I really enjoy macro photography. I own a canon 100mm F2.8 and plan to buy tubes shortly. Ideally, I would buy a dedicated macro flash... but I am currently cash limited. I have also a need for a portrait flash. I had a look at the 430 and was wondering if I could use it with any success for macro photography. Would a 580ex make a big difference?
I have the 430EX and I guess it works very well for macro but probably the 580 will give you more power and I heard that it works better with the colors.
Remus
I do have the 430EX and a Kirk macro bracket that I use with a setup similar to yours. It works just fine.
Just the same, below is the setup I use most because it is very light and about as cheap as you can get. Many thanks to Tom Hicks for posting something similar to this a few years ago.
Definetely yes - the 430EX is more than enough for macro shots. I highly recommend to use it additionally with a diffuser to soften the flash. Instead of buying the 580EX (overkill!) better invest in getting an off-camera cord cable which allows you to hold the flash close to the front macro lens with one of your hands. In ETTL flash mode you will get amazing results with the 430EX!
