Canon 580EX II Speedlite TTL Shoe Mount Flash

newhunter from TX

Member Since
Sep 2005

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Much Better than 580EX

Strengths:

outstanding battery life fast recycling time excellent TTL comes with hot shoe quick release mount

Weaknesses:

bulkier than 420ex

Posted Aug 3, 2007 - I would say that this flash is worth every penny, and well worth the price premium compared to the 420EX. It beats it hands down in every single category, has an outstanding battery life, and is completely silent .I am not a professional, just an enthusiast, but I can definitely justify its cost, at my level. In other words, you don't need to pair it to a 5D or a 1D Mark III to notice how much better than the 420EX it performs.One other very nice feature is the direct access to "second curtain flash", simply by pressing a button on the flash. No need to go wandering into the Cn functions of the camera body!

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SILBER21

Member Since
Oct 2006

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User has 5 Days of experience with this product

580ex II

Strengths:

Canon's best

Weaknesses:

n/a

Posted Nov 19, 2007 - Worth every cent - this flash will give you a better exposure accuracy over other flashes - even if you shot this thing into a reflector (and I like shooting this way) - first time I tried this flash (about 5 month ago) did not believe it's possible - very powerful and recycling is fast, super fast without drop in flash strength - highly - highly recommend!

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minidanas from CO

Member Since
Jul 2005

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User has 1 Months of experience with this product

Worthy upgrade for $100-150 more

Strengths:

more range, master mode, works with external power source

Weaknesses:

Drains the battery quickly

Posted Nov 12, 2007 - I bought this unit after playing with one that belongs to my friend. If you are not a hardcore enthusiast, there is a tough decision between this and 430EX. Both are very good for their respective prices. While I wouldn't have been complaining if I had 430EX, I went for this one because the price has come down very much in recent weeks. It offers more flexibility, more manual control. I can be more creative with 580EX II. One important advantage of 580EX II is that the extra power allows me to use diffusers comfortably.

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TheHobbit

Member Since
Jul 2004

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User has 2 Months of experience with this product

Canon Speedlite 580EX II

Strengths:

Canon's best flash for your DSLR!!!

Weaknesses:

A little bit bulky and heavy.

Posted Feb 24, 2008 - This flash is much better than the built in one from my DSLR. My camera automatically detected this flash and adjusted to the flash without any problems. You might want to get a diffuser as well. It uses 4 AA batteries and comes with a paded case. This flash upgrade is definitely worth it. Highly recommended.

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joysmahal from VA

Member Since
Jul 2004

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User has 2 Days of experience with this product

My first external flash unit - great product!

Strengths:

Quick recycling time, flash power, weather sealed...

Weaknesses:

Big/heavy, expensive, there is a learning curve to take nice flash pictures

Posted Jan 1, 2008 - I am not a pro, but I am an enthusiast and have been using a film SLR since the mid 90's. This is my first external flash unit and I can say that if you have the budget for it - it is worth the purchase. This can make a huge difference in not only indoor photography, but outdoor as well (used as a fill flash). I have pretty "fast" lenses which are capable of doing indoor shots (canon ef-s 17-55 f/2.8 and sigma 30mm f/1.4) and I still decided to buy the 580EX II. The pictures come out very nice and natural looking. I pair the flash with a diffuser so that it evens out the flash better. I would recommend this flash to anyone who is looking at improving their indoor photography and that don't mind the extra weight of an external flash.

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igpo3737

Member Since
Mar 2007

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User has 7 Days of experience with this product

Solid flash with great performance!

Strengths:

Weather sealed, easy to operate, a lot of features, latest technology.

Weaknesses:

Haven't discovered any yet.

Posted Sep 12, 2007 - This is my first external flash that I bought for my brand new Canon EOS 40D. After dropping in batteries and mounting on my camera the flash unit was ready to fire in no time. The camera automatically recognized this flash and made all the internal adjustments automatically. When you start shooting with this flash you will automatically recognize sheer power, speed, and precision of this flash. I absolutely love it and look forward to learning the advanced features of camera/ flash.

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lxz11

Member Since
Jun 2007

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User has 1 Week of experience with this product

Excellent Flash

Strengths:

faster recycling time, significant better exposures control, outstanding battery life

Weaknesses:

a little bigger and bulkier than the 420EX

Posted Sep 27, 2007 - I upgraded the flash from Canon 420EX to 580EX for my Canon 5D. This is simply the best flash for wedding and portrait. Compared to the 420EX, the advantages are huge. The recycling time is amazingly fast. The quality of the ETTL exposures is also significantly better. The 580EX is capable of serving as the master in a master/slave relationship with other Canon flashes. Gary Fong's Lightsphere II is also a nice accessory for portrait shots with this flash.

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sighman from PA

Member Since
Oct 2004

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User has 4 Days of experience with this product

Still exploring it

Strengths:

Very flexible flash angling and output, Outstanding battery life fast recycling time

Weaknesses:

Haven't discovered any yet

Posted Dec 31, 2007 - It's really bulky but manageable. It can shoot as fast as my camera can shoot. The flexible angling is quite useful. Also, it's using AA battery which is cheaper but may be heavier.

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reinard9 from NY

Member Since
Dec 2005

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User has 1 Month of experience with this product

Better features than Speedlite 580 EX

Strengths:

Quick flash,dust and water resistance, powerfull

Weaknesses:

heavy

Posted Oct 10, 2007 - Beter than 580 EX, more features, good design/strong but little bit heavy. Nice combination with Canon EOS 1D Mark III. ETTL-II working great, almost all automatic exposure control for flash is handled by the camera.

