430ez with EOS 30d, are they compatible?

HELP! I was told that the 430ez would be a good flash for my EOS 30d however when I put it on the camera it doesn't seem to be working right. I know that TTL stands for Through The Lens but what does ETTL mean? I have read that the TTL function will not work on my EOS but will everything else work ok? What exactly will I not be able to do without this function (I really don't understand what this function serves). Thanx in advance. Oh and I don't have the manual as I purchased this from a friend but it was working when purchased.

To be honest, I think you shouldn't have bought this 430EZ for your 30D.

430EZ does indeed support TTL flash metering but the 30D is only compatible with ETTL flash metering. The E in this case stands for Evaluative. ETTL or now ETTL2 is based around a preflash fired at the subject and relies strongly on the distance data from the lens, all of which your EZ won't do.

I never tried a TTL flash on a recent Canon digital body but my understanding is that you will have to control flash output yourself, take account of the distance to subject, whether you are bouncing or not, whether you want fill or not. If I understand correctly, your flash head will be a purely manual head on a 30D.

Unless you are prepared to get to grips with completely manual flash I would look at getting rid of the EZ and buying a EX model.

If you are interested in reading more on flash etc., try this : http://photonotes.org/​articles/eos-flash/

You can use the 430EZ in manual mode. (1/4, 1/2, etc.) Just vary the power to get the right exposure.

The EZ models are not compatible in automatic mode with Canon DSLR cameras. You need an EX model to take advantage of the ETTL automatic modes. However, as indicated above, you can use the flash in completely manual mode controlling flash output via the flash itself, though except for very static condition, you'll find this very limiting. Best to sell that EZ model and get an EZ flash.