Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras

I love my two Canon Speedlite flashes, which I use sometimes on-camera, and sometimes off-camera with the ST-E2 infrared controller. All these devices include an autofocus assist beam, which is nice, because my EOS 5D3 and 1D4 bodies do not have flashes or AF lights. Sometimes I use the ST-E2 purely for that feature alone. Speedlite 580EX II (bought December 2009) This is a very reliable, easy-to-use flash. It replaced a Speedlite 550EX, which was quite complicated to operate. Unlike the old 550EX, you push in one button and you can tilt and swivel the flash head with ease. The flash recharges quickly and gets lots of shots out of a set of batteries (see note). The flash can act as a master or slave with another Speedlite via infrared; I use it with the SE-E2 below. It’s a bright flash, with a guide number of 190ft. The zoom on this flash is 24-105mm, or 14mm with the extendable panel. I keep this flash in “slave” mode. The 600 below is much easier to use and more versatile. However, if you can pick up a 580EX II for a good price, it makes a good slave — assuming of course that you’re controlling via infrared. If you might want to go radio frequency, it’s of no use unless you use a Pocket Wizard or some such. Speedlite 600EX-RT (bought July 2012) This is the flash I use most often, because it’s slightly brighter, and the automatic zoom has the best range. (Though in practice, I can’t see the difference in brightness compared with the 580EX II.) Both have the one-button release for tilting and swiveling. Although this flash’s specs say that it’s a little bit brighter than the older model, with a guide number of 197ft, in practice it’s the same. I like the width of the coverage, from 20mm-200mm, with the extendable panel bringing it to 14mm. The 600EX-RT can work as a master/slave with either infrared or radio frequency. I’m committed to infrared because I have the ST-E2 master (which is infrared, as opposed to the ST-E3 which is radio), and because my other flash is infrared-only. If I were starting over, I’d go radio, because in order to use infrared the “eye” on the slaves has to be able to see the infrared beam from the master. Maybe some day I’ll sell the 580EX II and the ST-E2 and move to a full radio frequency system. I switch this flash from standalone mode to slave mode, depending on what I’m doing. Fortunately it’s easy to make that change. Speedlite ST-E2 (bought January 2011) I use this mainly to control the 580EX II and 600EX-RT flashes, but sometimes use it standalone if I want the autofocus assist light. HINT: The 580 and 600 flashes work best with lithium AA batteries. You get a lot more flashes than with alkaline batteries. I keep eight of them in my camera bag. The ST-E2 uses a 2CR5 battery, and I keep one spare in my camera bag. HINT: Both the 580 and 600 flashes have tripod mounting sockets on the side, hidden under rubber covers. Those are really handy! They also come with “feet” with tripod sockets which are good for when you don’t need to use a full tripod.

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. Update: 8/31/2010 Guess what? This flash is not gravity proof! While at a photo shoot, a rogue gust of wind tipped the light stand and umbrella with flash over onto concrete. No flashie anymore. I opened it up to see what had happened. The bulb had snapped in half. I think to myself, buy new bulb, internet is a big place.... Alas, no. The 580EXii does not have a replaceable bulb, it is soldered in place, and not for sale. Ahh well, a $120 trip back to canon resolved the issue. I must say they were very fast about it. I still LOVE the flash. I have had the occasion to use its wireless functionality with other canon 580EXii's and it works pretty well.. Full ETTL control. You have to be a little careful about getting them to see each other, and the range is only 30 feet or so out in the sun. Its a LOT cheaper than a whole set of pocket wizards, and more reliable than "pocket change wizards" (ebay wireless triggers) RAD

It communicate very well with my Canon 20D. The 589EX II will act the same as the built-in flash of 20D, except it is 16 times more powerful. The power level adjustment is useful for multiple flash set up. I have been considering to buy it for 2 years. My hesitation is due to the steep $500 price tag and my Vivitar 285HV. After using it for 2 weeks. I can kick myself not to buy it earlier. The ETT II gives me excellent exposure ( no more wash out of the object) regardless of the back ground, that the 285HV cannot do. It is a perfect flash for my 20D. I have five friendly advices: 1. Set C.Fn 6 to 1. This enables the quick flash mode. The flash can be fired without a full charge. Good for rapid shooting at a reduced range. 2. Use rechargeable batteries. This will make the flash charges faster. Also you are helping to save the earth. 3. This is the most powerful flash that Canon makes. From my 40 years as photographer, you should buy the most powerful flash. Do not buy the lower model even you can save $150. The 580EX II will allow you to use a smaller aperture to do a better job as a fill in light for the shadow under the sun or have a faster recycle time when shooting at night. Also you will still have enough light output even with flash attachments, i.e. diffuser, reflector etc. 4. The 580EX II tends to be slightly (1/3 to 1/2 stop) under-expose the object. It may not be a problem if you prefer slightly saturated color. Otherwise you can give it a +1/3 or 1/2 flash exposure compensation( It is much easier to set it up on the camera rather than on the flash) However,it will be perfect as a fill in flash for shadow underneath the sun without using flash exposure compensation. 5. In order for the TTL II to work right, make sure that the lens you use will pass the distance information to the camera and hence to the 580EX II. Complain: The owner's manual does not spell out some of the interaction between the camera and the 580EX II. e.g. the high speed syn will be disabled automatically if the shutter speed is below the maximum normal flash syn speed, high speed syn will not over heat the flash as long as it obeys the rule for maximum number of consecutive normal flash, The focal length indication shows the real focal length of the lens, not the equivalent focal length of the APS-C sensor, any focal length shorter than 24mm still indicates as 24mm, even the Zooming flash head might have zoom to 27mm equivalent(17mm actual) focal length.

