Equipment Reviews
Canon 580 EX II Speedlite Flashgun
At the time of writing (February 2010), the Canon Speedlite 580 EX II is Canons top of the range flashgun. It has a guide number of 58 metres (190 ft) at ISO 100. This compares to a guide number of 13 metres (43 ft) at ISO 100 for the built-in unit on a Canon 40D camera body and a guide number of 43 metres (141 ft) for the Speedlite 430EX.
The flash head can be tilted upwards by 90 degrees from the horizontal position, downwards by 7 degrees and can be rotated 180 degrees to either the left or right. This is an advantage over the Speedlite 430EX which cannot be rotated the full 180 degrees to the right it only goes 90 degrees when turned to the right. A single button on the right side of the 580EX II is pressed to tilt or rotate the flash head. This is a quick and easy process.
The flash head can zoom from 24mm to 105mm focal length and there is also a diffuser panel that widens coverage to 14mm. The flashgun can automatically allow for the camera sensor size (full frame, APS-H or APS-C). With compatible Canon EOS SLR cameras the 580EX II can be set to automatically change the flash coverage as the camera lens is zoomed. Alternatively, the flash coverage can be controlled manually. This can be useful if using the speedlite with an umbrella or softbox. The 580EX II also has a retractable small white plastic catchlight panel that can be pulled up when necessary to add catchlights to eyes when using the Speedlite for portrait shots.
The 580EX II uses Canons E-TTL II flash exposure metering. This can be over-ridden by 3 stops of flash exposure compensation (FEC) in 1/3 stop increments. Manual control of flash output is also possible with settings from full power to 1/128 in 1/3 stop increments. Control of FEC or manual power output is by a select dial with a select button in the middle of it. Personally, I find this to be an improvement over the two arch shaped buttons and a circular button used on the 430 EX and 430EX II flashguns. Ive found exposures to be consistently reliable with both the 580EX II and the 430EX flashguns. Flash exposure bracketing allows three shots to be taken with the speedlite automatically adjusting each shot by up to 3 stops in as little as 1/3 stop increments. With more recent Canon EOS bodies, if preferred the 580EX II settings can also be controlled from the camera body rather than by using the flashgun button and dial. This is now my preferred method of control.
The Speedlite 580EX II can function as a wireless slave as part of a multiple flash set up. Unlike the Speedlite 430 series flashguns, it can also function as a master unit to control slave speedlites. The instructions for setting up the 580EX II as a master unit are poor but finding advice online is fairly easy.
There are also several other useful features with this unit. The 580EX II can act as a stroboscopic flash enabling several images of a moving subject to be caught in one frame. Another feature is second curtain synchronisation, allowing the subject to show motion blur and then be frozen by the flash at the end of the exposure. Flash exposure lock allows the correct flash exposure to be set and locked for any portion of the image. High speed sync allows the use of any shutter speed. The flash range is reduced as the shutter speed gets faster. Finally, the 580EX II has a terminal for connecting to an external battery pack such as the Canon CP-E4. Using such a pack further reduces recycling times and increases the number of times the flash can be fired before needing to change batteries.
Finally, there are 14 custom functions available to tailor the operation of the 580EX II to personal preference. The custom functions are:
Distance indicator display (on or off)
Auto power off (on or off)
Modelling flash (four options)
Automatic cancellation of flash exposure bracketing (on or off)
Two options for the sequence of the flash exposure bracketing
Flash metering mode (four options)
Quickflash with continuous shot (on or off)
Test firing with autoflash (1/32 or full output)
AF-assist beam (on or off)
Auto zoom for sensor size (on or off)
Slave auto power off timer (60 or 10 minutes)
Slave auto power off cancel (within 1 or 8 hours)
Flash recycle with external power source (using flash and external source or just the external source)
Flash exposure metering setting (speedlite button and dial or dial only)
Many people find the choice between the 430EX and 580EX a bit of a dilemma. The choice is a personal one but for me the main issues are:
Price. The 430EX II costs about 4/7 as much as the 580EX II. There are also plenty of second hand Mark I versions of both units on the market.
Bounce and swivel capability. The 430EX cannot turn 180 degres to the right only 90 degrees whereas the 580EX can turn 180 degrees to either the left or right. For me this was the main reason for upgrading to a 580EX. The 580EX can also tilt 7 degrees downwards.
Power. The 430EX has a guide number of 43 metres at ISO 100 compared to 58 metres at ISO 100 for the 580EX.
Weight. The 430EX weighs 370 grams compared to 405 grams for the 580EX.
Master/slave function. The 430EX cannot be used to control other flashguns.
Manual control. In manual mode the 430EX can be adjusted in while stop increments to 1/64th full power. The 430EX II can do the same but with more subtle 1/3 stop changes. The 580EX II can be changed by as little as 1/3 stop to 1/128th full power.
The key upgrades from the 580EX Mark I to the 580EX Mark II versions are:
20% quicker (and quieter) recycling time
Improved mounting foot
Redesigned quick release and locking mechanism
Improved weather resistant seals
The 430EX is a well built and reliable flashgun. Mine has served me well over several years and I can thoroughly recommend it. If you don't think you'll need the increased power and features of the 580EX then it's a great buy. However, like me, you may find you outgrow its capabilities so I would suggest going for the increased versatility of the 580EX if you can.
Overall Rating: 5/5
Ease of use: 5/5
Value for money: 4/5
Build quality: 5/5
Features: 5/5