Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras Reviews

• Very Impressive.

  
  By AEUW6VD9XCVWD on 2007-09-12
  I have the 420EX for my Rebel XT. It's a decent flash, but doesn't produce amazing pictures. I promised someone I would take pictures of their wedding and knew I had to get something better. I was very much eyeing the new Sigma EF-530 DG Super. Unfortunately there was not much definite information available, so I found it hard to make an educated decision. In the end I decided to pay the extra money, know that this flash will be compatible with future cameras without hassles and will reliably control my 420EX.
  
  Without a doubt, this flash takes excellent pictures. It also has enough power - the 420EX pictures always seemed like it was on its limit. I am quite the electronics geek and figured most of the controls out without consulting the handbook. I was worried about having to sit down and learn all abouth the MASTER/SLAVE options it has, but to my relief, I switched it into Master, the 420EX into Slave, and wow, the resulting pictures are simply stunning with the 580EX II as Master with the Catchlight Panel and the 420EX bounced.
  
  Yes, this flash is not cheap, but now that I have it, I don't regret spending the money one bit. If you're trying to decide, I recommend to spend the extra money. I can't imagine this flash will disappoint you.
  
  I should mention that the battery panel door is a new design compared to the 420EX and seems very sturdy.
  
  I submitted a few close up pictures here. Especially of the rear panel which seems to be hard to find pictures of.
  
  

• "The" Upgrade for your Canon Camera

  
  By A31ICLWQ9CSHRS on 2007-07-03
  I read a quote where someone said they'd rather have a good flash than another lens. Bingo! And this is a GREAT flash. I didn't own the original 580, so I can't comment on that. I do however own the 430EX and this is a terrific upgrade from that already very capable flash.
  The 580 - in case you don't know - is capable of serving as the master in a master/slave relationship with other Canon flashes. It can, when used in ETTL mode, configure and determine the flash needs of up to three sets of flashes. You can set ratios, create sets and program everything from this one flash.
  Alone, it's one powerful little beast! True, it's not a studio monolight, but try taking a set of those out to the park - or even the front yard - to get shots of the kids on prom night. This is a lot bigger than my 430, but not so big that it isn't part of my 'everyday' kit.
  For those considering a lesser flash - if you ever intend to use multiple flashes or need a more powerful flash, that 430 or 220 will limit what you can do. If I could do it all over again, I'd certainly purchase the 580 first, last and everything in between.
  
  

• Powerful, but you better read the instruction manual

  
  By A3CCKFT73UWFXB on 2007-06-16
  Very powerful. Possibly the best flash I ever owned, but you better read the instruction manual carefully. This is not a flash that you can just guess. I been experimenting for a week I am possibly 50% into it (not sure). I use it on top of my EOS5D mounted on a BG-E4 battery grip, with a EF 24-105 mm EF f/4 L IS. This whole setup is heavier than a cow, but I like it heavy.
  
  For starters, I got my 580EX II stacked on the master flash for a multi-flash setup setting. It took me two days to get it back to a single flash shooting mode. Evidently, it would take only 10-15 minutes if you know what you are doing and you know what to look for.
  
  Second, I got the mounting lock swivel in the stuck position. I think I waited until the next morning to figure out how to release the flash from the camera. At night time, under low light conditions you will never see the extra release buttom.
  
  Third, all automatic modes work just fine if you like to be in the hands of somebody else making decisions for you. Not my style. When the flash is set in the ETTL mode with the camera set in auto or P, it gives me too low of a shutter speed, 1/60 sec, and the minimum f value, f/4.0. In my view, these setting are useless. My preferred mode is ETTL in the flash, and camera set to manual mode at 1/125 sec at f/8 or higher. Now you are really in control to get a good image. You can now also play with flash exposure compensation, and I think you will be much happier. I do not care about discharging the batteries faster. I only care about getting the best image I can get.
  
  In general, setting the flash to ETTL and controlling everything else from the EOS5D gives me the best results. I am glad my camera allows me to do that. And, I love the full frame capability I get with the 5D, I don't have to guess what is the real focal length at which I am shooting. It is my strong belief, all cameras should be full frame. I do not believe the cameras should become any heavier because of that. If any, the weight increase should be in the order of a few grams max.
  
  All automatic modes would be pretty good for outdoors fill in flash photography, something that I have not tried yet.
  
  Fourth, you better make sure you leave the wide angle frosted flash cover tucked in. Even if its is "barely" out, the flash will get stuck in 14 mm lens setting. The focal lens automatic adjustment will not work anymore. It took me about an hour to figure out what was wrong.
  
  My only complain is that I get vigneting (or 4 dark corners) when I shoot with a focal lens of 24 mm. Placing the 14 mm flash cover solves this problem almost completely.
  
  Other features like flash bouncing work very well. This flash is very powerful. I can get pretty decent shots even standing 30 ft away from the subject under minimum ambient lighting conditions.
  