Bought this flash yesterday, to use primarily with my also newly purchased EOS Elan 7NE 35mm SLR. I kept deciding between 430EX and 580EX II and I don't regret buying this model. The flash is not too bulky or too heavy as I was afraid after reading some reviews - my previous flash was Vivitar 285HV, and it is quite bigger and heavier then 580 EX II. Now, the flash output of 580EX II is dependent on zoom setting of the flash head. The advertised GN190 sounds like vast load of power, but it is a guide number for 105mm zoom; when you use 28mm lens you get only about GN100, and GN140 for standard 50mm lens. It's off course not bad but not the GN190, so don't think that you'll flash an entire concert hall with this flash. I did a test roll on full auto setting on the camera and E-TTL II on the flash - while working nicely and quite dependably out of the box, to my surprise the flash and camera use quite wide apertures, around f4-f4.5 for most exposures indoors.. I realized that I'll have to use full manual mode on the camera and E-TTL II on the flash in order to obtain smaller apertures and get more DOF - in this setting the adequate flash output will be provided automatically to accommodate the selected aperture (and shutter speed) setting. I didn't even remotely touch all the features that this flash offers, although I did go through them briefly while reading the provided user guide. I think that the flash will serve me well down the road, and it is better to have that extra output over what 430EX would give me. Finally, I believe that 580EX II was released very recently, while the 430EX is couple years older. The built quality of 580EX II is generally nice, the hotshoe is metal with locking lever, flash has external PC connector (which 430EX lacks I believe); obviously the 580EX II has more to offer. BTW, I'm amateur photographer. The main drawback - price is steep. If you don't need all the features (there are tons of them), you may be better off with the cheaper 430EX; I grabbed 580 but mainly because I wanted the PC connector since I intend to shoot it occasionally with my other cameras in full manual mode off-camera on the stand through the umbrella and such - so that's why I wanted maximum possible flash output. One last but important thing - I called Canon technical support today with a question regarding the use; good news - Canon techs are located here in the United States, are friendly and knowledgeable (so, don't worry about having to deal with overseas-outsourced tech support, which can be quite a horrible experience)

I got this excellent flash for a great price here on Amazon! I had been researching this flash for several weeks. It received rave reviews here on Amazon and so I decided to purchase it for myself. All I can say is, I completely agree with all of the rave reviews I have read. I have used many flash devices in the past, some cheap and some rather expensive, and this Canon 580EX II is definately the best flash ever made! There are so many possible settings for this flash unit, so there is a bit of a learning curve. However, the instruction manual is very informative and straight forward. The easy to read manual is full of illustrations and step by step instructions. I have mated this great flash with my Canon EOS 40D, and find that the communication between the camera and flash are perfect. I have also been using the Gary Fong C4 Cloud Lightsphere II, Inverted Dome Flash Diffusion System with this flash. I can't speak highly enough about the lighting effects produced by the Speedlite 580EX II and the Lightsphere II. This combination makes for a perfect substitution to a set of umbrella lights. The flash is quick to respond and refreshes instantly after a full discharge. The inclusion of a quick disconnect latch for hot shoe mounting is pure genius! Four AA batteries provide a large number of shots with this flash. The included padded carry case is a nice touch as well. My only complaints with this flash, although minor, would be the pull out, flip down diffuser, which sticks so far back into the flash head that it is hard to pull out unless you have long fingernails. I also don't care as much for the power switch, which has a lever type action, as I prefer a simple slide type switch. These are very minor complaints and don't lessen my complete satisfaction with this Canon 580EX II flash unit. Just don't pass up the opportunity to save a great deal of money by purchasing this flash from a local electronics retailer. Amazon has been offering this flash at a deep discount off the recommend retail price, and I highly recommend buying it from Amazon. Their shipping is fast, their price is great, and their return policy and customer support are second to none.

