help choosing a speedlite

I am a newbie so to speak... I have the T1i and I mainly take travel shots as I am currently getting to travel in Europe... I mainly use the 18-200 IS canon a a walk around lens and when I use the flash for fill in or for some night shots of the family the lens causes a shadow in the photos... I need a speedlite I realize but don't want to go overboard and don't want to buy something I am not going to be happy with either... so exp. photogs which speed lite do you recomend??? heading to the local Swiss camera store tomorrow to purchase one... the guy at the photoshop is suggesting the 430 but I don't know if it is the II version... thanks in advance

i had a 430ex ii before and it worked pretty well. it was just annoying to change the settings in manual mode (i'm used to the dial, not the push buttons). this flash is lighter and smaller than the 580ex ii and should be a much better fit for light traveling.

Thanks Golf88 I am leaning toward this one... but I shoot in manual mode... is it really that big a deal???

I picked up a Yongnuo YN467 for my T1i and am very pleased with the product! It has a great 1sec refresh time with new batteries. They can be picked up on e-Bay for around the 70$ range! Do a quick google search for YN467 and you'll get lots of great info.

thanks 5280Pics but I am currently in Europe and Geneva Switzerland to be exact and they are very limited on selection here and I am sure Ebay shipping international would kill my budget...lol I had a photography friend here who ordered something from the states and it was held up in customs for 2 weeks... the Swiss are a very paranoid people...lol or just slow...

I was lucky and found a member here who was selling one (in the US). The ones you order from e-bay come from China and take quite some time to get shipped to the states! Good luck in your pursuit of a Speedlite!

focus.pocus wrote in post #9871101
Thanks Golf88 I am leaning toward this one... but I shoot in manual mode... is it really that big a deal???

Nope not a big deal.
He means manual mode on the flash not the camera.
Most likely your going to shoot the flash in ettl mode if it is on top of your camera, when you move it off camera the push buttons will be the least of your worries.

If money is no object try looking at the Metz line of flash units. You can upgrade them with software when it comes out, which is a great benefit.

Thanks everyone for ypur input... I guess the 430 it is... no generics or after marlet products here in Geneva except Sigma & a few Tamron lenses... so i will have to go with the Canon

I'd have a look at the 580exII if it's not over your budget, my 430exII I found was a bit underpowered for bouncing in certain circumstances requiring significant flash exposure compensation. The issues with the 580exII is the size on the smaller dx bodies but I like the wireless capabilities. The other good flash, which is much lower in price is the Nissin Di 866. The Di866 has all the features of the 580exII and is also slightly more powerful.