  All in all the 580EX II is a wonderful flash, I would recommend it to anyone. But you have to study it pretty carefully to get it to do what you want to see in you photos. In a way, it becomes a challenge to figure it out who is the smartest, you or the flash. I believe I am winning so far.
  
  

• Overpriced and bad design

  
  By A2K11NKKO5C1QD on 2007-10-08
  This flash works a bit faster than the 550ex, but frankly couple things are wrong with it:
  
  master/slave switch - if you never use it, then no biggie,but I do and this is a PIA to change with the menu. MUCH prefer the old style switch.
  
  The hot shoe clamp mechanism - this is awesome. but it does not work with a lot of accessories (too tight).
  
  Auto flash functionality - this is also annoying. You have to set a custom function.
  
  I prefer more switches, not less. I wish they still make the 550ex, it was all I needed. As it is, this is a terribly overpriced flash that is worse in some ways than 550ex
  
  

• Steep Learning Curve

  
  By A3T0LQU40KRLZP on 2007-05-30
  I purchased a 5D w/24-105 IS L-series lens in December. I decided to get the Canon because I have an older Elan (film) camera and several EF lenses. Then, I decided I would need a flash, which the 5D does not have. Before I could order the 580 EX, I got wind of the upgraded 580 EX II and decided to wait. And wait I did. Finally, as I was cruising the Net for any dealer with one in stock, I stumbled across one at B&H. I called them and they confirmed availability and shipped one immediately. I've had it for about two weeks, now.
  
  The construction is pretty solid, but the slide out wide angle lens and the catch light reflector will require special care. The catch light feature really works when you bounce flash and the unit puts out enough light that bounce will work in places where lessor units would not. The swivel head makes bounce a really viable option because it not only tilts but swivels. Once you see how natural portraits look with the bounce, I doubt you'll use direct flash again.
  
  In the future, I plan to add at least 2 slave flash units to this primary unit, which is another reason I chose the 580. I am used to lighting for video and film, so consider key, fill and backlight absolutely necessary for professional results. I'd like to add background lights as well and the 580 should make that easy to do.
  
  Incidentally, the 580's modeling light works just fine and is bright enough to be seriously useful only it makes me nervous because I wonder if it can be easily over-used, possibly damaging the unit. I need to check on that.
  
  The fact is, I have just scratched the surface of the capabilities of the 580 and therein lies both it's beauty and it's drawback. It simply is capable of doing so many things (like the 5D), that a user will have to spend a lot of time reading and experimenting. Also, I fear that if the camera and flash are not used a lot, that users will forget how to use even the simple functions.
  
  Frankly, unless you plan to use the unit frequently and for generally professional work, you may not need this much technology. A simpler camera with built-in flash may be a better choice for the more "casual" user. Also, when combined with the 5D full frame sensor body (read heavy), and the relatively large IS L-series zoom lens, the flash adds a lot of weight to an already heavy package. I was really surprised at how much lighter my friend's new D20 was when he came to visit this weekend, even wih a zoom lens attached. I will have to comment, however, that after shooting at a car show burnout event, that people move out of the way for you, because the package won't be mistaken for "amateur". Sometimes that's handy!
  
  So far, the unit has performed flawlessy, however, I've discovered that once "manual" zoom has been selected, it is not easy to get it back in "automatic" mode again. The owner's manual does not explain how to accomplish this, saying only that the unit will go into auto zoom mode if it is used on a compatible camera. There may be some easy way to do that, but I had to temporarily remove the batteries to get the unit to return to default mode (and auto zoom). After about 3 hours of no success trying to figure out the right combination of button pushing to get it to do so with no luck, I was about to assume that the unit was not functioning properly, but as with much of today's technology it was...USER ERROR!
  
  
• A Perfect Upgrade
  By A1BTU9SFC5GUJQ on 2007-08-03
  Like many photographers I used my 430EX as a flash, not a lighting tool. I set it to ETTL and fired away.
  
  After buying Gary Fong's WhaleTail flash defuser I viewed the training CD that was included and my eyes were opened to the creative potential of on camera flash as well as master slave lighting.
  
  I obviously required an additional unit and the 580EX II seemed to be the perfect choice.
  
  Powerful, feature rich, totally compatible with my Canon 30D, and rugged.
  
  With a guide number of 190 it produces all the light I will require. Fast, silent recycling, power on in .2 seconds, powerful AF assist and almost perfect exposure every shot.
  
  I use lithium-ion batteries to both hold the weight down and keep the recycling speed as fast as possible without resorting to an external power pac.
  
  One work of advise, read the manual. There is so much the 580EX II can do you need to use the manual extensively at first. One of the advantages of digital photography is you can experiment as much as you need to without wasting anything.
  
  The 580EX II gives you a studio lighting tool with none of the bulk and weight.
  
