Seeking opinions on Macro Flash

I am totally new to macro photography having spent the last few years mostly on birds. I have a 1DMKIII and a 1DMKIV. I recently acquired the Canon 180mm f/3.5L Macro.

I am interested in flowers and insects as my most common subjects. I will do some hand held and some tripod.

My current accessories include a Gitzo carbon fiber tripod, RRS Ballhead, the 1.4 and 2X converters, 12.5 and 25mm tubes and a cable release. I do not have a macro focusing rail.

I have been looking at flash options and my question is which macro flash, in your opinion, would be the best one to purchase?

Budget becomes important here. I would dearly love the Canon twin-light (MT24-EX) but boy is it pricey!

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Originally Posted by Ian Cassell

Budget becomes important here. I would dearly love the Canon twin-light (MT24-EX) but boy is it pricey!

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That is one reason for my question, in your opinion is it better, is it worth it?

I would rather invest the extra dollars than purchase something less useful and end up needing to upgrade later.

Since I have no experience, I just want some input on the subject.

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Originally Posted by Joel Eade

That is one reason for my question, in your opinion is it better, is it worth it?

I would rather invest the extra dollars than purchase something less useful and end up needing to upgrade later.

Since I have no experience, I just want some input on the subject.

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It all depends on much you will use it.
If I had the money I would buy this.
Once I had it I certainly would take a lot more macro.
Having good light and enough of it is the key to getting great macro shots.
Especially if I was using extension tubes where you start to lose light quickly as you magnify the subject.
What makes the Twin-Light system so good is the ability to adjust the amount of light on each side of the subject thereby eliminating the "Flat Light" look you see from ring lights and creating a 3 dimensional light that adds impact and drama to the image.

Dick has my take exactly. If I could afford it, I would buy it. On the other hand, I also want a 500/4, so I'm going to stick with my 430EX for the moment. There are a couple of twin-light users here and I'll be interested in their opinions ( I think Steve Maxson uses it).

Thanks for the input, I think I will go with an extension bracket and use my 430 EXII flashes for now and save for the twin head macro unit in the future.

The MT-24 is great for the shorter macro lenses. The 430 should work well with the 180mm. You will want to diffuse the flash, some sort of soft-box will do. There a several manufacturers (Lumiquest for one) and hundreds of DIY diffusers available.