Comments on: Canon 430EX II Flash, experiences and sample photos

By: Mary

Mary — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:52:54 +0000

I thought that the wide thingy was a poor man's diffuser. Duh.
Thanks!

By: Simon

Simon — Sat, 15 May 2010 09:06:48 +0000

Hi!

I bought a 430EX II yesterday and reading about your experiences and commentary with the example shots is awesome! Thank you very much for taking the time to write it. I'm off to a friend's wedding reception this evening and am looking for all the practical advice I can find!

Now I just have to sneak the purchase past my wife… :)

By: mike

mike — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 05:42:42 +0000

Hey Mike,

congrats on your new purchase! Yeah, I think a good - and the good one is at least of 430 level, not the tiny and unadjustable 270EX joke of a flash - is the best and probably the only "must-have" gear for anyone with any interest of taking higher quality pictures. Actually, I have it attached to my camera 99% of time. Adds a lot of weight to the camera (my 450D is pretty light by itself) and complaints from my wife (due the weight), but increase in quality of pics taken is so leaps and bounds beyond what I could do without flash, that I consider that a good trade :)

Have fun using your new gear!

By: Mike Lamb

Mike Lamb — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 05:24:23 +0000

Hey, im just getting a new 430 EX II tomm. I have had my camera for about 8 months and am getting things for it slowly, but this is going to be the best purchase I think thus far!! You have written a great article I really liked teh sample picture too, as we can really see how much an external flash unit make pictures have so much more depth. Anyways keep snappin away! ill send up a flickr link when i have taken picture with my new flash!!

By: Kate

Kate — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:00:40 +0000

thank u thank U!!! I am taking my first "job" doing an indoor sunset dinner ( WHAT was I thinking??!!!) and trying to get the best natural looking pictures but will need to use a flash and have this one!! so helpful!

By: Annie Peeps

Annie Peeps — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:38:12 +0000

I just received my new 2nd hand 430EX yesterday. My first external flash. I've been tirelessly searching the web for something along these lines. Thank you so much for posting it!!! Very helpful in getting me started!

By: Ai_Vern

Ai_Vern — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 01:37:48 +0000

Just what I needed, a practical lesson on how to use the basic functions of my newly bought 2nd hand 430EX II. Woot!

By: Martin Irwin

Martin Irwin — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:21:02 +0000

Hey Mike, nice article. I am really into photography too. It's amazing how relaxing it is. I love taking a good shot - so satisfying!

By: mike

mike — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 04:55:35 +0000

Angela,

thanks for the comment! Really pleasant to be of help, even though I really just getting into this stuff myself :)

I just recently found out about what that wide thingy is for :) It is actually not to (only?) hold your color gel, but it seems that its main function is to spread light wider (should have guessed by the naming, but I haven't eventually :) , so you get better light when using wide lenses and yeah.. full-frame camera (which I don't have :). This way, light output from the flash covers the whole area a wide lens is able to shoot.
For crop-sensor cameras like my Kiss X2, I guess this is not an issue.

Also, having that wide thingy on, you supposedly can get softer light when bouncing off some very big wall. But I won't really bet any money on that :)

Blue Crane's DVD is probably not the best lighting DVD around, but I just happened to have it, and it was perfectly fine for my non-existent knowledge (you know, like in - "anything goes").
I got Strobist's lightning seminars 8 DVDs from a friend just a few days ago, and though still only about 15% into it (it's about 15 hours of video after all), I find it very good. And Strobist is a very cool guy to just watch at as he speaks, even if you don't care much about lightning :). Definitely look forward to start using my speedlite with actual understanding how this thing exactly supposed to work and works.

By: Angela

Angela — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 04:28:46 +0000

Hi…just to let you know, they "wide thing" on top of the flash is to hold a color gel, if you choose to use one. I bought the dvd guide to the flash, it was a little of a disappointment though. However I did learn what that was used for!

Sounds like you know a lot more than you think! Great job, thanks for posting.