Canon 430 EX II flashlight: an overview, features and reviews

The Canon Speedlite 430 EX II is one of the best mid-size flash units for sports, portraits and weddings. It differs in power and ability silently and almost instantly charged even with the most intensive use.

Features

The Canon 430 EX II, whose price has dropped from $ 300 to $ 200 in 2015, is easy to use, has control buttons, a user-friendly LCD display and an integrated infrared autofocus sensor. You can pay a lot more for the 600EX-RT, but in the end, the buyer will get more weight, a much more complicated display and an intricate menu structure.

Exposure 430EX II is controlled by the camera. Other flashes also provide a similar result, with the difference that not all of them have enough power to provide a fairly fast survey. The only reason you can justify your decision not to use the Canon 430 EX II is the size of the device.

Users note good flash power, easy operation, convenient screen, super-fast and quiet operation, which allows you to take pictures almost continuously. At the same time, it does not have a built-in reflective map and there is no A mode for old cameras without TTL. Additional features include a flip down diffuser for 14-mm full-length lenses or 9-mm APS-C optics, a power switch, wireless control, and a small table stand.

Users confirm that the flash works on all Canon EOS cameras both digital and on the very first cameras of the 1987 model.

When used with compatible devices, the 430EX II receives TTL or shutter speed, exposure compensation settings, rear-curtain sync settings and repeat commands.

Compatibility

The Canon Speedlite 430 EX II works great on 35mm cameras, such as the EOS 1V.

In the early full-color cameras of the 1980s TTL, manual exposure and rear-curtain sync work fine, but FEL and HSS were not invented then, so these functions remain unused.

According to user feedback, even on the EOS 650 the TTL shutter speed (via the lens), data transmission and a green light indicator do not cause problems. The display briskly displays the maximum distance from the flash when the camera automatically sets the aperture. Even with the camera off, the 430EX II automatically adjusts to the lens that is currently installed.

According to users, with cameras such as AE-1 or T90, it's better not to tempt fate. For these cameras, you can buy second-hand flashes 25 years ago, which are better suited to them and much less worth it.

Canon has never explained which devices are type A, and which ones are in B, or in which the measurement modes are 1, 2 or 3, so do not worry about it. On older 35 mm type B cameras, some functions will not work, such as FE Lock and high-speed sync. However, everything you need works fine on any EOS camera.

Charging

According to the owners, with fully contaminated batteries, the time to recharge the flash capacitor is only 1.8 seconds. At 80% charge time increases to 2.4 s.

The capacitor is charged quietly - the inverter operates at supersonic frequency.

After about 90 s, the flash goes into standby mode and wakes up when the shutter button is pressed. The Pilot button is also capable of activating it. If the wait lasted a long time, then it takes up to 2.4 seconds to charge.

Ergonomics

The power switch is ideal: one finger movement and flash can be turned on or off. The combination of the ready indicator and the test button is good. The unmarked green ready-for-exposure indicator just below the pilot is too directional. It is not easily visible from the outside.

The Canon 430 EX II calculates the flash, and the LCD displays the maximum TTL holding range, up to 18 m.

There may be difficulties with pressing the keys "+", "-" and SET.

Setting exposure compensation is accompanied by unnecessary complications. You must press and hold the SET button, wait until the "+/-" icon flashes, and then press the left or right key to increase or decrease the shutter speed by one third. It will be easier to do this on the camera. Ideally, adjusting exposure compensation on the flash requires a wheel or a rocker-type button.

The manual zoom Canon 430 EX II - also a clumsy riddle. You have to press the button with the double function ZOOM, but do not hold it, because the wireless setup menu will be called up. When the button is pressed correctly, the zoom icon starts flashing, and then you can use the "+" and "-" keys to change it. This is very inconvenient, because it is impossible to go directly from 24 mm or 105 mm to the opposite end - you have to go all the way back. The auto zoom setting is located below the 24 mm setting.

The battery cover and marking are excellent. It is easy to open and close, and also to see where to insert batteries even in the dark.

Buttons are not illuminated, but the inscriptions are clear.

A customizable LCD display is large, clear and well lit, but the only way to highlight it is the button on the flash. Turning on the camera's backlight does not turn on the flash light. And vice versa, and pressing LIGHT on the 430EX II does not turn on the camera's backlight, as it is done with Nikon.

The Canon Speedlite 430 EX II allows owners to set several user-defined functions on their own, but they are all numbered and therefore meaningless until an operation manual is at hand. All these settings can be made on a DSLR in plain language in the camera menu, but not in the case of a 35 mm SLR.

With the mode selection button, no complications arise.

High-speed flash (HSS or FP) can be adjusted easily. It is necessary to press Bolt-H, wait for the icon to appear and use the AV or TV modes of the camera. The maximum distance appears on the screen, which decreases significantly when higher shutter speeds are selected.

The green indicator under the red pilot lights up if the auto exposure is okay. AF-assist illumination consists of two emitters: one central, and the second for other zones.

Basic TTL survey

Simply put the flash on the camera, turn the lock lever to the right, turn it on and start taking pictures.

The lever itself is also blocked. To release it, you need to press the small button, which will allow you to move it and remove the flash from the sync contact.

The top left of the Canon 430 EX II LCD should display "TTL". If not, press the Mode button until it appears.

All the rest is processed automatically. If the flash is too dark or bright, you can change this by compensating the camera's exposure, or by holding down the SEL / SET button on the back of the unit.

Maximum range will be displayed on the LCD screen. If desired, you can select meters or feet through the CFN flash or in the camera menu.

Exposure Compensation

It is better to make exposure compensation through the camera. To configure it on the Canon 430 EX II, press and hold the SET button until "+/-" appears and press "+" or "-" to set the compensation value. The flash settings take precedence over the camera settings.

To lock the exposure used, for example, if the subject is close and out of the way, you must first position it in the center and press FEL to fix the shutter speed.

In manual flash mode, the correct distance calculated for specific ISO and aperture values is displayed on the LCD.

To check the 430EX II, the camera's exposure meter must be turned off. If it is on, nothing will happen when the Pilot button is pressed.

If the flash is used intensively, the charging time can be deliberately slowed down so that the 430EX II can cool. However, according to the owners, they did not have such need.

User functions are best set in the camera's menu, where they are indicated not in numbers, but in clear language. In addition, the Canon 430 EX II instruction states that they are reset if there is no power for more than one minute. Users are advised to set the Fn2 value to 3 to disable blinding flashes when the depth-of-field preview button is pressed on the camera.

Wireless Management

According to users, as a remote flash it is better to use a professional studio stroboscopic light source, rather than the Canon Speedlite 430 EX II, the price of which does not contribute much to such use. Even if someone ever can figure out how this works, a small device will not be able to provide the necessary brightness. In addition, it will still be necessary to position it in some way. For $ 400, you can buy a set of studio flashes with umbrellas and racks, which will be enough for portrait photography.

Those wishing to tinker with wireless settings, their parameters should be entered into the master flash on the camera, and all slaves - to execute its commands. In addition, you can transfer any slave to manual control mode.

Recommendations

Owners recommend using the Canon Speedlite 430 EX II as a fill flash outdoors to reduce shadows in sports and portraits. Some, however, prefer a smaller 220EX for this, but the model in question is larger, works a little faster and more powerful, which means a longer work day, the need for which does not occur often.

In addition, users are advised to use Sanyo's Eneloop batteries as the batteries. They are able to maintain a charge even with prolonged non-use.