  Oh, yes. The 480 as a slave is a perfect partner.
  
  
• Canon Speedlite 580EX II
  By A1BMALKHBCK31C on 2007-12-14
  I'm a professional photographer and I make my living using Canon products. The 580EX II, while "new and improved" has a little catching up to do when you speak of reliability. The flash itself does have a number of improvments over the former 580 EX. The hotshoe mount has been redesigned and that's a great improvement. The biggest dissapointment is the misfiring of the unit when you are shooting multiple frames. Even though the flash is supposed to fire even when its not fully recycled, this unit, and many other photographers, units will not keep up, even at close range when the unit still has firepower left. I have missed numerous shots simply because the unit misfired. Bottom line, nice flash unit, redesigned battery door, solid metal hotshoe, a little pricy but generally a decent unit. Just don't shoot sports with it.
  
  
• Amazing flash with only ONE step backwards...
  By A28WZIH5NWMJSA on 2007-07-23
  LOVE this flash.. it's fast, SILENT! (except for zoom head motor), and the metal foot with quick lock is a godsend. However, the ONE and only thing that kept this from being 5 stars is something that may not effect all of you. The way you switch from normal, to master, to slave has gone from a lightning quick dedicated lever, to a rather annoying push and hold for 2 seconds then rotate dial process. Sounds like I am a whiner.. no?? BUT I myself shoot weddings and use 2 other Canon speedlights as slaves and sometimes I need to switch in and out of master/regular mode many times and very quickly. Hopefully Canon will go back to a lever next time..If you don't need the silent operation and weather proofing I would recommend getting the original 580ex, which has the same exact power output.
  
  
• Xcelent cam w/all the space
  By A2674OYZWVFMGN on 2007-08-12
  Got this with the npfh100 battery & charger and have to say, my camcorder buying search is over. This is it and by far the best I've seen out there. The picture clarity and sound quality is amazing, the buttons(touch screen) are intuitive. This thing is packed with everything(nightshot, optical stabilization, 6.1mp, 5.1 audio, flash, etc....and 100gb hard-drive need I say more), in a very small-compact light package combined with a lower cost on amazon compared to sonystyle and it's got the makings of a got-everything in one package and suits a well satisfied customer with the exception of the battery it came with, get the larger npfh100-expensive & big(long) but well worth it for extended periods of not having to recharge when you need it the most. Overall, 100% satisfied.
  
  
• Canon's best flash ever, by a good margin
  By ABXXJINWYW2U3 on 2007-10-20
  I had heard many good things about this flash while waiting for this flash to become available (and the price to come down :O).
  
  My expectations were exceeded. This flash unit is very robust and confidence inspiring. 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. Excellent build everywhere, recharges nearly instantly, great oomph of course.
  
  It is totally silent which means no curious head turning just before you're about to get the money shot. The flash head twists easily and quickly in every direction to do wall or ceiling bounces for vertical shots.
  
  I have had many Canon and other flash units over the years, but today this is the one to get. If you shoot with a flash regularly, scrimp on something else and get this one, you will not regret it.
  
  Its high light output makes many otherwise impossible shots possible, especially with wall/ceiling bounce or with a Gary Fong C4 Lightsphere which is often my favorite combo.
  
  This flash unit also has a lot of features that work with newer Canon DSLRs. Autozoom (from 14mm) is old now, but how about the flash sending its current color temperature to the (high-end) camera body as it is recharging to full? That makes for perfect color balance even in ultra-fast shooting.
  
  And there is lots more, such as a choice of flash metering from the lens focus distance setting or based on reflection from the subject.
  
  I haven't seen any other flash unit at any price that can compete with this puppy, and I looked quite carefully before spending this amount of money.
  
  
  
• a must have
  By A23HP12QUPMCKX on 2007-08-29
  I was in need of a flash for my Rebel XTI after the stock flash really disappointed me with some important pictures. I looked around and considered the 430 because I just did not want to spend the cash on the 580. Reading what others stated about how they were sorry that they did not get the 580 after first buying the 430 I bit the bullet and laid out the cash for the 580. I am glad that I did! The 580 is truly an amazing piece of equipment. It is intelligent and will change the way you take your pictures. It will add new dimensions of possibilities to your photography that the stock flash just could not do. If you have a zoom lens you will be surprised how far the flash will go. It will take some time to learn all the features if want to or you can just put it on the camera and take pictures in green mode and not learn anything. Recycle time is great. It will add some noticeable weight to your gear so prepare yourself for some added weight. In a nutshell I know that the 580 is not cheap but if you're considering a flash for your EOS get this one it will not disappoint.
  
  
• GREAT flash unit
  By A2LZITF7NZCLO0 on 2007-09-26
  
  Purchased this unit 3 months ago as a supplement to my 580ex Mark I. The flash is really good at making the exposure right. The new body feels better with the rubberized grabs on the side. Overall I recommend it. Works well with my EOS-1d Mark III camera. You can set all of the custom functions from the camera and the flash remembers.
  
