Canon Speedlite 430EX II

The Canon Speedlite 430EX II is a mid-sized on-camera flash designed for Canon EOS cameras and select PowerShot G-series cameras, offering strong power and versatility well suited to all-day use for sports, portrait, and wedding photography. It’s fully compatible with Canon’s E-TTL II, E-TTL, and TTL flash metering systems.

The flash offers a guide number of 141 ft. (43m) at ISO 100 with the flash head set to its 105mm zoom position, delivering strong output for both bounce flash and telephoto lens shooting. The zoom head covers a 24-105mm range, automatically adjusting to match the attached lens, and extends to 14mm coverage with the included wide-angle diffusion panel. The flash head tilts upward in five settings from 0 to 90 degrees, rotates left in seven settings from 0 to 180 degrees, and rotates right in four settings from 0 to 90 degrees, giving photographers flexible bounce-flash positioning.

Manual flash output is adjustable from 1/1 to 1/64 power in 1/3-stop increments, and the flash supports high-speed sync (FP), flash exposure lock (FEL), flash exposure compensation, second-curtain sync, and modeling flash, along with color temperature information communication to compatible camera bodies for improved white balance accuracy. Wireless slave TTL functionality lets the 430EX II function as a receiver unit, triggered optically by a compatible master flash such as the 580EX, ST-E2, or MR-14EX, supporting up to 3 groups and 4 channels, though it cannot itself function as a wireless transmitter.

An infrared AF-assist beam supports up to 9 AF points, with an effective range of approximately 2.3-32.8 ft. (0.7-10m) at the center and 2.3-16 ft. (0.7-5m) at the periphery, helping the camera focus accurately in low light. Handling includes a one-touch, quick-lock metal mounting foot for easy, secure attachment and detachment from the camera, along with 9 custom functions and the ability to control many flash settings directly through the camera’s menu system on compatible EOS DSLRs.

Build quality includes a recycle time of approximately 0.1 to 3.7 seconds with alkaline AA batteries (or 0.1 to 2 seconds with Ni-MH), roughly 20% faster than the original 430EX. The flash runs on 4 AA batteries, has no external power supply port or PC sync terminal, and is not dust- or water-resistant. It measures approximately 72 x 122 x 101mm and weighs approximately 320-330g (excluding batteries).

Key Features
– Mid-sized on-camera flash for Canon EOS and compatible PowerShot G-series cameras
– Guide number of 141 ft. (43m) at ISO 100, 105mm
– Auto zoom head, 24-105mm (14mm with included wide panel)
– Tilt/rotation: 0-90° up, 0-180° left, 0-90° right
– Full compatibility with E-TTL II/E-TTL/TTL metering
– Manual power settings, 1/1 to 1/64 (1/3-stop increments)
– High-speed sync (FP), flash exposure lock, flash exposure compensation
– Second-curtain sync and modeling flash
– Color temperature info communication
– Wireless slave (receiver) TTL capability — 3 groups, 4 channels (no transmitter function)
– Infrared AF-assist beam (up to 9 AF points; 0.7-10m center range)
– One-touch quick-lock metal mounting foot
– 9 custom functions; flash settings controllable via camera menu
– Recycle time of approximately 0.1-3.7 sec (alkaline) / 0.1-2 sec (Ni-MH)
– Runs on 4 AA batteries
– No PC sync terminal or external power supply port
– Approximate weight: 320-330g (excluding batteries)