Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras by Canon
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Digital camera reviews of Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras
Digital camera Review: Amazing piece of equipment
Summary: 5 Stars
I just upgraded from a no name brand cheap flash unit. WOW, what a difference a professional flash can make. I hooked the 580EX II up to my 30D and can't believe the results. The camera and flash communicate for fantastic results.Digital camera Review: Amazingly fills the room with light - Flash Synch input a BIG plus
Summary: 5 Stars
Very powerful, and accurate in ETTL II mode. I also own the original 580EX, and I was thrilled to see that the diffuser for my original one also fits the new 580EX II. The new 580EX II definitely seems stronger (especially at the shoe), and appears to be better sealed. Also, the battery compartment door is simple to open and use, which is a great improvement over the original.
Also, the PC Synch chord attachment is a very nice addition, so now it's compatible with wireless pocket wizards or industry standard flash synch cords. For fully automatic ETTL II, then I also love using this as a master, and my original 580EX as a wireless slave. It also works great with the ST-E2 wireless trigger for fully automatic operation, and control of flash power ratios from the camera. The ST-E2 does have a fairly wide spread which does bounce, so the "line-of-sight" issue doesn't give me trouble too often. The fully automatic operation makes up for the "line-of-sight" requirement, I think. Of course, you could always use a pocket wizard or a sync cord in manual mode, if you can't do a line-of-sight remote trigger.
I like the bar on the back that tells you how many feet are in the flash's range, based on your camera's settings, which are automatically given to the flash. It even gives the flash focusing distance information from the lens, on the higher quality Canon lenses. I love seeing the feet range bar move when I change the aperature on the camera, or change the zoom on the lens. I love watching it move all the settings automatically as quickly as it changes on the camera. I also love the auto power off/power on that is in sync with the camera.
All those above mentioned features justify the cost of this flash over any thing else I've seen, including the 430EX, or any other brands that are supposedly Canon compatible. Yes, it's expensive, but this new quality design, and stronger shoe lock, will help ensure this flash lasts a long time. Plus, the quality of the photos it creates, hopefully, will help it pay for itself.
Digital camera Review: Amazon & Canon 580EX II
Summary: 5 Stars
I have to give praise to Amazon and the Canon 580EX II. The delivery was a day ahead of the schedule date of delivery and the pricing is unbelievable compared to anybody else! I will be purchasing another one!Digital camera Review: An absolute necessity
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this flash for my wife reluctantly at her request, thinking that no flash could be worth the amount of money this product demands. I was absolutely dead wrong. She wanted this flash as one of the basics necessary to push her photography to the next level, and it has certainly worked. I'm no photography guru, she's the master, but I can tell you that this flash makes shots both indoors and outdoors infinitely easier, and it greatly improves the quality of night action shots. One of the gigs she has is photographing high school football games on friday nights. This flash has allowed her to greatly improve the quality of her shots on moving targets in low-light situations.
Functionally, it's extremely easy. It's basically plug and play for the beginner, but it has all the functionality and pro would want from a mountable flash as well. It's built solid, doesn't look completely hideous, and its rotating/tilt functions come in very handy for direction the light just where you want it. My only gripe against the flash is the battery life. I realize this thing is a beast, but any way Canon could think of to improve the battery life of this product would be appreciated. If you're going to be taking a lot of shots, you'll want to pack some extra batteries.
To sum it up, if you're a serious hobbyist or an aspiring pro, this flash is something you have to add to your armory.
Digital camera Review: As advertised
Summary: 4 Stars
This unit is pretty much as advertised and reviewed, eg on the-digital-picture. A couple of annoying things:
o The swivel joint on the flash head stops at 180 degrees facing rearward, when turned in either direction. When bouncing and moving from angle to angle, eg. following a randomly-moving subject, it'd be nice to be able to twist though 360 degrees so that one wouldn't have to think about where it's currently positioned - just rather where one wants it to be. I don't know that any manufacturer's flashes swivel that way, and it's one reason why people use awkward flash brackets.
o No battery level indicator. There's no way to gauge how much battery life is left, so one has to keep an eye on the pilot LED, or swap out the battery set proactively before it stops working. This too seems to be a ubiquitous omission across manufacturers, and incomprehensible on a top-of-the-line unit.