Flash suggestion please 580ex or some thing else

After using 30D for some time without an external flash, I got burned last night not having bounce flash. Also finding out the reach on the built-in flash is not enough.

Another person was taking the pictures with 20D-580ex combination, I look a the pictures, the bounce flash and the lighting is much better, than the direct flash from the camera.

So I am ready to get a flash. I am tempted with 580ex. Before I dump ~$370 into that, I thought I will ask my trusted advisors here. I know 580ex came out about a year ago, is there any new one out there? How does it compare to 550ex or 450ex?

Thanks for your help.

http://photo.net/equipment/canon/580ex/

Gives a good summary. Happened to be the first one to pop up on my google search.

I noticed that using the PSAUG search on B&H, the flash came up as $360 (+ shipping).

There's a $15 rebate (double that if you buy another qualifying lens) starting next week from Canon.

Finally, if that's too expensive, the 430EX is smaller, less powerful, but over $100 less. It won't function as a master in a multiple flash system, but when you need that, you can get a 580EX to be the master and use it as a slave.

Lenny L said:

http://photo.net/equipment/canon/580ex/

Gives a good summary. Happened to be the first one to pop up on my
google search.

I noticed that using the PSAUG search on B&H, the flash came up as
$360 (+ shipping).

There's a $15 rebate (double that if you buy another qualifying
lens) starting next week from Canon.

Finally, if that's too expensive, the 430EX is smaller, less
powerful, but over $100 less. It won't function as a master in a
multiple flash system, but when you need that, you can get a 580EX
to be the master and use it as a slave.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your post, I did see good reports about 580ex, I was hoping to get some user experience here.

Thanks for the pointer on PSAUG at B&H, I did know about that, but I did not know about $15 rebate starting next week. Did you see this some where? I checked Canon website, I could not find it, when I google it, I get some old promotions. If you have a pointer for this, could you post it please.

Thanks.

I'm using a Metz 54 MZ-4i (SCA 3102 for Canon) with my Canon EOS 20D and I am more than pleased with it.

Advantages:

1) Way cheaper than the 580EX

2) It offers all the features Canon's flagship Speedflash and the Auto Mode the Metz unit provides is way more accurate and uniform results in a series of indoor flash exposures than E-TTL. Bounced flash exposures are also very good.

3) Off course the option to switch to E-TTL mode for better fill-in and HSS outdoors is always there.

4) Should you like to use it with another system, Nikon, Minolta/Sony, Pentax or alike, its as easy as buying the corresponding SCA adapter.

The obvious disadvantages of the Metz Metz 54 MZ-4i are:

1) The very weak AF Assist Lamp, which is far less effective than with the Canon units, even the cheap 420EX

2) The inability to setup a wireless master/slave multiple flash combination with the standard SCA adapter. You can do it by purchasing a special SCA (or you can order it with this particular SCA from the beginning).

Seems like I'm linking to this a lot

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1032&message=20285902