Canon Speedlite 430EX III-RT

I got a good deal through Amazon on this newest Speedlight from Canon. It is fairly complicated to use and a bit daunting for my amateur skills, but it works well with my Canon 70D. Once I get more time using it, the usability will increase as it has been already.I passed on the off brand products that cost much less, hoping to gain reliability and functionality. This unit reminds me of an older flash I had on my 35mm film SLR that was awesome with similar basic features as this Speedlight so i'm familiar with the Canon's basic functions from the get go.Lighting was much enhanced as this Speedlight really throws off a lot and it fills the space in a fairly large room though not as much as Canon's top of the line unit, the 600EX-RT. The small, built in flash on my 70D works adequately on closeups but I found it floods the picture with too much light. The 430EX III is able to compensate for many conditions and my pics come out more natural, the shadows are less pronounced and the fashtones are not as washout out in contrast to my built in. It has the typical features like tilt flash and a cool built in diffuser that slides back into the head of the unit and out of the way. It comes with an amber cover that you might have to pay extra for on other units. The 430 is a step up from the older generation flash that was also very good.I'm an ameteur photographer for sure though I can clearly see how well made this flash is. If I were an advanced shutterbug, I'd have sprung for the 600 (good price on Amazon too) but then, i'd be shooting with a more expensive 5d Mark II or another good large body Canon.I recommend it for its obvious improvement to flash photography than my built in could accomplish. It has features that are found in the more expensive 600EX and will more than handle whatever you ask it to do.

The 430EX III-RT is a great starter Speedlite for any photographer who wants a future-proof flash that is easy enough for a novice to use and yet has enough features to create advanced flash photos with multiple Speedlites. New with the 430EX III-RT is an interactive menu that uses the tilt-wheel on the back of the Speedlite to make selections. Moving through menu options on a Canon Speedlite has never been easier. Of course, if you want to control the 430EX III-RT from the main LCD on your compatible Canon camera, you can do that too. Just look for the "Flash Control" and then the "External Speedlite Control" menu options.For the first time ever, Canon has enabled a mid-range (400-series) Speedlite with the ability to work as a master Speedlite. This means that after you learn the basics of using one Speedlite, your 430EX III-RT can be used with other Canon Speedlites to create off-camera flash. The 430EX III-RT provides radio Speedliting at a very affordable price (in comparison to the top-of-the-line 600EX-RT). It can serve as a radio master (to control up to 14 other 430EX III-RT and/or 600EX-RT Speedlites). Likewise, it can work as a radio slave or (as with earlier 400-series Speedlites) as an optical slave.[Note: The 430EX III-RT and 600EX-RT work in radio wireless or optical wireless. All other Canon EX Speedlites work only in optical wireless (where the instructions are sent via a code flashed from the tube of the master Speedlite). Radio will go through the sides of softboxes and other opaque surfaces. Optical wireless must have a direct path between the camera-mounted master and the slave(s).]For more information about Speedliting and flash photography, check out my Speedliter's Handbook: Learning to Craft Light with Canon Speedlites (2nd Edition). I've created an online guide to using the 430EX III-RT that is available through a code included with the book at the end of the table of contents.

I have 3 cheaper flashes, and this one. The first cheap lens is not very good, and has no manual controls. Never buy a flash without manual controls. I have one decent flash with manual control, and a better one that is more powerful and has HSS. I like both, the second one more-- it works perfectly with my Canon T5. But, then I had to go and upgrade my body to an 80D. The flashes didn't work right, and my wireless triggers didn't work at all. So, what the heck? Turns out that 3rd party products seem to have this issue in general.Out of frustration, I got this Canon flash. I would have probably got the next one up if it were closer in price, but I think that's about $200 more. So, nah. In any event, This one isn't powerful, and doesn't have external power input. It won't act as a optical wireless master. It doesn't have its own meter. The power port would matter to pros. But I would bet your family could handle the few seconds it takes to swap AAs. The other two cons are almost irrelevant. Speaking of family, when you are our following your nieces around, it feels less weird with a smaller flash. I use HSS often when outdoors because young folks never seem cooperative when the sun is. So, an HSS flash (this one included) is great for keeping the face lit away from the sun. It is smallish and light weight. So, I am very happy and plan to keep it with me when ever possible.