Canon 580EX11 & Canon 430EX11 what’s it to be?
July 14th, 2009
I own both of these flash guns and yet I’ve just spent a whole day analysing them in detail to determine the pros and cons of each for my latest Warehouse Express review. I’m not allowed to post the review here for copyright reasons but I will share some of my findings with you.
First up, my 430EX11 (called just a 430 from here on) has exactly the same rise and fall weather seal mechanism as the 580 EX11 (580 from here on in) Speedlite but without the rubber seal. It’s the bit that costs pence to produce and I’ve no idea what Canon were thinking about when they forgot to put it on the 430. Maybe they did and my Speedlite was missing it’s rubber booty. The good news is that the rubber seal from the 580 fits the 430 no problem. I say it’s worth buying a seal as a spare part and fitting it yourself in seconds. It just pops on and is really easy to attach. Your local camera repair shop should be able to order one for you or I could organise a group buy of lets say 50 and sell them here. Anyone interested? Obviously it helps if you own a 430 EX11 Speedlite.
The next thing I noticed was the zoom function beam pattern on the 430 at 105mm looked a very weak when compared to the 580 when it was set to the same 105mm. I was boring enough to take pictures of my studio wall in the testing process;-) These things have to be done and it’s this optical difference that gives the 580 Speedlite the light density advantage it quotes in the guide number specs. In reality the 430 is no more than half a stop behind the 580 on light output, it’s just the lens that zooms the light pattern in is a bit weaker.
So the 430 is my new friend then. Well not entirely because although it is £160 cheaper it does miss out on a few key features that sets the 580 on the top shelf of the shop. The 580 has a master mode and a PC sync socket for instance. It also has a Christmas tree of focus aid points from it’s inbuilt AF illuminater. Most of all though it is brighter and this really matters to me.
If you are considering buying a Canon Speedlight soon then please do read my full comparison on the Warehouse Express website.
Incidentally I love the way the new Canon 5D mk2 can set the custom functions of either the 430EX11 or 580EX11 Speedlites and the remote functions of an attached 580 EX11 Speedlight.
Please feel free to add your comments on these Speedlights.
13 Comments Add your own
1. Frederik | July 14th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
It’s actually quite easy to fit a pc socket to the hotshoe of a 430 it cost me 20€ extra for a decent one
2. damien | July 14th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Hi Frederik,
I came across this post a while ago in my search for options for adding a sync socket to a 580…
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=256447
It’s not for the feint hearted.
Damien.
3. Frederik | July 14th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
Hi damien that not what I meant. I added a hotshoe adapter to my hotshoe.
like this one
http://www.flashzebra.com/hotshoes-shoes/0065.shtml
Very easy solution and still cheaper than a 580II
Ps:be ware of the hama adapters they’re not bad but they don’t seem to get along with a 430II very well
4. Ed Salter | July 15th, 2009 at 8:07 am
I hate how fiddly the new 580ex II is to put into master mode. What was wrong with a simple switch! Surely it’s not that hard to water proof a switch, going through menus is a real pain.
5. Heinz Schmidt | July 15th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
I really do think Nikon beat Canon in the flashgun race and the SB900 has a few features that kicks the 580’s butt. I’m a Canon man myself, and I’ve got both the 430 and the 580, both of which are an essential to my work.
The 580 is ahead of the 430 by a small margin, but the difference in price is a bit of a joke. I’d rather buy two 430’s for a bit more, than one 580 if I were starting out.
Hope PW does a good job with the new triggers, then the 430s will come into their own.
Cheers
Heinz
6. damien | July 16th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Hi Ed,
I agree with you regarding the fiddly process for switching the 580 EX11 between normal operation and master or slave mode.
If you have a new Canon camera like a 5D mk2 or a 1Ds mk 3 etc you can switch an attached 580EX11 into master mode and access all the main functions from the somewhat easier camera menu.
This doesn’t help you if you want to switch a remote flash to slave mode.
Bring back the switch that the original 580 had I say.
7. damien | July 16th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Hi Heinz,
I have to disagree with you regarding the Nikon v Canon thing. The beam pattern of the 580 EX11 is far nicer than the SB900. The SB900 also has a thermal switch off function that makes it unusable for me on workshops. The bomb proof SB800 is my Nikon flash gun of choice.
But I think Nikon have a winner with the CLS (creative lighting system) it is wonderful when combined with the pop up flash. I wish Canon had an equivalent.
So I say both systems have their ups and downs but I wouldn’t choose one over the other without considering the rest of the system.
I do agree with you re 2x 430EX11 over 1x 580EX11.
I have been beta testing the PW units recently and I have to say there were still a few tweaks needed to the firmware but I really do hope the system works well when it is released in the next few weeks or so.
Damien.
8. Heinz Schmidt | July 17th, 2009 at 8:54 am
Hi Damien,
I have held off getting a set of PWs until the new ones are released and I’m very keen to see your reports on them.
The guys in the US have it good with their Radio Poppers and I hope the new PWs will provide us with a new creative tool.
Thanks for the reply.
Heinz
9. Kevin Moore | July 17th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Hi Damien,
How do you view the difference between 580 and 580II performance wise? Can they be mixed in use?
10. damien | July 17th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Hi Kevin,
The 580 is somewhat easier to use because it has a switch to go between remote and local operation. Why they got rid of it when they made the mk11 version I do not know.
Yes both units can be used together, they have similar power and performance and the practical differences are relatively few.
Here is an interesting comparison article for you:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-580EX-II-Speedlite-Flash-Review.aspx
Regards, Damien
11. Martin | March 3rd, 2010 at 12:31 am
I have spent tonight checking out Damiens gem on shooting at ISO 800 60th sec at F4 in winter with good results. Have WEX asked you to test the Seculine Twinlink T2D would be good to hear your views on those.
Thank agin for all your useful info on here.
Regards, Martin
12. damien | March 5th, 2010 at 7:20 pm
Hi Martin, I have no idea what a ’secureline twinlink t2d’ is. My first guess would be a fishing reel. So I had to look it up on Google and WEX came up top. It looks great but seems limited to triggering flash. Not a problem if this is your aim. The PW plus 2 units will do remote cameras too but don’t have the hot shoe. The real test is in the field. When I get a chance I’ll get hold of a set and give them a good testing. This is what Will Chung thought of them: http://www.ephotozine.com/article/Pocket-Wizard-Plus-II-versus-the-Seculine-Twin-Link-T2D-12634#Verdict
I hope this helps,
Damien.
13. Martin Giddings | March 5th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
H Damien
Thanks for taking the time out to reply to that. I thought it was a secret military communication network first of all. Yes I am just looking for a reliable trigger for flash, I did find the Will Chung article and was pleased at the result he gave them and I was looking for a “second” vote of confidence in them (although to be fair he also points out their limitations compared to the PWs). Am popping in the WEX shop tomorrow so will have a better look.
Thanks again and all the best.
Martin
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