Whats a good alternative to the 580EX?

[zeckdude]

Hello All,

I have a Canon 30D and I want to purchase something like the 580EX, but I saw on bhphotovideo.com that they cost $410, which is a bit pricey for me.

Is there some sort of reasonable alternative that delivers results? Can anyone recommend any alternatives to the 580EX?

Should I just suck it up and buy the 580EX, is that really the best?

Thanks!

[Moneypit]

580EX is definetly 'the way to go' but if its out of the price range you even have to wait and save or go out and look at the Sigma DG500 which is a pretty handy substitute.

I got the Sigma as I needed to have flash now, I will get the 580 as soon as the money is in the bank!!

I'll still keep the Sigma though. it does pretty much everything I need its just that the Canon does it better!!

Regards

Dave

[zeckdude]

I'll still keep the Sigma though. it does pretty much everything I need its just that the Canon does it better!!

How is the Canon Model better? Is the light just more diffused or in what regard is it better?

[Moneypit]

Its just better built, its much better quality wise and it is purpose built to suit the Canon range of camera's. The Sigma is reverse engineered in an effort to copy the 580.

Both are fine, the Canon's better for my 2 cents worth.

Regards

Dave

[brucep]

The Sigma has "issues" when it comes to wireless flash. I was going to buy a Sigma as my backup/2nd flash until I read this on a couple of sites. Regarding build, I've dropped my 580EX from six feet onto concrete and it survived.

Tip: Learn how to replace batteries with your eyes closed... even when it's on a light stand. Some situations are dark and a flashlight wouldn't be appreciated by others.

The 580EX is definitely worth the money, IMO.

[streetpics]

I bought a used Canon 550EX off ebay last year for around $200 and it works great on both my canon 35mm and my Rebel 40D. Good luck!

[Landis]

I too, have an older EX550 that I bought many years ago. It has always worked perfectly for me on all my Canon film and now digital cameras, so I guess I've had it about 6-7 years with out a single problem. It has all the major features the newer one has and has plenty of power. It might be a less expensive alternative to the new model if you can find a good used one.

Canon has a less expensive EX480 that works well, but has less power and a few less bells and whistles.

[brucep]

The 430EX can't be used as a master (to wirelessly fire Canon slaves), but you could get one for now, and if you later want to use multiple flash, then you could get a 580EX. The 430EX can operate as a slave flash.

[I26]

I have a 430ex on top of my 30D. It works great in my opinion and it was within my budget at the time.

[yellalablady]

I have a 430ex on top of my 30D. It works great in my opinion and it was within my budget at the time.

I have the EX430, too.

[jasonlprice]

I thought I would weight in here because I have had both the Sigma 500 super and the 580. I agree with the previous posters about the quality of the 580 and I do highly suggest it. I had the 580 for several months before it got stolen and it is just an awesome flash. It is so easy to operate and is built like a tank. When I replaced my stolen equipment I went with the Sigma Super because I also wanted to get a 30mm lens. I'm not sorry for my decision, and I'm happy with the Sigma, but I sure long for the 580! Actually the quality of light and diffusion with the little slide out wide panel is pretty much the same (although the 580 had a built in bounce card that I miss). The Sigma is hard for me to rotate for bouncing, but maybe that is because I was so used to the 580. As far as wireless goes, my Sigma Super has performed flawlessly and I use it a lot for a hair light in slave mode. It is being fired by my strobes though, not radio. Oh and I also dropped the sigma about 6 feet with no ill effects, but that was on carpet, not concrete! It defiantly feels like a little toy compared to the 580 :)

All in all, if you want a cheap flash that performs well on your Canon the Sigma will do a good job. However, if you have time to save a little extra money and get the 580 it will definitely be worth the wait.

Oh and the tip above "Tip: Learn how to replace batteries with your eyes closed... " by brucep is so good...take it to heart! If you get the Sigma you might want to practice twice as much because the flimsy little battery door will pop off on you and it is especially hard to get back on (even with light!)

Sorry for the rambling...just thought my experiences might be helpful to you.

[rpcrowe]

The 580ex is a great flash however it comes with a somewhat hefty pricetag. The 430ex has many of the features of the 580ex (it cannot however, be used as a master) and is a bit less expensive.

Both the 550ex and the smaller 420ex can produce well lit images. IMO, that is the measure of a flash unit - not how many bells and whistles it has.

I would opt for the 580ex first, 430ex second, 550ex third and the 420ex fourth.

I have seen used 420ex units go for as low as $125 on eBay.

[W.Smith]

You may want to check out the Metz flashgun range at http://www.metz.de/en/photo_electronics/flashlights_digital.140.html. It's THE preferred third party brand for pro photogs. Great quality (German...). Perfectly attuned to various camera's software.
They're not cheap, though!

But then: you get what you pay for!

[magnus]

The Canon 580EX II is available with a rebate for $359 at B&H right now. Not a whole lot cheaper, but every little bit helps! :)

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/486706-USA/Canon_1946B002_580EX_II_Flash.html

[PPPhoto]

Keep in mind that there are 2 versions of the 580 right now, the 580 EX and the 580 EX II. The II version has a couple new features, including better dust and weather sealing to go with the L lenses and pro bodies. The older 580 will be cheaper, probably about $50 or more.

Certainly, the older 550EX is a good flash that can be used as a master controller for wireless. It will recycle slower than the 580s though. I have both a 420EX and a 430EX (technically my wife's), and I must say that the 430EX is much better than the 420EX. I second (or is it third or fourth) the idea of getting a 430EX now, to stay in budget, and then get a 580 later when you need the multiple flash options.

[neilp]

I'd go for the 580EX II, it's $349 on amazon right now:

http://www.photozo.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17072&highlight=tamron

Fantastic piece of technology. I have the old 580EX, but I borrowed a Mk II and enjoyed the improvements.

Neil.

[rpcrowe]

I purchased both of these before the newer 580EX and 430EX came out. The 550EX and 420EX are both very good flsh units which have most of the attributes of the 58-EX and 430EX. Used 550EX and 420EX units are available at not a very high price.

If I were shooting professionally again I would probably THINK about getting the 580EX and 430EX because of the faster recycle times and the fact that these units are optimized for the 1.6x crop cameras.

I said I would "THINK" about getting the 580EX and 430EX but, I would most likely do some deep research into using a Metz unit along with an accessory battery pack (ppossibly a Quantum). I believe that the high- end Metz flash units are more aligned to professional use than the Canon flashes.

When I shot professionally, I often used a flash that was not considered "professional" by some reviewers, the Sunpak 120J. However, I judge a flash unit by its results and the 120J always provided me with accurate exposures, extremely quick recycle (with optional rechargeable battery pack) and I never had a unit go down. They were also relatively inexpensive; at least in comparison to the 580EX.

One thing that I really liked about the 120J was the ability to use it "bare bulb" by removing the reflector. Bare bulb lighting gives very nice results under certain situations. I also liked using it bare bulb in conjunction with a Lumedyne mini softbox.

[Debboggy]

I'm not sure how to use the discount codes, if there is any stipulations as to who can use them or not, but someone posted this code on another forum. If you enter ps1107etgul in B&H's search window, it will bring up a 580EX II for $339.00. It was $329 last time I checked, so I guess they've raised the price now, but it's still the cheapest new price I've seen for the unit.