Hidden bonuses of cheap flashes

So a quick update on the flashes I got. I couldn't salvage the 540EZ so I sold it on ebay. I got about $13. That put me at under $40 for my 430EZ. Not a bad deal.

The other night I wanted to take a couple quick shots with my camera and my house is lit like a cave so I grabbed my 430. I've got a Sunpak P40Z but that thing doesn't fire consistently. I need to send it in for warranty.

Back to the 430. Everyone says oh no, its not ETTL, won't work on digital, yada yada. This is partially true. For those not in the know, ETTL is an automated mode of flash to make sure you get the "right" exposure. Exactly what is "right" is up to the camera so results may vary and may not be what you want. Since my P40Z has been so unreliable I never use it in ETTL mode any more, based on that I went with the 430 since it fires every time (so far).

Well, I turned it on and my camera. Then I framed my shot (probably my son). I heard something, sure enough, the zoom motor in the flash was synched with my lens... cool! I pressed the autofocus and I noticed red dots on my son. The focus assist lights work too! So the only thing I'm missing is ETTL which I don't always want in the first place. All of the other advanced features on the flash worked fine. This wasn't something I'd heard much of when people used these old flashes on new cameras and of course I was using a Canon flash on a Canon body. YMMV with other brand bodies and flashes.