Tell me a little about the Canon 430 EX II

[Avotius]

One of the things I never got into was flash, at least on camera flash like this, studio flash is a whole other thing.

Anyway the girlfriend is looking for a flash and she has some requirements. Since neither of us speaks marketing we wonder if someone out there can better fill us in.

We have been looking at this Canon 430 EX II for her 5D, she will be using this for indoor fashion/portraiture where its not possible to bring the studio with her. What we really want to know is can this flash be used in whatever its called where you have one flash goes off and this flash detects that and go off as well? Also is there an option for audible sound to know when flash is recharged (ala the Nikon flashes I have used before and most studio flashes).

Also the flash I used before (I think it was a Nikon SP28) had a plastic detachable diffuser thing, basically a white plastic cap that went over the flash, I dont suppose this comes with one?

 

[PhotoMat]

Regarding the use of the 430EX as a slave unit, it can function in that mode as long as you use the 580EX as the "commander" unit. Another thing about the 430EX is that it doesn't have the standard "A" automatic mode. It either operated in ETTL mode or manual. In ETTL mode, you can still vary the flash output with the +/- button. I don't know if you need the "A" mode, but that is a feature that is on the larger 580EX unit that is absent from the 430.

If you are trying to create a portable, studio-like setup, you may want to consider multiple Vivitar 285HV flashes and some sort of radio, optical trigger to sync the units. It would probably be cheaper than multiple Canon flashes. Good luck!

 

[Thardy]

I think it is a pretty good flash but if you need more power you should think of the 580 which cost much more. It does have more advanced features though.

 

[gavinlg]

Pocket wizard transmitter on camera and receivers on flash units is the best way.
Otherwise for cheaper you can get the Elinchrom Skyport transmitters/receivers for around $250us. Buy some Vivitar 285hsv or some second hand nikon sb25s and you're away.

http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/

Read through that site ^.


Using the infrared that canon and nikon flashes use to communicate isn't particularly reliable and the flashes must be within each others line of sight etc. It gets tedious.

Sorry I can't elaborate any more but I have to go - it's late and I have to be up early.
Good luck!

 

[bennyng]

The Canon Speedlite 430EX II has wireless capabilities and can be trigger by the Canon Speedlite 550EX/580EX/580EX II/MT 24EX as well as the Canon Wireless transmitter ST-E2. With any of these, you retain full TTL features in the system and the exposure will be calculated automatically. There is a working distance of about 20 meters and line of sight is required (or creative use of small mirrors).

Cheers,

 

[user237428934]

You can also use the Canon ST-E2 Wireless transmitter to fire a remote 430EX flash. I think this is done as in the 580EX with infrared. This can be problematic in bright light. The wireless transmitter is much cheaper than a 580 as master-flash. Advantage with the canon solutions is that you can use ETTL for the remote flash.
I use the 430EX as a remote flash the cheap way: with a 10m cable. You have to operate the flash in full manual mode. And: flash goes in standby after 3-5 Minutes. The flash only wakes up from standby when triggered with canon wireless equipment (580EX, ST-E2). When operated on a cable I have to switch off and on the flash quite often.
When you don't want to use the 430 on camera (where it is a wonderful flash) it would be better to buy a different model (whatever brand) where you don't have the standby problem.

 

[Avotius]

So...........does that mean that the 430 II will not flash if another flash goes off if put in slave mode? This is something I really liked about the old Nikon flash I used before, on slave mode it would flash when it detected the flash of another flash which is similar to what we do in the studios sometimes.

Before I was using an old simple Nissin flash as the "commander" it would flash and the Nikon would see that it flashed and it would flash too, it worked brilliantly. If the Canon cant do this then what a shame.

 

[user237428934]

So...........does that mean that the 430 II will not flash if another flash goes off if put in slave mode? This is something I really liked about the old Nikon flash I used before, on slave mode it would flash when it detected the flash of another flash which is similar to what we do in the studios sometimes.

Before I was using an old simple Nissin flash as the "commander" it would flash and the Nikon would see that it flashed and it would flash too, it worked brilliantly. If the Canon cant do this then what a shame.

There is no simple foto-cell inside the 430 flash (canon is high-tech, you know 😉 ) When you set it to slave-mode it listens to the IR-signals of a canon master device. As far as i know the master sends signals with a special morse-code to control the slave and to achive full ettl for the remote device.

I bought a cheap foto-cell to extend the 430 flash so that any flash will trigger it.

 

[Avotius]

Very disapointing, I guess I will have to get an expensive flash then get a cheap photo cell hot shoe attachment too, and to think nikon did it all those years ago and it worked well....pity

 

[gavinlg]

Very disapointing, I guess I will have to get an expensive flash then get a cheap photo cell hot shoe attachment too, and to think nikon did it all those years ago and it worked well....pity

For the same price or less you could get a cheap flash with the same output power as the canon and wireless triggers that would work 100ft + away from the transmitter. You can also group 10 of them if you want and have a mini portable studio setup that fits in a small bag. Extremely flexible and reliable setup