  Now the ugly. Since I have purchased this flash maybe twice I have had the flash go out on me without warning (batteries). Sure, it's a nice feature not having that flash whine but you can use the whine as a battery gauge. I'm 50-50 on this new feature. Another nit pick is the flash WILL fire if it is not fully charged, whereas my 580ex Mark I did not. Guess Canon wanted you to have some of the picture instead of none of the picture. Also since you cannot hear any whine, you have no real way of knowing the flash is fully charged. This is an annoyance for me, but can be easily remedied with waiting for the flash to recycle and checking the green idiot light..
  
  Overall good flash unit. For the price you could get an Alien Bees AB1600 (studio flash) and have change leftover to buy a stand..
  
  
  
  
• All I can say is, "Wow"
  By A3Q7I1U59BER9E on 2007-10-30
  I have a rebel XT and three non-L lenses, the 75-300, 50 1.8, and the 17-85 IS. I have read all over that a good flash is better than any two or three lenses. I now see what they mean. I was always "happy" not "ecstatic" with the pictures I had taken in the past. (Close to 30,000 on this body BTW) I always shied away from using the on board flash because it is so AWFUL when it comes to quality. This lead me to using the larger apertures on the lenses I have, and the higher ISO settings to get the exposure I want. Well, lenses aren't at their sharpest when full open. Enter 580EXII. Set it on manual exposure, dial in 100 ISO, 1/100 f8 and shoot away. This gets the lenses comfortably into the middle of their aperture range for their peak sharpness. This also gets you to your lower ISO ranges where the (Already Low) sensor noise is minimized. It is a thing of beauty. I took it on out first Disney cruise, and in a variety of conditions it excelled. I can almost believe there is a little professional photographer inside there making sure my exposure is correct every time. The bounce flash works like a charm. Any time there is a ceiling within 12 feet or so, it will work beautifully. Only issue I have seen is bizarrely decorated ceilings with lots of wood and figuring (think Disney ship level of decorations) or blacked out ceilings. These both can cut the reflection level to a point of uselessness. The bounce reflector does a good job of setting up a catch light. I am thoroughly amazed by the small nuclear detonation that this flash puts out with a +3 flash exposure set. I have no doubt to its power claims. the focusing aid is almost worth the price alone. I can take a picture in thee FULL dark, with no epileptic flashing from the on-board flash, with instant focusing lock and perfect exposure. Incredible. I have not had a chance to use any of the advanced stuff like the wireless, external battery supply, or PC cord.
  
  Problems:
  First one isn't really a problem, it is a big flash. You knew that going into this, but there is no denying that it is a big flash. If you are used to holding the camera by the zoom/focus ring on your lens while carrying, it is going to flop around from the weight of the flash.
  Does not degrade well when the batteries get low. It has no visible battery meter either. It just starts behaving erratically. Not flashing, not going into ETTL mode. It would be nice if it just shut off, or flashed the word "battery" or something on the LCD
  If you plan to use the custom functions, you better have the manual handy because they are labeled "Custom Function 5" and that is all the help you get on what it does.
  
  Overall, I LOVE this flash.
  
  
• The Best Flash Ever Made by Canon; or Anyone Else for That Matter
  By A1ZM846Y7AUYD on 2008-01-22
  I got this excellent flash for a great price here on Amazon! I had been researching this flash for several weeks. It received rave reviews here on Amazon and so I decided to purchase it for myself. All I can say is, I completely agree with all of the rave reviews I have read. I have used many flash devices in the past, some cheap and some rather expensive, and this Canon 580EX II is definately the best flash ever made!
  
  There are so many possible settings for this flash unit, so there is a bit of a learning curve. However, the instruction manual is very informative and straight forward. The easy to read manual is full of illustrations and step by step instructions. I have mated this great flash with my Canon EOS 40D, and find that the communication between the camera and flash are perfect. I have also been using the Gary Fong C4 Cloud Lightsphere II, Inverted Dome Flash Diffusion System with this flash. I can't speak highly enough about the lighting effects produced by the Speedlite 580EX II and the Lightsphere II. This combination makes for a perfect substitution to a set of umbrella lights.
  
  The flash is quick to respond and refreshes instantly after a full discharge. The inclusion of a quick disconnect latch for hot shoe mounting is pure genius! Four AA batteries provide a large number of shots with this flash. The included padded carry case is a nice touch as well. My only complaints with this flash, although minor, would be the pull out, flip down diffuser, which sticks so far back into the flash head that it is hard to pull out unless you have long fingernails. I also don't care as much for the power switch, which has a lever type action, as I prefer a simple slide type switch. These are very minor complaints and don't lessen my complete satisfaction with this Canon 580EX II flash unit. Just don't pass up the opportunity to save a great deal of money by purchasing this flash from a local electronics retailer. Amazon has been offering this flash at a deep discount off the recommend retail price, and I highly recommend buying it from Amazon. Their shipping is fast, their price is great, and their return policy and customer support are second to none.
  
