Help with on-camera flash for wedding

First, don't shoot ISO400, shoot ISO1600 F2.8, play with the shutter speed. Two options come to mind:
- Small softbox, aimed at the subject. Bracket is optional.
- Zoom the flash to 105mm, no diffuser, pointed straight up. It might light the room, it might not. A CP-E4 battery pack would help a LOT with recharge times, but won't work with a 430 - you need a 550 or 580.

You probably can't do off camera flash, that's what i'd do. Also be careful bouncing of mirrors, you get a very harsh light.

Tim, the 430EX doesn't have a port for the CP packs.

tim wrote in post #6109055
A CP-E4 battery pack would help a LOT with recharge times.

The 430EX won't accept a Canon external battery pack, there's no port to plug it into.

EDIT: Oops, CDI beat me to it.

Ah yeah good point, missed that. High ceiling bounce at 105mm probably isn't worth doing without a 550/580 and a CP-E4.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I plan to upgrade to a 580 at some point, just haven't got around to it quite yet. With the size of the room and multiple floors to shoot from, off camera flash is probably not realistic since I only have 1. I do have an ST-E2 though.

I'll try to bounce if I can. If not, I'll go direct. I will most likely be shooting wide open at a high ISO as suggested. I have a second set of batteries and I'll bring my quick charger with me so I can charge while shooting.

Shooting ISO1600 F2.8 you won't use a lot of battery power, but there's no harm having a charger there. I have something like 40AA cells. 16 for the CP-E4 units, 8 for the 550 and 580, and a spare set of 8 for each flash that I almost never have to use. That's 32 batteries, and there's more lying around in other places that I don't bother to take

tim wrote in post #6109527
Shooting ISO1600 F2.8 you won't use a lot of battery power, but there's no harm having a charger there. I have something like 40AA cells. 16 for the CP-E4 units, 8 for the 550 and 580, and a spare set of 8 for each flash that I almost never have to use. That's 32 batteries, and there's more lying around in other places that I don't bother to take

wow you use a lot of those double AAs... so what is your chioce of brand? I have engergizers and duracells 2300 as well as some china powerizer brands

fiveFPS wrote in post #6130990
wow you use a lot of those double AAs... so what is your chioce of brand? I have engergizers and duracells 2300 as well as some china powerizer brands

All the NiMH cells seem to work the same. I have Power 2000 which I probably like the best, a generic brand, a local brand, and some other brand I got from B&H for my CP-E4. I use chargers I bought locally, not even smart chargers, but they seem to charge things pretty well. I never run out of power.

I use alkaline AA's in my 580ex II and would shoot straight on when there is nothing to bounce from..depending on how many images you want to capture, one set of 4 alkalines does me for about 500 shots before changing..you won't get that from rechargeables (at least I never) and they are cheap enough to where cost is negligible.

I'd put my Lumiquest ProMax 80/20 w/white insert on my 550EX, on my bracket on my camera.

Shooting wrote in post #6133097
I use alkaline AA's in my 580ex II and would shoot straight on when there is nothing to bounce from..depending on how many images you want to capture, one set of 4 alkalines does me for about 500 shots before changing..you won't get that from rechargeables (at least I never) and they are cheap enough to where cost is negligible.

You either have the world's best alkalines or have only used the world's worst rechargeables.........