I have a rebel XT and three non-L lenses, the 75-300, 50 1.8, and the 17-85 IS. I have read all over that a good flash is better than any two or three lenses. I now see what they mean. I was always "happy" not "ecstatic" with the pictures I had taken in the past. (Close to 30,000 on this body BTW) I always shied away from using the on board flash because it is so AWFUL when it comes to quality. This lead me to using the larger apertures on the lenses I have, and the higher ISO settings to get the exposure I want. Well, lenses aren't at their sharpest when full open. Enter 580EXII. Set it on manual exposure, dial in 100 ISO, 1/100 f8 and shoot away. This gets the lenses comfortably into the middle of their aperture range for their peak sharpness. This also gets you to your lower ISO ranges where the (Already Low) sensor noise is minimized. It is a thing of beauty. I took it on out first Disney cruise, and in a variety of conditions it excelled. I can almost believe there is a little professional photographer inside there making sure my exposure is correct every time. The bounce flash works like a charm. Any time there is a ceiling within 12 feet or so, it will work beautifully. Only issue I have seen is bizarrely decorated ceilings with lots of wood and figuring (think Disney ship level of decorations) or blacked out ceilings. These both can cut the reflection level to a point of uselessness. The bounce reflector does a good job of setting up a catch light. I am thoroughly amazed by the small nuclear detonation that this flash puts out with a +3 flash exposure set. I have no doubt to its power claims. the focusing aid is almost worth the price alone. I can take a picture in thee FULL dark, with no epileptic flashing from the on-board flash, with instant focusing lock and perfect exposure. Incredible. I have not had a chance to use any of the advanced stuff like the wireless, external battery supply, or PC cord.
Problems:
First one isn't really a problem, it is a big flash. You knew that going into this, but there is no denying that it is a big flash. If you are used to holding the camera by the zoom/focus ring on your lens while carrying, it is going to flop around from the weight of the flash.
Does not degrade well when the batteries get low. It has no visible battery meter either. It just starts behaving erratically. Not flashing, not going into ETTL mode. It would be nice if it just shut off, or flashed the word "battery" or something on the LCD
If you plan to use the custom functions, you better have the manual handy because they are labeled "Custom Function 5" and that is all the help you get on what it does.
Overall, I LOVE this flash.Get more detail about Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras.
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