I'm looking at flashes and it appears that the 580EX is the one to have but is it really worth $300 more than a cheapy, such as a Bower SFD35C?

Edit: fairly new to DSLR photography - I have a Canon 30D.

 

I can nothing but recommend the Sigma EF-500 DG Super, don't know all that much about the 580EX other than that it is Canon's flagship and the pricetag is thereafter.

 

Like many camera accessories and lenses, it depends on your needs and uses.
Certainly it is the most powerful, and is the only one that can acts as a remote transmitter (plus a few other details like stroboscopic mode..)

Chances are, you won't need any of that.

I went with the 430ex ($150). It has most of the features, and plenty of power.
If you ever grow and really start doing some pro flash stuff, you can then buy a 580, and use it to transmit to your 430 and now have two light sources.

I shot this with the 430 and an 80/20 bounce. 20% was bounced forward. The room was almost completely dark otherwise.

 

Agreed, it doesn't make too much sense to pay for the very top end flash as your first flash, since there isn't much point in paying for remote triggering capability if you don't have any other flashes.

However, I would buy the next rung down (whatever that is in Canon), since that flash is the one that can act as a remote and be triggered by the more expensive one later on.

For the Nikon folks in this same position: I would get an SB-600 first, then an SB-800 (if you don't have a D70/D80/D200). If you have a D70/D80/D200, then use the pop-up flash to do the remote triggering and just buy SB-600s to act as your remotes and save yourself some money for MINI mods or lightstands.

 

That is the 430.

 

Thanks, everybody.

jwardell, that photo is awesome!