Cannon Off Camera Flash

Can anyone recommend a good off camera flash for a cannon 40D

If you are using radio slaves, anything that has a sync port and manual controls will work.

I like the Canon 580EXII myself. It's very good.

The 580 EXII is a very good flash. I own one myself, but as you are looking for an off camera flash I would not recommend it unless you are willing to invest in the new pocketwizards which retain ettl, radio poppers (which I understand retain ettl), or an off shoe cord like those made by flash zebra http://www.flashzebra.​com/products/0125/inde​x.shtml. With a 580 EXII you will be paying for a lot of functionality which you will not use without the aforementioned additions.

sunpack 383's or nikon SB 26's are my first choices for off camera flashes..

430 ex ( I or II) and some cybersyncs..

Another vote for the 430EX and Cybersyncs. The reasoning being the 430EX has full manual control for off camera with the Cybersyncs and will still give you a fully dedicated flash to use on camera. And I suspect you will be using it on camera too.

Will Skyports trigger the 430ex? Also, will using an off camera flash of any brand other than Canon, harm the camera at all?

Vineet666 wrote in post #8361116
Will Skyports trigger the 430ex? Also, will using an off camera flash of any brand other than Canon, harm the camera at all?

I don't own Skyports but yes, Skyports should trigger a 430EX - but I believe you will need a pc hotshoe attachment for the flash to connect the skyport.

Flash units other than Canon off camera - depends on how they are attached and what camera. I guess it's possible to harm the camera if it's wire attached and the trigger voltage is enormous. If there is no hard connection it won't hurt the camera.

Thanks for the response Titus. So you're saying if I physically do not attach the third-party flash to camera, it won't harm my camera right? I am planning to buy 2-3 flashes for my 40D, all of them I will use off-camera. The SB-E2 is an expensive option for me, considering I already have to buy a Skyport transmitter for my Elinchrom lights which has in-built receivers. I might as well buy another external Skyport receiver and try to use it with 430ex. Could you please recommend some dirt cheap flashes which will work in the slave mode? I will hardly mount those flashes on camera, and if I really have to, I will have one 430ex in that case.

I'm not up on the available non-Canon flash units available but if you are doing your shooting with them in a studio you may be able to save some money by using optical triggers. Let your Elinchrom light trigger the other units. It's not the greatest but it is pretty inexpensive. If you are not in an environment you control (other photographers around using flash) they will trip your optical units.

Thanks Titus, I however want more flexibility with my flashes, to be able to use them outdoors off-camera for portraits etc. I think the best way for me would be go with the skyport receivers with the pc chord link you posted. No other alternate seems more desirable at the moment. I have to narrow on the flashes though, but for now I am more inclined towards the 430ex in the slave mode.