Pros: - Uses 4 AA sized batteries - E-TTL - Solid performance - Built-in pop-up catchlight card and wide angle filter - Can be used for line of sight infrared remote triggering - Numerous aftermarket attachments - Solid metal hotshoe and locking mechanism - Weather sealed - FEB bracketing - Manual control dial as well as in-camera settings - Backlight and indicator lights - Silent operation - Comes bundled with a soft velcro case and off-camera hotshoe mount - Variety of swivel and tilt settings Cons: - Bulky - Feels solid, but not rugged; the main joint does have a little play - Lack built in wireless infrared capability of rival flash units in same price range Thoughts: I have not shot this for sports yet, so I cannot comment on the high speed firing. 1/250s is the fastest it will sync. It does have high-speed and trailing flash operation. I do not own any other flash units so I cannot say on the comparison to the 580ex or 430ex. Does not have an operation for wireless flash like the Nikon SB-900 Speedlight with the wireless commander operation. To use a feature similar to this, a separate $200~ item is required (STE2 Speedlite Transmitter). For this, I would like to take off a 1/2 star, but amazon only allows in increments of 1. The Nikon SB-900 just offers more features for about the same price. Regardless, having a dedicated flash unit is the way to go! The 4 AA sized batteries makes it easy to maintain. I use Sanyo Eneloop 2000mAh batteries. These are a type of hybrid NiMH that retain a charge longer (I can carry more of these without having to constantly maintain them). I do not recommend alkaline, lithium, or li-ion (14500) as the last 2 types will probably fry the 580ex II in an instant. I have 5 sets of Eneloops for use with my 580ex II. 4 are stored in a Tamrac MXS536801 battery wallet and the 5th inside the 580ex II ready to go. I recommend using rechargeables without reservation as dedicated flash units use up a lot of juice. Having an even numbered batteries is easy for maintenance. I recommend the Maha Wizard C9000 or the La Crosse BC-900. The light quality is magnificent compared to the pop-up flash in every lighting scenario. Dedicated flash is the way to go in eliminating red eye. Having the wireless infrared line of sight flash is a good option but that should be skipped and gone straight to the next level, which is off-camera radio flash (Pocketwizard Plus II, multimax, etc). Diffuse lighting is great when natural light is not around. If you're choosing between a flash or new lens, a dedicated flash unit offers best performance for the price. Paired this with a Stofen Omnibounce or Gary Fong Lightsphere and you're ready to tackle almost any occasion. Recommended with: - Sanyo Eneloop AA (or any NiMH rechargeable) - La Crosse BC-900 - Stofen Omnibounce - Gary Fong Lightsphere - Tamrac MXS536801 Battery & Memory Card Wallet Bottom line: Recommended! Whatever you do, if not this one, at least buy a dedication flash unit.

Very powerful, and accurate in ETTL II mode. I also own the original 580EX, and I was thrilled to see that the diffuser for my original one also fits the new 580EX II. The new 580EX II definitely seems stronger (especially at the shoe), and appears to be better sealed. Also, the battery compartment door is simple to open and use, which is a great improvement over the original. Also, the PC Synch chord attachment is a very nice addition, so now it's compatible with wireless pocket wizards or industry standard flash synch cords. For fully automatic ETTL II, then I also love using this as a master, and my original 580EX as a wireless slave. It also works great with the ST-E2 wireless trigger for fully automatic operation, and control of flash power ratios from the camera. The ST-E2 does have a fairly wide spread which does bounce, so the "line-of-sight" issue doesn't give me trouble too often. The fully automatic operation makes up for the "line-of-sight" requirement, I think. Of course, you could always use a pocket wizard or a sync cord in manual mode, if you can't do a line-of-sight remote trigger. I like the bar on the back that tells you how many feet are in the flash's range, based on your camera's settings, which are automatically given to the flash. It even gives the flash focusing distance information from the lens, on the higher quality Canon lenses. I love seeing the feet range bar move when I change the aperature on the camera, or change the zoom on the lens. I love watching it move all the settings automatically as quickly as it changes on the camera. I also love the auto power off/power on that is in sync with the camera. All those above mentioned features justify the cost of this flash over any thing else I've seen, including the 430EX, or any other brands that are supposedly Canon compatible. Yes, it's expensive, but this new quality design, and stronger shoe lock, will help ensure this flash lasts a long time. Plus, the quality of the photos it creates, hopefully, will help it pay for itself.

I’ve been very pleased with the Canon Speedlite 580EX II. It delivers consistent, high-quality lighting that significantly enhances my photography, producing sharp and well-lit images every time. The flash’s versatile features and reliable output make it a fantastic tool for both amateur and professional photographers. Recently, the unit experienced a fall, but impressively, the outer casing remains intact with only the white latch needing repair. This speaks to its durable build quality. Overall, the 580EX II is a robust and dependable flash that I highly recommend for anyone serious about improving their lighting setup.

The price was right and the product is amazing. I don't use a flash much, but when I need it it's great!

Flash arrived with batteries in the battery compartment of the flash and some corrosion on the terminals. Flash still works.

Modèle haut de gamme et expert de Canon, qui permet de maitriser parfaitement son éclairage Mais pour un prix un peu élevé ! [Edit 31/07/2014] 4 ans après, j'ajoute : - oui ce flash est toujours aussi bon et fonctionnel, mais la concurrence est sévère, à un prix bien inférieur. Ce serait à refaire, je choisirais sans doute son équivalent chinois : Yongnuo YN568EX II flash/speedlite maître sans fil et synchrone TTL sabot/griffe GN58 pour caméras de Canon 7D, 60D, 600D +Cadeau Sabot