  
• Beware of slave trigger issues
  By A7QT04TT3PXOP on 2008-01-20
  You want to use the 580EX II in a simple task by working as a hair or back light with your more powerful studio strobes? Then you will be in for a rude surprise when you connect an inexpensive photo-optical slave-triggering hot shoe to the 580's hot shoe foot. With the 580 set on manual, it will flash once and then lockup. Yes, the dreaded internal SCR lockup will require you to power off and on to reset the flash to fire another shot before it freezes again. Repeat off/on and shake your head at this dare-I-say expensive toy.
  
  Is Canon trying to screw us by not telling about this issue in their instruction manual? Who knows. This is a well known problem since the 580EX. To our rescue is Michael Bass Designs' blog which walks us step-by-step on obtaining a compatible Sonia photo-optical slave trigger with the proper cord to the FINALLY new PC sync terminal to be able to perform a very simple task of using a slave triggered strobe.
  
  But, not all is well with the new sync terminal. According to Michael Bass, the terminal is not active in the Manual-Master mode. Now, this would require a further modification by Michael to make this flash work as required.
  
  Also, there are some compatibility issues with the Canon EOS 1D Mark III. This is Michael's quote, "When this flash is used with the Canon 1D Mark III, the sync jack will NOT output a signal to fire a radio transmitter, even if this mod is done. Doing the mod will, however, allow the flash to output a signal to fire a transmitter with all the other Canon bodies, and will also allow an input signal from a radio receiver in all 6 of the operational modes, regardless which Canon body is being used. Testing is in process to filter the trigger output so this combination of flash and body works just as it does with the other Canon bodies." Good grief!!!
  
  The 580 is great as an on-camera walk about flash/camera combo. It even works well in the master/slave setup or with the expensive and 10 year old Canon Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2. I also love the new metal hot shoe foot which slices like a knife into the tightest hot shoe umbrella adaptors. But, if you don't want the hassles of spending more money on third party parts to use the 580 as a slave with strobes, then buy (for example) a cheap Vivitar 285 and put a cheap photo-optical slave trigger on it for carefree studio work with the big boy lights.
  
  
• If you liked the 580EX, this is better
  By AAB1VW621RSEI on 2007-05-27
  I own the 580EX and ordered the 580 EX II because of its electronic compatibility with the new EOS 1D Mark III (which I have on preorder). The new coupling mechanism is a blessing, not to mention the wireless capability if you're so inclined. Another great Canon product. If you need a professional flash unit, and can afford it, put this one on your shopping list.
  
  
• A great professional level flash
  By A2SYPMDY6QB321 on 2007-11-26
  As an amatuer with only a 350D I was in two minds whether or not to go for the 580ExII when i could easily have gone for the cheaper 420Ex/430Ex / 550Ex / 580Ex. In the end I decided to future proof and just go with the 580 ExII, I may upgrade my camera body in a number of years, at least I will still be able to use this and all the lenses I have collected so far.
  
  The Canon Speedlite 580EX Flash contains a superset of the features found in the Canon Speedlite 550EX E-TTL Flash in a smaller, lighter and more modern designed housing, although it is still way bigger than the 430Ex. So big it is the biggest peice of equipment in my camera bag! (apart from the tripod of course). Mount this with a 70-300mm tele photo lens and you've got a real workout ahead of you!
  
  It takes 4 normal AA batteries and the flash is on nearly instantly. Recycle time is extremly fast - it was amongst one of the main swinging points for choosing this over the earlier models. I was a bit disspointed with 1700mAh rechargeable batterries although normal alkaline batteries gave me much more flash usage. I might have to try higher value rechargeable batteries like the 2500/2700mAh.
  
  Immediately above the diffuser panel is a white, semi-rigid piece of white plastic (a catchlight reflector) that pulls straight out to create a catchlight in your subject's eyes when using the flash in a vertical bounce position. I never really thought bounce shots would make that much of a difference but boy was I wrong. You get a much better natural light in the shot.
  
  A single button releases both the tilt and rotate locks while a single grip/button press allows the flash head to be rotated and tilted at the same time. Rotation is up to 180 degrees in both directions. I found the tilt very easy to use, even one handed.
  
  One of the other things I liked about this flash is the AF Assist Beam to enhance autofocus in low light conditions, which aligns its beam to the Canons camera focal point and projects itself as a red ir patch on the subject. The white balance is also comunicated directly to the camera too.
  
  Another good point is this flash can be a wireless E-TTL master or a slave when paired up with other speedlites. At the moment I only have one flash, but it means I can opt for the cheaper wireless 430Ex or similar at a much later date when I want to upgrade my setup to include more than one flash, and use the 580 Ex to fire off the slaves automatically.
  
