430exii additions

Hi everyone,

Going to grab a 430ex II for my flash needs.

BH has a lot of different kits... Do I just want the flash or perhaps

A "4 hour charging" kit?
One of the white diffuser things?

Thanks. Flash is my new frontier

No dont get a charging kit or any other house brand bundle from B&H or Adorama . Just buy the flash unit. If you are getting into speed lighting buy a good charger like a MAHA MH-C800S and some good battery's. Both the Eneloop and Imedion are excellent for flashes. Save the money from the kit's and just get the flash.

Most of the time those kits just jack up the price so they can sell some high margin house brand crap! In this game, it's best to buy the good stuff first, than to skimp and have to buy the good stuff later.

This has been my experience. Now the reason for the 430exII is?

It is a great flash I own one. If you need a master (like you plan to do multiple off camera speed lights) you might look at the 580 exII. The flash lets you power up and down in 1/3 stops the 430 exII is full stops, and the 430 can never be a master( controller flash with 100% control that cannon offers).

The 430 exII is almost as powerful as the 580 exII but not quite, If you plan to use lots of modifiers like softboxes or umbrellas, ect... You might rethink the 430exII. I started with a 430EXII and in hindsight I wished I would of got the 580exII to start. I have a 7D and the 430exII doesn't unlock all the controls as a master flash can.

But all that info isnt what you asked for, Good luck, AKf

I've decided on the 430 not so much on cost, but I'm in this ot so much as pro, but amateur use and for fun, friends, family, at most.... So it'd just be a flash upgrade primarily... I don't plan on having several flashes going off any time soon lol...

So I feel comfortable starting with the 430... Thanks though!

So the maha charger, is that just a high end battery charger? And recommendation on batteries?

I take it no Duracell rechargeables lol

SouthFlorida_Tron wrote in post #13912943
I take it no Duracell rechargeables lol

Actually, you should find the Duracell "white top", also known as "Duraloop", because they are rebranded Eneloop batteries.

akfreak wrote in post #13912922
The flash (580EX II) lets you power up and down in 1/3 stops the 430 exII is full stops ...

Please explain. Mine will do 1/3 stops in manual mode. Am I missing something or misunderstanding you?

Other than a charger, grab a diffuser?

A diffuser serves to make the light 'softer'. The 'softness' of the light depends on the relative size of the source to the subject (or the scene that it lights...). A diffuser will increase the size of the source very little (say from 2 inches to 4 or 5). For the modification to be effective you need a diffuser the size of an umbrella or a softbox.

Otherwise, you pay the penalty of reduced power, without much to show for it.

Bounce flash works better, if you can do it, because the bouncing surface becomes the light source and it is normally huge!

So say its inside, a posed to aiming flash with camera @ subject, angle it upwards to ceiling so it bounces?

Exnay on diffuser?

oldvultureface wrote in post #13913521
Please explain. Mine will do 1/3 stops in manual mode. Am I missing something or misunderstanding you?

580EX II allows 1/1 (full power) to 1/128 power in 1/3-stop increments while the 430EX allows power settings from 1/1 to 1/64 in more 1-stop increments The 580 exII
Manual flash output in 1/3 stop increments is as follows - 1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8th, 1/16th, 1/32nd, 1/64th & 1/128th.

I love the 430exII and it is only on stop less powerful then the 580exII, but as you know this is twice as bright (note I hardly ever use 1/1 power on a 430exII, If need that much light, I use 2 of them @ 1/2 power for faster recycle times.) . Lastly the 580exII head swivels in 180 degrees both ways.