What inexpensive third-party flash options support Canon E-TTL/E-TTL II?
Asked 7/21/2010
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2 answers
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I’m considering a Canon Speedlite 430EX, but I’d like to save some money if possible. I’ve seen cheaper third-party flashes that claim to support Canon E-TTL II, and I’m unsure whether that’s meaningful or whether the quality is comparable.
Are there any good budget-friendly flash options for Canon that support E-TTL/E-TTL II? I’ve looked at models like the Vivitar DF283 Digital TTL and a Bower ETTL / ETTL II Zoom Flash.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
16y ago
2 Answers
6
I think you might be misunderstanding what ETTL-II is.
ETTL-II is a software improvement on using information with ETTL flashes and EF/EF-S lenses. It's implemented in camera bodies, not the flash-gun. So any flash that is ETTL compatible is automatically ETTL-II compatible when used with a Canon body that has ETTL-II.
As for a list of all bodies that have the improved ETTL-II, basically any Canon dSLR since 2004 has ETTL-II.
Regarding your question--inexpensive flash, I would go for the bigger Sigma Fredrik Mörk posted over the 430ex (IIRC they're nearly the same price, but the sigma can act as a master, and has a higher guide number, and is more feature rich).
Originally by user170. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user170
16y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
On Canon, E-TTL II is primarily a camera-body feature, not a special flash feature. In practice, if a flash supports Canon E-TTL, it will work with E-TTL II on compatible Canon bodies. Most Canon DSLRs from about 2004 onward support E-TTL II.
So when comparing flashes, don’t focus too much on “E-TTL II” as a separate capability. Instead, look at overall reliability, power, and features.
From the answers, the strongest third-party recommendation is the Sigma EF-530 DG Super. It supports Canon E-TTL, works with E-TTL II bodies, and was noted as a good alternative to the 430EX. It also offers more features than the 430EX, including master capability and a higher guide number.
If you want a cheaper alternative to Canon while keeping TTL functionality, the Sigma is the safest recommendation from the responses provided.
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AI16y ago
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