  The hi speed synch, allows the camera to go all the way to 1/4000 second (took me a while to realise I had to set the hi speed synch on the flash, otherwise the fastest shutter speed you'll get is only 1/200 second), although this is at the cost of range / power.
  
  Flash power is great, and I got some really cool pictures using the second curtain sync, although it was more by fluke than anything else! Build quality is super, and both battery door and hot shoe lock can be easily operated with only one hand.
  
  Bottom Line: An excellent flash, may be a bit confusing at first if your a novice/amatuer as I am, but also a bit on the expensive side compared to the 3rd party flashes available for canon. I also found the amazon prices to be very steep - I found this flash a lot cheaper searching around, maybe I bought a grey import, but I've read the imports work just as well as the official ones (as long as you go through reputable sellers) , and so far everyhting works well. On hindsight this flash is probably overkill for the casual photographer - but then this will make sure you experiment more to get the best out of this professional flash!
  
  
• Great flash...better improvements from 580EX
  By A5EQN8801O4PU on 2007-08-11
  This is a BIG flash. I use mine for wedding photography so I need a large flash. Much better improvements of this 580EXII vs. the 580EX. I sold my 580EX to buy this because of the metal foot, quicker recycle time and better battery door. Just those things are worth the price. I am very well pleased.
  
  
• skepticism wipe
  By A37U2R2R2HMWBF on 2007-08-25
  Since L.Ma thought this was a place to review a seller and ended up giving a product a 1 star rating I am giving it a 5 star rating to balance out his/her nonsense. Don't give a product a low rating because you did not like the person you bought it from. Genius.
  
  
• Great flash
  By A1YFTYJADWVFOX on 2007-12-04
  There are plenty of reviews that go into detail about the flash itself so I though I'd simply describe my experience with this flash compared to the 430EX since I own both.
  
  If you are thinking about buying a 430EX instead, consider this: The 580EX II power on and cycling times are significantly shorter. The difference is night and day and I think worth the cost difference for this reason alone. It's also quite nice to not have 90 degree counterclockwise head rotation limit of the 430, something I always found quite annoying. Practically everything about it is better and immediately noticeable - the build quality, weather sealing, lock mechanism, flash power and even the metering seems better. The only real down side is the extra size and weight, which is also immediately noticeable. Personally, I think the $100 price difference is meaningless considering the benefits but I do use my flashes a lot.
  
  
• A must have for any Canon SLR.
  By AAZTAZ8G8YOAW on 2007-12-17
  Getting the Speedlite 580 EX II was one of the best things I could of done in my pursuit of taking beautiful pictures. I bought a Canon 40D along with a couple L series Canon lenses primarily to capture pictures of the kids.
  Using the technique of bounce flash (tilting the flash head towards the ceiling or near by wall) made my photos look professional with balanced and natural looking light. Harsh shadows, red eye, and washed out highlights are now a thing of the past.
  
  
• nice flash with reasonable output, expensive
  By ANEP7R6LM206E on 2008-05-24
  Bought this flash yesterday, to use primarily with my also newly purchased EOS Elan 7NE 35mm SLR. I kept deciding between 430EX and 580EX II and I don't regret buying this model. The flash is not too bulky or too heavy as I was afraid after reading some reviews - my previous flash was Vivitar 285HV, and it is quite bigger and heavier then 580 EX II.
  
  Now, the flash output of 580EX II is dependent on zoom setting of the flash head. The advertised GN190 sounds like vast load of power, but it is a guide number for 105mm zoom; when you use 28mm lens you get only about GN100, and GN140 for standard 50mm lens. It's off course not bad but not the GN190, so don't think that you'll flash an entire concert hall with this flash. I did a test roll on full auto setting on the camera and E-TTL II on the flash - while working nicely and quite dependably out of the box, to my surprise the flash and camera use quite wide apertures, around f4-f4.5 for most exposures indoors.. I realized that I'll have to use full manual mode on the camera and E-TTL II on the flash in order to obtain smaller apertures and get more DOF - in this setting the adequate flash output will be provided automatically to accommodate the selected aperture (and shutter speed) setting.
  
  I didn't even remotely touch all the features that this flash offers, although I did go through them briefly while reading the provided user guide. I think that the flash will serve me well down the road, and it is better to have that extra output over what 430EX would give me. Finally, I believe that 580EX II was released very recently, while the 430EX is couple years older. The built quality of 580EX II is generally nice, the hotshoe is metal with locking lever, flash has external PC connector (which 430EX lacks I believe); obviously the 580EX II has more to offer. BTW, I'm amateur photographer.
  
  The main drawback - price is steep. If you don't need all the features (there are tons of them), you may be better off with the cheaper 430EX; I grabbed 580 but mainly because I wanted the PC connector since I intend to shoot it occasionally with my other cameras in full manual mode off-camera on the stand through the umbrella and such - so that's why I wanted maximum possible flash output.
  
