Hi!

I need second Canon Flash unit (currently I own 550EX). Is new 580EX II better then 580EX? How it is in getting correct exposure in comparison to 550EX?
580EX II owners, please, give me some feedback.

Thank you.

I am wondering the same thing, I just switched from Nikon to Canon and I am just debating whether or not the extra bucks is worth the II instead of the I. I Do like the new clamp style fastener on the hotshoe, that seems like it would be a heck of a lot easier to take on and off than other flashes.

I like the way the II attaches to the hot shoe and the fact that it is metal. (I just broke the plastic flash mount foot on my v.I so I probably appreciate it more now) This might be silly but I also really like the battery door on the v.II. It is so much "smoother" to open. I always feel like I am going to rip the door off my v.I when I try to change batteries.

One thing I like better about the v.I is having the master/slave feature easily accessed on the outside of the unit as opposed to inside the menu on the v.II.

There was a post not so long ago with a discounted price for the v.II at B&H so I bought a second one for $329 I think? I bought my first one for much more than that at a time when I couldn't seem to find a v.I anywhere.

This is just my opinion (I don't know the actual specs) but the recycle time and noise seems to be less on the v.II

Another BIG factor to consider is the pc socket...so no adaptor for pocket wizards. Not to mention that you can have manual metering instead of TTL when running wireless...well...only if your shooting a Mark III. Either way...it really depends on what you'll be using it for. If you using it with TTL, then why not. If your just going to run it in manual wirelessly, then its a waste of money. An old Vivatar 285 will do just as fine off camera.

100% agree. I am a HUGE fan of the new hot shoe on the Version II. We own two Version I's, and between the two flashes, we have had to have the hotshoe repaired a total of 4 times. So annoying. This is a big upgrade on the Version II.


100% agree. HATE this feature on the Version II. I liked being able to do this quickly on Version I.


At the end of the day, this is why we bought the Version II instead of a third Version I. The recycle time is a good bit faster, and the audible recycle noise is much lower.

Tonight, I just tested it with the Canon Battery Pack -- OMG!!! You can shoot about 15 frames without the charge reducing by more than about 10%. Essentially, you can shoot a full power flash 10 to 15 times in a row. It was absolutely amazing.

The one major drawback I've heard about is that if you shoot 20 consecutive exposures with the Version II, it will lock up completely for about 10 minutes. Weird. Something to do with overheating. But just don't shoot 20 in a row, and you should be fine. Me thinks you are shooting too fast if you are having problems with this on a regular basis.

~ Charles

How does it expose the subjects when they are black/white? Do you still have to compensate like it was before or they got it smarter and it is less biased to where the active focusing point is pointing?

Could anyone comment on exposure?

Well, If nobody replies...
I went to a store today and tried 580 EX II in external metering mode and E-TTL. I am very impressed how consistent it was. Looks like focus point dependancy is gone.

The II is exactly the same as my version 1 with improvements. Nothing is lost in the newer version that is not better now. The battery door is better, the hot shoe is now metal and the lock is easier to swap. Recycle time is faster!


and most importantly......... It's the newest model so you can expect Canon to service it longer, if it is ever needed.

With the 580 EX II, it's more difficult to turn master/slave on and off. You supposed to have to hold the zoom button down for 3 seconds, but it sometimes takes an 8-10 second press to get to the Master/Slave/Off setting. If I need it off in a hurry, I'll just open and close the battery door while the master is on and that resets it every time. I miss the simple switch of the original 580, but I guess the redesigned hotshoe didn't leave room.

I've also found my 580EX II sometimes doesn't seat fully in the hotshoe on my XT (350D), causing it to drop out of ETTL II mode and blast full power. This happened when when shooting in portrait orientation where the weight of the flash puts stress on the shoe. I just don't use it on the XT any more. This doesn't happen on my 30D or 1D Mk III, but I've heard reports of it happening on the 5D. The four ETTL shoe pins don't stick out as far as they do on the 430EX or original 580EX.

One more thing... they changed all the custom functions (C.Fn) around (Argh!), so I have to keep a cheat sheet for each of my flashes in my bag. Why they couldn't map them to the original 580 escapes me.

Mine hasn't gone into thermal shutdown yet, even though I do a lot of bounce flash in large rooms and full sun fill flash which uses a lot of power, so that may just be an issue with certain copies.

Other than that, it's a great flash. The PC socket and weatherproofing were big improvements as was the shorter recycle time and reduced noise.

Oops... Where did you find that info about 5D? I do have 5D and don't want to spend 900 for 2 of them to find out that they don't sit tight.

just last night I was reading some very very interesting information about this subject on shootsmarter.com --
they had a good amount to say about which camera bodies and which flashes could reliably be used for ttl. might be worth checking out. definately makes me rethink my flashes and when to upgrade.

Do you have a link?

Here's Dustin's post here on OSP

http
://www.opensourcephoto.net/forum/index...0&p=198748


I went back and did some searching here and on DWF and POTN. I found reports covering most bodies, not just the 5D, so I apologise for calling out that model. I don't know why the 5D stuck in my head.

I would take the Shootsmarter reviews with a grain of salt. They seem to favor the Metz flashes. However, I've read quite a few less than favorable reviews of the Metz flashes.

I have a 580 EXII and love it. Biggest bonuses for me are the metal hotshoe, pc socket and much quieter and faster recycling. I also like the weather seals, as I travel and shoot outdoors often. All they need to do is add a light slave and they can give Nikon a run for their money. AS for exposure--I have yet to notice any problems.

Hope this helps...

Received my two 580 EX IIs yesterday. Quick test in ETTL shown that they handle blacks much better then my old 550 EX. No overexposure here. However, whites seems to be handled the same old way. I didn't see any difference.

However, for shooting indoors here is a few tips:
bounced flash, flash ETTL metering set to average, +2/3 exposure compensation seems to be the best working combination. For outdoor, evaluative metering works the best.

I liked manual external metering mode. It works as the old thyristor flash. For direct flash dial the camera setting in and shoot. For bounced flash set flash to +1 1/3 FEC. Works great! Very consistent exposure, handles well blacks and whites. I think it is the best mode for on camera flash usage indoors.