Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras
by Canon
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List Price: Our Price: $443.00 You Save: $347.00 (44%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $419.00 (click here) Category: Digital Camera See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras
Customer Review: Whats not to like???
Summary: 5 Stars
Man, what's not to like??? Sure you can go and buy a cheaper, older used model, (you couldn't go wrong there) but then you miss out on all the other cool attributes of this monster of a flash. It was release in 2007, and they have yet to release a "later greater model". The metal hot shoe is a huge upgrade. I have a 420 ex, and the plastic shoe on that baby broke once dropped. I got it repaired for 60 bucks, (so no biggie). And even though I don't plan to drop this one, you would think that the metal shoe would hold up. It does work right out the box, however it takes some time and education on the product to start achieving the shots you want. This is good because you become a better photographer when you know your equipment. Trust me, you don't want to be a know it all in this area, read some literature if your new to iTTL. Invest some time reading the owner's manual, (because there is sooooooo much to 580 ex II).
Amazon shipped it fast. (Their pretty good at this)
If ordered directly from Amazon the product is not a Grey market flash. (this = Factory warrantee)
And, at this price, it's cheaper than buying from another legitimate business.
Customer Review: Perfection
Summary: 5 Stars
I have the 580EX II & 430EX and the STE2 transmitter. If you want to learn how to really make these strobes "paint with light" - subscribe to [...] - they have so many articles, videos & tricks of the trade to get the most out of your speedlights.
My 580EX II is the 1st flash I bought and it is a matter of me getting the most out of this light and not the other way around. As long as I control the power, etc on the light, I get consistently great photos. Battery life is also very good as I can pump out quite a few pics in a hurry at some events I shoot.
I dont like the battery door and the thunbscrew for the hotshoe is sometimes a bit finicky but the flash itself works like a charm. I have also dropped this flash several times and I haven't broken it yet...
I also have a complete Alien Bee lighting setup and amazingly enough, I can great shots with my speedlights that are very comparable with my AlienBees.
The 580 will act as a master to the 430 and the STE2 can trigger both of them for when I set my speedlights on stands with umbrellas, etc.. I have had my 580 for about 5 years now and I would be lost without it :)
[...]
Carlton
Customer Review: Great flash, don't hesitate
Summary: 5 Stars
My first flash for my first DSLR.
I was initially thinking of getting the 430EX II. But then I really wanted a flash that I will be able to use as a master flash someday (although not quite soon as I'm just getting started with this hobby). I also wanted something that I'm sure will be the primary flash that I'll ever need. Slave flashes can be just the cheap ones from other manufacturers.
Read a couple of reviews, saw a couple of demos, and then my mind was set. After a couple of hours of thinking, I bought it. I also noticed that this flash has been the top of the line for quite some time now and if Canon decides to make a higher model, the price would definitely be higher (will be lens-like price).
Tested the flash against the built-in flash. Colors are sharper and more life-like and there are options to bounce and face the flash to different directions other than just focused on the subject.
Flash is really worth it, got it under 400 dollars from Quality Photo. Will do a lot of reading about using flashes from now on to maximize this thing =).
Happy shooting.
Customer Review: "The" Upgrade for your Canon Camera
Summary: 5 Stars
I read a quote where someone said they'd rather have a good flash than another lens. Bingo! And this is a GREAT flash. I didn't own the original 580, so I can't comment on that. I do however own the 430EX and this is a terrific upgrade from that already very capable flash.
The 580 - in case you don't know - is capable of serving as the master in a master/slave relationship with other Canon flashes. It can, when used in ETTL mode, configure and determine the flash needs of up to three sets of flashes. You can set ratios, create sets and program everything from this one flash.
Alone, it's one powerful little beast! True, it's not a studio monolight, but try taking a set of those out to the park - or even the front yard - to get shots of the kids on prom night. This is a lot bigger than my 430, but not so big that it isn't part of my 'everyday' kit.
For those considering a lesser flash - if you ever intend to use multiple flashes or need a more powerful flash, that 430 or 220 will limit what you can do. If I could do it all over again, I'd certainly purchase the 580 first, last and everything in between.
Customer Review: A nice improvement over the original
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this unit to use as my main flash unit, and relegated my older 580EX I to slave duty. Compared to the 580EX I, there are some obvious benefits the 580EX II has:
- Better hot shoe connector, with weatherproofing gasket and quicker lock
- Sturdier battery door
- Virtually silent operation. You don't hear the thyristor charging up, which, initially, can be somewhat disconcerting (is the flash working?)
- Faster thyristor charge-to-ready
The button/control layout on the rear of the flash is somewhat different than the 580EX I, but easy to learn. Master-slave control worked flawlessly and was easy to set.
Note: the Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce attachment for the 580EX I will NOT fit on the 580EX II. You will need to buy a new Omni-Bounce attachment for this unit.
Like its older predecessor, it comes with a stand and soft case. Highly recommended for Canon cameras with E-TTL flash control - not just for EOS SLRs and DSLRs; prosumer cameras like the Powershot G9 can use this flash and many of its extra functions.