Speedlite 430 EX II Review

The 430 EX II offers both professionals and amateurs an inexpensive and reliable flash unit.  Whether you're a professional or an amateur you'll find the 430 EX to be an invaluable tool in your shooting arsenal.  The main complaints on the Speedlite EX II are a lack of a battery charge indicator lite, uneven coverage in close shooting (only 1 user), small buttons on the back and the fact that it can't be used in Master mode with E-TTL.  These complaints are by far out of the norm of most satisfied users. 

My feeling is that this flash is an awesome flash for both amateurs and professionals who know how to use it and know what this flash is used for.  It's definitely not made as a replacement for it's bigger brother the Speedlite 580 EX II, but it will serve those who can't afford the higher priced unit or are looking for something that's easier to manuever with ease.

Actual Speedlite 430EXII User Reviews

"I wish I could tell you all of the neat features this flash has but the truth is, I don't understand them yet. What I can tell you is that I bought this flash to go along with my first SLR (the Rebel XSI) and it works really great. From a beginners perspective, it saves my camera battery and I definately get better coverage than the built-in flash. The reason I choose this particular model over the existing 430EX model is because there are some minor improvements such as recycle time and a metal foot but also because I read that some of the settings for this flash are [additionally] accessible via the camera's menu system…" - J & C - Portion of Actual User Review From Amazon.com

"I have both the Speedlite 430EX and 580EX. I started by dipping my toe in the water with this flash since it was less expensive and I thought it would be fine.

In other words it is a very good general flash for a majority of uses, is relatively small and has been reliable. I have also used diffusers on it and it as been fine. I eventually added the 580EX to get the additional benefits including faster recycles and output, plus tried some masteer/slave shooting…" - G. Werden - Portion of Actual User Review From Amazon.com

"...It is the perfectly sized and featured flash for me. While I use it for general photography, I also enjoy taking macro photos with this flash. I am no longer looking at dedicated macro flashes such as ringlights; I just attach a Sto-Fen and homemade reflector, manually reduce the power of the flash, tilt it, and shoot my macros. I may have to view a few macro photos to get the manual adjustment set right, but that's no big deal with a digital SLR.

The flash is pretty much foolproof in auto, I have to purposely mess up the camera or flash adjustments to get a poor photo, or be too far away. The only thing I don't like about the flash is the buttons are small and flush with the back; they should stick out further so I don't have to use a fingernail to press them.

I would certainly recommend this flash to anyone wanting to step up from the weak pop-up flash of their camera, but not needing the high power, high features, and high price of a pro level flash. There are good reasons why this is Canon's best selling flash. And the price is right during the rebate sale…" - Itsmeagain! - Portion of Actual User Review From Amazon.com

Speedlite 430 EX II Recycle Speed Test