  One last but important thing - I called Canon technical support today with a question regarding the use; good news - Canon techs are located here in the United States, are friendly and knowledgeable (so, don't worry about having to deal with overseas-outsourced tech support, which can be quite a horrible experience)
  
  
  
• Much better than the 550EX
  By A1NA2R0SG9V4K7 on 2007-08-14
  As a professional photographer, getting high quality images is a MUST for me. I recently purchased the Canon 30d and my old 550EX wasn't giving me proper exposures at the weddings. I tried several different things to get my exposures consistant but nothing worked. When I bought this flash, my images are better than ever. Love, love, love the metal hot shoe attachment. It's on so secure and there is never any wabble like the old plastic versions. Canon, you did it again with this flash...thanks!
  
  
• Great Investment
  By A1LIHSIZX7XMFI on 2007-11-02
  First off there are a lot of comments on how expensive the Canon 580ex II flash is. I don't think so. It is really a best buy. Look at it this way: in the 1970's a Vivitar 283 cost around $70. Vivitar sold a boatload of these flashes. Now fast forward to 2007. A 580ex II is $350-$400. Compared to 1970 dollars with inflation and dollar valuations in 2007, that is right around $72. And look what you get:
  
  Fast recycling times
  ETTL II
  Weather sealing
  Master/slave control
  Focus assist
  Zoom head
  and on and on...
  
  The 580ex II works great with my 5D. I have used the 580ex II in conjunction with my older 550ex in multiple flash setups for formal lighting. If you use multiple flash with the Canon systems, please review Chuck Gardner's Canon flash tutorials (Google in on the web). Canon's instructions can be confusing on multiple flash but Gardner puts it all in perspective.
  
  Over the 550ex the 580ex II has a few new features. The new flip lock shoe mount is great and quick. I do miss the one switch to change it to a master or slave flash. And getting the flash out of master/slave mode is confusing. I find the best way of getting it back to single flash mode is to open the battery compartment while the flash is on. This factory resets the flash. I believe another way is to push the reset button on a compatible Canon EOS camera.
  
  Oh yes, as with the 550ex I find I have to increase flash exposure by +1 stop with the 580ex II. I don't consider this a fault of the flash, just my preference. And once the flash is set you forget it, the flash does all the work.
  
  
  
• Great Flash
  By A223SHUWC7JAMW on 2007-11-15
  I recently bought the Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash and have used it once. I needed it for an assignment at a fortune 500 company. It performed perfectly on my Canon 20D. I set the camera on automatic and the camera and flash did all the work. I was amazed, the pictures were fine. Since then I got a defuser to clip on to the flash head for even better results. Now I have the power for large room situations. I thank God.
  
  
• A faultless (almost) product!
  By A3AKJGEZM5L1M2 on 2007-12-03
  I am an (advanced, perhaps) amature who's been using various Canon cameras for almost 20 years (as well as a friend's Nikon SB series flashes). This flash is simply the best Canon has produced and, arguably, the world's finest flash unit. I don't want to repeat what others have already reviewed here, but it is extremely important that you understand Canon flash technologies to avoid frequent underexposures with flash photography. PLEASE READ THIS ARTICLE AT THIS LINK BEFORE TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR $$$ AS CANON FLASH TECHNOLOGIES ARE EXTREMELY CONFUSING (Canon's manual does NOT clearly explain this topic):
  
  http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/
  
  In general, to get consistently proper exposures and better-quality flash shots, you may want to set your camera to M (Manual), increase its aperture (F5.6 or higher) and shutter speed (1/100 or higher). Since power is not an issue with this "nuclear detonator", I recommend that you set it to 1/200 (to minimize camera shake) and aperture to F9 (to increase corner sharpness). THE FLASH IS SMART ENOUGH TO automatically CALCULATE THE RIGHT OUTPUT TO OBTAIN STANDARD EXPOSURE (In the old days, photographers had to calulate this manually!!!!).
  
  In short, it's virtually impossible to go wrong with this 580 EX II, especially at $[...]. I am a very demanding user and rarely give a 5-star rating to electronic products. But with the 580EX II, I have no choice. Have fun shooting!
  
