Canon Speedlite 430EX

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Paul Bielec - 24 Aug 2005 13:33 GMT

While there was lot of talking about Canon 5D lately, I noticed
yesterday that there will be a new Canon flash coming out: 430EX.

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelDetailAct&fcategoryid=141&m
odelid=11923

I was planning on buying a flash for some time now. The 420EX seemed as
a good size and price for me but it doesn't have manual control. As my
Digital Rebel doesn't have the flash compensation on the body, it was a
problem. And I didn't want to spend too much and I want to buy a secon L
lens. At the end, I decided to buy a 550EX on my next trip to New York
(for some reason, it is much cheaper in US than in Canada).
The 430EX is a 420Ex with manual controls.
I'm gonna pick up one at B&H this fall :)

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Chris - 24 Aug 2005 14:03 GMT

> While there was lot of talking about Canon 5D lately, I noticed
> yesterday that there will be a new Canon flash coming out: 430EX.

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelDetailAct&fcategoryid=1
41&modelid=11923

> I was planning on buying a flash for some time now. The 420EX seemed as
> a good size and price for me but it doesn't have manual control. As my
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> The 430EX is a 420Ex with manual controls.
> I'm gonna pick up one at B&H this fall :)

I absolutely despise a flash without manual control. Especially on a
professional camera. Glad they are putting out the 430EX.

Not everyone cares, but control does mean freedom to experiment. The more
options available, the more settings you can manipulate, and the more
creative license you can take in your photography.

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Stephen M. Dunn - 28 Aug 2005 17:03 GMT

$"Paul Bielec" <no@spam.com> wrote in message
$news:dehpf7$pr6$1@dns3.cae.ca...
$> At the end, I decided to buy a 550EX on my next trip to New York
$> (for some reason, it is much cheaper in US than in Canada).

Most photo gear is cheaper in the U.S. than in Canada.

$> The 430EX is a 420Ex with manual controls.
$> I'm gonna pick up one at B&H this fall :)

If you don't need it that soon, you might want to wait until the
price has fallen. Or pick up a 550EX. The 420EX sells for USD175;
the 430EX will sell for almost twice that much (USD300) for a while.
Meanwhile, the 550EX can be had brand new for USD295. (420EX and
550EX prices from B&H; 430EX price is Canon's estimated street
price, which is typically quite accurate.)

$I absolutely despise a flash without manual control. Especially on a
$professional camera. Glad they are putting out the 430EX.

The 420EX isn't aimed at professionals; that's what the 580EX
is for. The original poster's Digital Rebel isn't a professional
camera. Unfortunately, since Canon crippled it by omitting FEC,
it ironically benefits more from a higher-end flash than a mid-grade
body does (unless you install the firmware hack).

$Not everyone cares, but control does mean freedom to experiment. The more
$options available, the more settings you can manipulate, and the more
$creative license you can take in your photography.

I can't argue with that.

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Stephen M. Dunn <stephen@stevedunn.ca>

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Paul Bielec - 29 Aug 2005 14:09 GMT

> $"Paul Bielec" <no@spam.com> wrote in message
> $news:dehpf7$pr6$1@dns3.cae.ca...
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
>
> I can't argue with that.

The funny thing is that the price difference between the 420EX and 430EX
is very small in Canada. However, in the US, it is huge.
The reason I have a Digital Rebel is because I still want to wait a
generation or two before buying a more advanced body. Meanwhile, I
started buying some L lenses.

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Matt White - 29 Aug 2005 16:32 GMT

> The funny thing is that the price difference between the 420EX and 430EX
> is very small in Canada. However, in the US, it is huge.
> The reason I have a Digital Rebel is because I still want to wait a
> generation or two before buying a more advanced body. Meanwhile, I
> started buying some L lenses.

Tell me about it; I just got burned on this. Being a Canadian young'un
on a budget, I scrimped and saved and just got my 420EX locally two
months ago. (I refuse to buy new equipment without a warranty that can
be honored by my local camera store. I'm not rich enough to risk going
without a warranty. Besides, I like giving them my business.)

