use yongnuo triggers.

They are also woken up when on camera by Canon Eos Cameras.

inkista wrote in post #12877903
YN-560 does it for me.

anyone know how to remove the pc sync, i'd love to put in a 3.5mm like my other flashes, but i can't seem to remove it. i've taken it apart, removed the clip inside, and tried to press it out (both ways) and now thinking about drilling it out...any suggestions?