Canon 430ex vs Sigma 500 DG Super

Wich would anyone prefer.
I just got the Sigma 500 Super on sat. Needed a flash for a show I did.
Its just I kinda think i want the canon 430ex...I mean the sigma is nice and works great. Its a little bigger then i was expecting. Is there any major advantages the sigma has over the 430 that I should just keep it instead of switching. it also seems the 430 recycles much fast 3sec with alkyline betteries vs 6sec for the sigma.
I dont know what to do..its a nice flash. Its just little larger I liked the size of the 430 and the recharge time was a little longer the i hoped for on the sigma.

Stay with the Sigma, I had the 430EX & wasnt very impressed with it, the sigma has loads more features & is much more powerful, think of the Sigma as a 580EX, lots of people compare it to the 430EX because its in the same price bracket, but feature wise & power its closest to the 580EX which is much more expensive.

At the end of the day your shots wont look any better or worst, but you will lose range with the 430EX, it just doesnt have the power.

Nick

yea i know most compare it to the 580
I see the 580 recharge is 6sec as well...guess the 430 is faster cause its not as much power to chrage..I guess I will just keep it

If you just compare features and specs, the Sigma seems to be the winner. But only if its additional features and power are useful to you.

There are many happy owners of both units on this forum. I don't think you can really go wrong with either one. A search will reveal many threads discussing them, including this one.

I didn't look at the Sigma when I was doing my research because I got a great deal on a 430EX used from here before I got the opportunity to check out the Sigma. I still can't compare it but the one thing that I have read about the Sigma that I know I wouldn't like is the fact that HSS is disabled when the shutter drops below the camera's sync speed. I have used the camera with flash several times outdoors where this would drive me nuts. Otherwise everything I here about it sounds great.

Exactly which all features does the Sigma have that the 430 EX does not? And what features does the 430 EX have that the Sigma doesn't?

-Fi20100

Try this linkfor a comparison chart.

One thing not mentioned in the comparison chart is the optical slave capability of the Sigma.

Canon's claim about the AF point coverage of their AF assist light baffles me. Surely this must depend on the lens focal length?

I think the major differences between the two involve multiple flash setups.

the sigma 500 super can act as master or slave, the 430 can act only as a slave. also, the sigma seems to work well only in all-sigma setups, and the canons only in all-canon setups. So once you start down that route, you're committed. If you want to get into multi-flash with, say, 3 strobes, your total cost with a sigma approach is MUCH lower.

other difference: the sigma can be set up as a purely manual controlled flash, I don't think the 430 can. That's for both single-flash and multi-flash systems (eg, only the sigma can be used as an optical slave).

Regarding the comparison link that Curtis posted, I can verify that the zoom detents for the sigma are the same as for the two canons.

True, but when you consider the price of the Sigma with the extra features you may as well have it, for what you dont use at the moment you might need later on down the track, ive found the Flash Exposure Bracketing on the Sigma to be quite useful along with the larger range of power levels, both features which are not on the 430EX, I think the 580 has all this & possibly more, but its out of most peoples price range.

Nick

The Speedlite 430 EX can most definitely be set in full manual, both in a single flash setup and in a multi flash setup. This is a common misunderstanding.

-Fi20100

Some differences:
Flash zoom range for 430EX: 24-105 (with flip down diffuser: 14mm)
Flash zoom range for Sigma: 28-105 (with flip down diffuser: 17mm)

The 430EX supports digital white balance compensation, something that the Sigma does not. This means that you get a more accurate white balance with flash direct out of the camera with Canon.

The Sigma only covers single AF point, where the 430EX covers up to 9-point AF.

The Sigma is more powerful, but the 430EX is smaller and lighter.

True, the sigma is large, I think its around the size of the 580ex, probably because of the extra power, larger bulb etc.. the white balance thingy doesnt matter if you shoot in raw, which everyone should to get the best results, I only ever use the centre point on my 350D, I dont know if its wrong to do that, but I dont like the camera choosing what focus point to use.

There is no doubt the Canon flashguns are top notch, but very much like with lenses you can get just the same quality/features if not better with 3rd party makes while spending a fraction of the price of a Canon.

At the end of the day, it always comes down to money, how much do you want to spend? the results in this case will be identical, both Sigma & Canon flashguns are very high quality, you get more bang for your buck on the Sigma, but with the Canon you get a slightly better looking item (more stylish) & of course it matches the camera.

Nick

The only complaint I have about the Sigma is the manual - written in baboonglish and completely worthless. Check the link in Curtis' post - if you don't need the capabilities that the Sigma has and the Canon doesn't, then you might be better served by getting the Canon. If the 430EX had existed when I bought the Sigma, I'd have probably bought the Canon. The Sigma won easily over the old 420EX.

has anyone ever broke the hotshoe off the flash...that is my biggest worry...such a big flash and held on by that little piece of plastic...is the canon base metal.

I would keep it. I've never used a 430 but i read the features of it when i was shopping around. I ended up ordering the sigma.