  James Nguyen
  
  
  
• I love this flash!
  By A1JUO2ZP2EFOHX on 2007-12-28
  I am returning to digital photography after a break from film portraiture, and I am just amazed at how friggin' easy things are now! I bought this for my new Canon 40D, and I just love it. I actually tried the 580EX for a few weeks before buying this one, and this is the short list as to why I love it:
  
  1. I can configure the flash (completely) through the camera, even saving camera settings (C1-C3) along with flash customization to match!
  2. It actually works with the camera to autofocus, combining beams.
  3. The shoe is metal compared to the 580EX plastic.
  4. The 90degree mounting latch _rocks_ compared to the screw-in thingy on the 580EX ("Are the threads too tight? Not tight enough? Stripped?!").
  5. I don't miss the master/slave switch being programmable. Now I won't hit it accidentally and render the flash inert for no apparent reason.
  6. The flash shows the acceptable range graphically (in ft. or meters).
  7. When forward facing, it matches the flash output to the zoom of the lens, displaying it on the LCD. Neat!
  8. It works perfectly with the Fong diffusers without any silly velcro attachments, glue, etc.
  9. With internal batteries, it recharges lightning fast. Rapid fire is nice when I finally get the subject to hold still!
  10. It is very light, and compliments the balance of the Canon EOS frame.
  
  I have yet to deplete a full set of batteries on it, so I can't speak to power consumption.
  
  
• A great flash, but make sure this is what you need.
  By A5KMMY627T3W on 2008-08-29
  Bigger is not always better. The more you pay for a piece of camera equipment does not necessarily mean you will get more out of it than a less expensive alternative. These are two axioms that I wish I could learn someday, but I guess some lessons have to be learned the hard way.
  
  This is a great flash, don't get me wrong. It's a 5 star flash--if it is what you need. I bought this thinking it was what I needed but as it turns out it is too big and too powerful for me. It is extremely large, powerful, and top-heavy. I sold it back on the used market and picked up a 430ex which comes in at almost half the price. The 430ex is also around half the weight/size but still packs a good 60-80% wallup of the 580ex II. For me, this has been ideal. The 430ex provides enough flash but not too bright, and it isn't top-heavy or attention-grabbing like the gigantic 580ex II.
  
  If you are going to be photographing celebrities, people who are far away from your camera, or other situations which call for a very powerful flash then this is the flash for you. If you are looking for more of a wedding or cocktail party flash, then I believe the 430ex is the flash. It is hard to tell from the pictures just how different the sizes of the two flashes are, so I didn't know the 430ex was such an ideal size compared to the 580ex II.
  
  While I can't say anything bad about this flash, just take another hard look at the 430ex unless you know you need some serious flash-power.
  
  
• Simply amazing...
  By A3RO4XAQD0AI0D on 2007-10-29
  I ordered this Handycam to take with me on a family vacation to Disney. I was sick of my old camcorder running out of tape (at all the wrong times) and having to carry a large camera bag full of extra tapes. This camera is much smaller than my digital 8 (also a Sony) and replaced that old camcorder AND my digital camera on the trip. The product arrived on time and in perfect condition. It performed amazing at Disney, greatly exceeding my expectations. I snapped over 500 pictures and recorded over 3 hours of high definition video- all without needing to change a tape or memory stick. The pictures and video came out awesome. We took advantage of an opportunity while we were in Florida to go over to the Kennedy Space Center to see the shuttle launch. I videoed the launch (from about 8 miles away from the KSC)- zooming in and recording the whole thing until it was out of sight. I was again pleased beyond belief when I played back the video (on my computer) and could see much more detail of the solid rockets and orbiter than was visible to the naked eye. I can't wait to see it on my HD TV. I was also able to freeze the video and print out a snap shot of the image as a picture. Another awesome feature of this product. The resolution and quality of the videos and pictures we brought back were simply amazing. I'm so glad I bought this camera. I highly recommend purchasing an extra battery if you're going to use this camera like I did at Disney. I brought the OEM battery and a replacement NP-FH70 (both have about 60 minutes of recording time). Between the two batteries, they lasted all day and were recharged at night for the next day. I had enough battery to take all those pictures and video (noted earlier) over the course of four days and never ran out or battery life.
  
  
• You get what you pay for (from 430EX and 580EX)
  By A3ERSF5KU4HV0V on 2007-11-16
  I am a chief photographer of my school yearbook and photo editor of my school newspaper. I also own a canon 580EX. I ordered the 430EX at first as a fill light with 2 umbrellas for location portrait. It is about $100 cheaper than 580EXII. After I got my 430EX it less power and slower than my 580EX. I returned it and exchanged to 580EXII. After I got my 580EXII it a lot faster and more power than 430EX and little faster cycle than my 580EX. I recommend whoever want to buy the 430EX first, save an other $100 and get the 580EXII.
  
  

• Energizer NH15BP-4 ACCU 2500mAh Rechargeable AA Batteries (Four-pack)
• Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
• Energizer® "AA" Alkaline Batteries "AA" 12-pack
• Lenmar PRO-99 NiMH Starter Kit
• LumiQuest ProMax Pocket Bouncer

• Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce for the Canon 580EX Flash
• Canon EOS 40D 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens
• Canon BP511A 1390mAh Lithium Ion Battery Pack for Select Digital Cameras and Camcorders
• Canon Deluxe Photo Backpack 200EG for Canon EOS SLR Cameras (Black with Green Accent)
• Canon 77mm UV Haze