I said to myself, "Canon very rarely introduces new flashes. This has
been the standard mid-range model for years, and it works just fine with
all the DSLRs. It won't be replaced anytime soon."

And then the 430EX came out, at the exact same Canadian street price as
the 420EX.

What really annoys me is that I use a 35mm Rebel 2000, and the manual
controls on the 430EX would have been really handy. Maybe I should just
part with the cash and get a used Elan 7 from KEH. They're certainly
cheap enough nowadays.

- Matt

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Paul Bielec - 29 Aug 2005 18:03 GMT

>> The funny thing is that the price difference between the 420EX and
>> 430EX is very small in Canada. However, in the US, it is huge.
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
>
> - Matt

Here in Montreal, you can get an used Elan 7e from a camera store with a
warranty for just around 300$. At some point, I thought about buying one
but I shoot mostly digital now and my small ESO 300 is enough for my needs.

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Stephen M. Dunn - 30 Aug 2005 00:12 GMT

$The funny thing is that the price difference between the 420EX and 430EX
$is very small in Canada.

Geez, you're not kidding! The only place I found that lists
both wants CAD340 (about USD285) for the 420EX, and only $10 more
for the 430EX! So the 420, like most photo gear, is ridiculously
more expensive here, and the 430 is actually priced about the same
as in the States.

$The reason I have a Digital Rebel is because I still want to wait a
$generation or two before buying a more advanced body. Meanwhile, I
$started buying some L lenses.

Good plan. Just be forewarned that once you start buying L lenses,
it's hard to stop!

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Stephen M. Dunn <stephen@stevedunn.ca>

>>>----------------> http://www.stevedunn.ca/ <----------------<<<

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ian lincoln - 30 Aug 2005 01:01 GMT

> $The funny thing is that the price difference between the 420EX and 430EX
> $is very small in Canada.
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> Good plan. Just be forewarned that once you start buying L lenses,
> it's hard to stop!

I wonder how much the new 24-105f4L is will be?

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Stephen M. Dunn - 30 Aug 2005 03:40 GMT

$I wonder how much the new 24-105f4L is will be?

The U.S. price is $1250. In Canada, it's $1600, or
only slightly more than the equivalent in American dollars.
Another pleasant surprise, though I don't plan on buying this for
another year or two.

Dunno what your retailers over there will want for it ... I
tried the retailer you hate and very quickly got frustrated
by it.

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Stephen M. Dunn <stephen@stevedunn.ca>

>>>----------------> http://www.stevedunn.ca/ <----------------<<<

------------------------------------------------------------------
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Paul Bielec - 30 Aug 2005 13:37 GMT

> $The reason I have a Digital Rebel is because I still want to wait a
> $generation or two before buying a more advanced body. Meanwhile, I
> $started buying some L lenses.
>
> Good plan. Just be forewarned that once you start buying L lenses,
> it's hard to stop!

I know.
I replaced my 75-300 (the cheap non IS one) with 70-200 f/4 L this year
and the difference is amazing. Now, 17-40 f/4 L is next on the shopping
list.Although, having the f/2.8 versions would have been even nicer, I
think that f/4 being half the price will suit my needs nicely.
In few years, if technology sticks to the full frame, I'll get something
like the 24-105f4L to fill the gap. Or the f/2.8 versions...who knows?

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Kinon O'Cann - 24 Aug 2005 14:28 GMT

> While there was lot of talking about Canon 5D lately, I noticed yesterday
> that there will be a new Canon flash coming out: 430EX.
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> The 430EX is a 420Ex with manual controls.
> I'm gonna pick up one at B&H this fall :)

The new flash also has one nice feature: it will auto zoom and auto adjust
for the crop size of the sensor. Nice if you plan to move from a sub-frame
to a FF camera.

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Brian Baird - 24 Aug 2005 15:34 GMT

> The new flash also has one nice feature: it will auto zoom and auto adjust
> for the crop size of the sensor. Nice if you plan to move from a sub-frame
> to a FF camera.

I'm looking for an affordable off-camera flash, but I didn't want the
420EX precisely because it didn't have much control. On the other hand,
I didn't want to shell out nearly $400 for the 580EX which is more flash
than I need. This fits in nicely.

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