Before I get a ton of emails saying that I have misspelled Canons 430 flash, I think I should explain myself. I know it’s called a Speedlite, however when I first purchased my canon 430 flash I kept calling it a Speedlight and i’m sure there are others who do this too. Because of this I will refer to this flash as the canon 430 Speedlight.
Now that’s out of the way, let’s get into looking at the canon 430 Speedlight.
Item Specifications:
Exposure Control Type: E-TTL II, TTL, E-TTL
Lens Coverage: 24mm – 105mm
Guide Number: 43
Brand Name: Canon
The Canon 430 Speedlight is suitable for photographers who are looking to venture into the world of flash photography. Some photographers are put off using a Speedlight because they often find them confusing. One of the benefits of using a Canon 430 Speedlight is that it has something on it called “ETTL” this basically means that in this mode the flash will meter the settings for you to give you the correct exposure.
Eventually you will want to turn your flash to manual mode for more consistent results but in the mean time the ETTL mode is a great way to get new photographers experienced in using flash.
The Canon 430 Speedlight head can be tilted and swivelled for when it is on top of your camera. This is a great feature and this allows you as a photographer to bounce the flash off any nearby walls which softens the light giving a softer flash which makes your images more appealing.
If you purchase the Canon 430 Speedlight then make sure you get the mark 2 version as it is much quieter and 20% quicker than the previous Canon 430 Speedlight.
If you ever upgrade to the Canon 580 in years to come then you will be glad to know that the Canon 430 Speedlight can be used as a slave light. What this means is that you could use your newer Canon 580 as the main light and the 430 as a 2nd light source which leads to some interesting photos being taken.
The Canon 430 Speedlight is a great flash gun that is very affordable and easy to use. You don’t have to take our word alone for it though as you can read over 230 customer reviews below.
If you’re undecided on the Canon 430 Speedlight then check out what Amazon.com customers had to say about it below:
“I use this external flash unit with my Canon Rebel xTi. The flash does a great job calculating the amount of light it needs to release to expose the photo, making grossly over exposed or underexposed photos a thing of the past…” Read Full Review Here
“The Speedlite 430EX II flash is a solid unit. It contains most of the upgrades that its big brother received. A metal foot finally, with a twist-lock that holds it totally securely to the top of the camera, yet removes in less than a second when you want to take it off, are true values and make a excellent flash unit even better. Canon quality is demonstrated in every aspect…”
“I had been holding off on purchasing an external flash for my XTI for months, making up all sorts of excuses as to why I shouldn’t own one. It’s too big, I’ll never use it, $200+ for a flash of light is obscene and on and on the excuses went. My wife surprised me by getting me one for my birthday and after using it for 6 months I couldn’t be happier. How did I ever live without this thing?..” Read Full Review Here
Thanks for reading this overview/review of the Canon 430 Speedlight. If your still undecided to whether this flash is the right one for you then why not check out the whole line up of Canon flashes at Amazon.com
Comments
bought this when i first started out. great flash, i now own 3 of them. the only thing that annoys me is the buttons on the back as their a little small for my big fingers
i have this and the 580 and theres not much difference except the 580 can be used as a master and the 430 is a slve. if your just starting or can only afford one i reccomend the 430
easy to use, great quality but like everything else in photography its expensive. but in its defence you get what you pay for and in this case its hell of alot.
got 2 430s and use them when i shoot weddings. if your gonna get one get the sany eneloop batteries too as they last for ages in your flash
+1 on the sanyo eneloop. wouldnt live without them
when i started with this flash i used standard AA bateries and within 20 mins they were drained so i got the Sanyo batteries and now they last easy 3 hours of constant shooting. their a must get.
also thanks guys for all of your comments!
great begginer flash