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rcheung07 from NY

Member Since
Oct 2005

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User has 10 Days of experience with this product

Nice and powerful flash

Strengths:

Weather Sealing, Power, Features

Weaknesses:

Alot bigger and heavier than my 430ex, another diffuser kit to buy.

Posted Jul 30, 2007 - Powerful flash with master features to be used with my 430ex. Weather sealing is a nice addition. The flash feels very well built including the battery door and even the head rotation feels alot more solid than my 430ex. Overall, very good product by Canon. I still use and like my 430ex but this one is just better.

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wgsquallx200... from CA

Member Since
Jan 2005

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User has 1 Days of experience with this product

Great addition to Canon XTi

Strengths:

Very flexible flash angling and output. Well built and very study, weatherproof. Well spaced buttons. Nice green-turquoise back light when light-up button is pressed. Easy open battery compartment.

Weaknesses:

Adds significant weight to XTi alone, and causes slight imbalance. Runs on 4 AA batteries instead of providing rechargeable battery option. (Rechargeble option is not stealth). Expensive.

Posted Nov 9, 2007 - One of the first things I noticed and somewhat anticipated by that little voice in the back of my head is the size of the 580EX II. I had a feeling the flash was going to throw the camera off balance due to the additional overhead weight on the camera, but I wanted to wait til the flash arrived before purchasing a Canon BG-E3 camera grip to help offset the imbalance. I now realize that I need to order a BG-E3 or similar grip. About the packaging: The 580EX II inside the box, came in a stiff nylon, scratch resistant case. Inside the case is a wrapped 580EX II and a little slip where the packaged 580EX stand is held in place (for external use of the flash, off-camera as a strobe, etc). The build quality is superb, though the black paint doesn't exactly match my XTi's black body. There is slightly more glimmer on the 580EX II paint when compared to the XTI body paint when light is reflected off the surfaces (doesn't bother me as it is a genuine Canon accessory). I have a lot to learn with this flash but when used in automatic mode, in-doors (dim), I did some comparison shots. The bounce off the ceiling provided a very well, evenly lit portrait of my subject whereas having the 580EX shoot straight on at the subject caused a harsh uneven portrait. The 580EX II is vastly greater than the flash integrated on the XTi. I would highly recommend this accessory to anyone who will want to improve their photos in settings where light cannot be manipulated easily.

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aguswings

Member Since
Sep 2006

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User has 20 Days of experience with this product

Excellent flash support

Strengths:

Fast recycle time Weather-proof Strong shoes Fast burst

Weaknesses:

Bulky Heavy Big

Posted Aug 9, 2007 - The Speedlite 580EX II is the 2nd generation of the 580 series. It has weather proof protection so it is a perfect match for my 5D. Its stronger shoes fit firmly and stably on my camera. The 2nd generation offers faster burst, stronger intensity. However it is slightly bigger and heavier than the old version I.

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a386 from CA

Member Since
Feb 2004

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User has 7 Days of experience with this product

580ex II outstanding

Strengths:

powerful, great for indoor & outdoor shot.

Weaknesses:

Heavy. Poor documentation, manual.

Posted Jan 12, 2008 - I would say that this flash is worth every penny, and well worth the price premium compared to the 420EX. I was struggling to choose 430ex & 580ex. Their price are about $100 different. There are many functions on this flash that I don't understand and the manual didn't tell you much at all. I found that there is a Dvd showing you how to use this flash and I am going to get it. I am sure I can do many special tricks with this flash.

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bluejeff from TX

Member Since
Nov 2005

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User has 1 Week of experience with this product

Very nice updates from 580EX

Strengths:

1. Faster recharing 2. Weather-sealed 3. Overall built

Weaknesses:

1. The master/slave switch is now gone; very inconvenient 2. New design on the hot shoe and connecter. Will not work well on bodies prior 1DIII

Posted Jan 12, 2008 - First of all, I think this is a very nice flash, same as my 580EX and 430EX. The recharing time now is even faster than the original 580EX and the build of the flash is very sturdy and I think it's going to last a long time. Now the flash is having the weather seals around the whole flash and it will work well with 1-series, who are also weathered-sealed. However, in order to get it full weather-sealed, Canon changed its foot design. Now the connector/shoe thing is a little different from the original 580EX. Yes, it will still work with elder cameras, but it is very easy to get that connection problem. (bad connections with cameras prior 1DIII). The connector will be just too loose and will not have a good contact between the unit and the camera. So, if you have cameras like 40D or 1DIII or anything that is new, you should be fine. However, if you have old cameras like my 5D and etc, you migtht want to get think about this flash twice.

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dwang2k from GA

Member Since
Jul 2005

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User has 3 Days of experience with this product

580ex II

Strengths:

very faster recycling time. powerfull light. ETTL-II. 4 AA battery.

Weaknesses:

bulkier, feel heavy and hard to balance on my 350D

Posted Jan 6, 2008 - Highly recommend it to anyone looking for a powerful flash for their Canon DLSR, even for the small size xt and xti. With 580ex II in hand, you will never use the integrated flash any more.

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MPN: 1946B002

Much Better than 580EX

580ex II

Worthy upgrade for $100-150 more

Canon Speedlite 580EX II

My first external flash unit - great product!

Solid flash with great performance!

Excellent Flash

Still exploring it

Better features than Speedlite 580 EX

Nice and powerful flash

Great addition to Canon XTi

Excellent flash support

580ex II outstanding

Very nice updates from 580EX

580ex II

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