Very powerful. Possibly the best flash I ever owned, but you better read the instruction manual carefully. This is not a flash that you can just guess. I been experimenting for a week I am possibly 50% into it (not sure). I use it on top of my EOS5D mounted on a BG-E4 battery grip, with a EF 24-105 mm EF f/4 L IS. This whole setup is heavier than a cow, but I like it heavy.
For starters, I got my 580EX II stacked on the master flash for a multi-flash setup setting. It took me two days to get it back to a single flash shooting mode. Evidently, it would take only 10-15 minutes if you know what you are doing and you know what to look for.
Second, I got the mounting lock swivel in the stuck position. I think I waited until the next morning to figure out how to release the flash from the camera. At night time, under low light conditions you will never see the extra release buttom.
Third, all automatic modes work just fine if you like to be in the hands of somebody else making decisions for you. Not my style. When the flash is set in the ETTL mode with the camera set in auto or P, it gives me too low of a shutter speed, 1/60 sec, and the minimum f value, f/4.0. In my view, these setting are useless. My preferred mode is ETTL in the flash, and camera set to manual mode at 1/125 sec at f/8 or higher. Now you are really in control to get a good image. You can now also play with flash exposure compensation, and I think you will be much happier. I do not care about discharging the batteries faster. I only care about getting the best image I can get.
In general, setting the flash to ETTL and controlling everything else from the EOS5D gives me the best results. I am glad my camera allows me to do that. And, I love the full frame capability I get with the 5D, I don't have to guess what is the real focal length at which I am shooting. It is my strong belief, all cameras should be full frame. I do not believe the cameras should become any heavier because of that. If any, the weight increase should be in the order of a few grams max.
All automatic modes would be pretty good for outdoors fill in flash photography, something that I have not tried yet.
Fourth, you better make sure you leave the wide angle frosted flash cover tucked in. Even if its is "barely" out, the flash will get stuck in 14 mm lens setting. The focal lens automatic adjustment will not work anymore. It took me about an hour to figure out what was wrong.
My only complain is that I get vigneting (or 4 dark corners) when I shoot with a focal lens of 24 mm. Placing the 14 mm flash cover solves this problem almost completely.
Other features like flash bouncing work very well. This flash is very powerful. I can get pretty decent shots even standing 30 ft away from the subject under minimum ambient lighting conditions.
All in all the 580EX II is a wonderful flash, I would recommend it to anyone. But you have to study it pretty carefully to get it to do what you want to see in you photos. In a way, it becomes a challenge to figure it out who is the smartest, you or the flash. I believe I am winning so far. Get more detail about Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras.
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