Flash: 430ex ii or 580ex

[liquid_rockface]

Hi guys

Ok so I found a 580ex online second hand for a very good price (he wants under $200 for it). My question is, it it better to get an old 580ex that possibly has been used quite a bit (sounds like he's a serious hobbyist) or to get a second hand 430ex ii (which costs around $270 second hand) in brand new condition?

Is there any disadvantage to the 580ex? Will it work fine on my Canon 450D body? And will it be unbearably heavy? How much more unbearably heavy than a 430ex ii, say? I doubt I'll lug it around much, but maybe just use it for the odd portraits and wedding of friends etc. Maybe for some events here and there and some general photography that requires flash.

So what would you guys do? Remember that the 580ex is cheaper than the 430ex ii...

 

[Top Geek]

Assuming 580ex = Nikon SB-800 and 430ex = Nikon SB-600 (and I think that is the case), the 580 has a stop more power and some more advanced features.

FWIW, I can't find anything in my SB-600 that I'm missing.

 

[eroy2]

I bought the 430 and would have bought the 580 if I could have.

The 430 can only be used as a solo on the camera(without a remote trigger) or as a canon slave.

 

[liquid_rockface]

Thanks guys I got the 580ex in the end. Very happy so far! Now I'm experimenting with bouncing the light etc. Learning how basically it's best to bounce it to the side, not straight at the person.

Problem is of course that you can't exactly walk around with a white board with you all day long, just to take portraits of people, so you need to get inventive, bouncing off walls and whatnot.

Oh, and all those people complaining on forums about the battery door of the 580ex. COME OOON! That's the worst problem you could find with it?? It's really really minor, and hardly seems fragile. Even if the door snapped off it'd hardly matter, but I doubt it would. You just have to pull down a little as well as opening it. Then it opens with ease.