Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras
by Canon
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras
Customer Review: Great Flash
Summary: 5 Stars
I own a Canon 20D (Waiting for the 5D Mark II If it ever comes out). My main walk around lens is the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens as well as the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Lens. I previously owned the Canon Speedlite 430 EX. I recently purchased the 580 EX II.
The 580 EX II is very powerful so I recommend a diffuser. Your pictures can come out looking very harsh if you're not careful. Bounce flash will only take you that far. With a diffuser you'll get rid of the raccoon eye effect and with the overall distribution of light your shots will be greatly improved as well. Get the Lightsphere II or the Whale Tail, you won't be sorry you did.
This Flash has a lot of flexibility when it comes to rotating the flash head compared to my 430 EX. With the right diffuser I can make vertical shots that look very close to studio quality. This comes in handy when you cannot carry around $4000 worth of studio lighting equipment. The flash is strong enough to put out that much light.
Another feature I like is the fact that I can still use my 430 EX with the 580 EX II. I slave the 430 EX and get even more power wirelessly. It works great and it's very much in sync.
My final thoughts:
If you have the 430 EX go and rent the 580 EX II and check out the difference. Also and I can't stress this enough GET A DIFFUSER!!!
Highly recommended product.
Customer Review: An absolute necessity
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this flash for my wife reluctantly at her request, thinking that no flash could be worth the amount of money this product demands. I was absolutely dead wrong. She wanted this flash as one of the basics necessary to push her photography to the next level, and it has certainly worked. I'm no photography guru, she's the master, but I can tell you that this flash makes shots both indoors and outdoors infinitely easier, and it greatly improves the quality of night action shots. One of the gigs she has is photographing high school football games on friday nights. This flash has allowed her to greatly improve the quality of her shots on moving targets in low-light situations.
Functionally, it's extremely easy. It's basically plug and play for the beginner, but it has all the functionality and pro would want from a mountable flash as well. It's built solid, doesn't look completely hideous, and its rotating/tilt functions come in very handy for direction the light just where you want it. My only gripe against the flash is the battery life. I realize this thing is a beast, but any way Canon could think of to improve the battery life of this product would be appreciated. If you're going to be taking a lot of shots, you'll want to pack some extra batteries.
To sum it up, if you're a serious hobbyist or an aspiring pro, this flash is something you have to add to your armory.
Customer Review: My Oldest and Most Used Camera Item
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had this flash going on 3 years now and it's got to be the most essential item in my camera bag. My dSLR has been upgraded twice in the life of this flash and it's still functioning perfectly. I've been using the same four Duracell AA rechargeable batteries the whole time and a 15 minute charger. That combination is enough flash power for a whole day of heavy use. Its recharge time is nearly instant and completely silent.
It's construction quality is amazing, it's been bent, bumped, twisted, squeezed, dropped, stepped on, rained on, snowed on and its still perfect.
The built in catchlight is perfect for venues with high or no ceilings and you can't bounce. Directs the perfect amount of light forward.
It's powerful: When bounced, it's power can easily illuminate a whole group of people even at wide angles. I've also had acceptable (but not perfect of course) results in the telephoto range with objects as far as 40 ft.
It's Versatile: The flash head is fully articulated. It tilts straight up and turns 180º so you can direct light anywhere.
This is the only item of my camera gear that stays on my kitchen counter so it can easily be attached to any camera I'm holding, dSLR or my G12 p&s.
It's one item I couldn't live without, and if anything ever happened to it I'd gladly replace it with the same.
Customer Review: After one week of use, using to replace the 430EX flash
Summary: 5 Stars
After using the 430EX for over a year, and realizing that it's hardly ever powerful enough except for a fairly close, straight-on shot, finally broke down and bought this and may use the 430 as a slave, which is extremely easy to do. And I have not been disappointed - this 580EX II is plenty powerful to enable bounce flash off the ceiling, including a relatively high ceiling. Also bought the Sto-Fen diffuser which I will use in some situations, but in many indoor situations just pointing this unit at the ceiling will work just fine. And if some adjustment is needed, the flash exposure compensation setting is as simple as pushing a button and dialing in the adjustment, takes about 1 second. Several upgrades from the 430EX, notably the metal hot shoe vs plastic, the locking lever instead of screw-down mechanism, battery access is a bit easier, and the menu seems simpler but not sure why at this point. It also has a white bounce-card which pulls up right behind the wide-angle screen, nice addition and good idea. Really wish I had purchased this one to begin with, instead of the 430EX - well worth the money difference!
Also - Amazon had the best price, beating some by as much as $80, hard to believe! Received promptly, although I don't think it should have shipped regular USPS as it did for regular shipping - didn't know they did that until too late, but it worked out okay.
Customer Review: top-of-the-line performer; a must-buy
Summary: 5 Stars
pros: more than i can remember. here's a sampler: will adequately light the exterior of a house-size building, in total darkness, with camera handheld at a distance of 220'; goes a long time on one set of batteries (plus takes a battery pack if you need quicker recharge and literally hundreds of shots); has a focusable beam; has AF-assist; has extensive controls; swivels nearly 360°while tilting 90° or more (slightly down from horizontal); weatherproofing and solid design for longevity and less concern about where you use it; makes bounce-flash a real tool in your aresenal, rather than something you're taught about but never actually accomplish; proper (and easy) use results in photos that look great, not "flashed"
cons: swivel has end-limits (rather than allowing full spin); extensive controls would probably prove frustrating and overkill for all but a few users (luckily once you make some initial settings you can just leave them alone until you want to try something fancy)
other thoughts: pricey, sure, but quite worth it. if your canon doesn't have an onboard flash (or worse, has one), this really will prove an often-used tool. get it, use it, enjoy it; also you can purchase an e-TTL cable that allows the flash to be mounted (or held) truly off-camera for complete autonomy