oh man, i totally feel u!! i switched from an 80D to the Canon EOS 90D a couple years back and that pop-up flash is literally just for emergencies, right? honestly, i was in the same boat choosing between native and third-party gear cuz i was worried about the weight balance too. i actually ended up going with the Godox V860III-C Speedlite for Canon and ngl, it’s been a total game changer for my event work! even though the Canon Speedlite 430EX III-RT is a classic, the lithium-ion battery on the Godox is just... wow. basically, you dont have to carry a million AA batteries anymore and the recycle time is insanely fast when things are moving quick. plus, the HSS works like a charm for those wide-open outdoor shots. it doesnt feel too top-heavy on the 90D body at all, tbh. definitely go Godox, youll love it. gl!

Seconding the recommendation above! I used to use AA-powered units but unfortunately had MAJOR issues with slow recycle times during fast events... I literally missed key shots once. 1. The Godox V860III-C for Canon Li-ion battery is a game changer for HSS and reliability.
2. It’s way more consistent than the Godox TT685II-C Flash for Canon for long shoots. Lesson learned: dont settle for AAs cuz ur gonna regret it when things move fast!

late to the party but honestly ive had some pretty frustrating experiences trying to balance price and performance on my 90d. unfortunately the build quality on some newer units isnt as good as i expected for the price... ive had issues with the plastic feet snapping when a light stand tips over. if youre trying to stay under budget while getting that hss and ttl performance, ive found a few workarounds that saved me a ton of cash.

• Yongnuo YN600EX-RT II for Canon: its basically a budget clone of the high-end canon units. works with the same rt radio system but costs way less.
• Godox V350C Li-ion Flash for Canon: if youre worried about the 90d feeling top-heavy, this is a smaller li-ion option that doesnt sacrifice too much power. ngl the menus on the yongnuo are kinda clunky but for the price you can buy two for the cost of one canon. i actually ended up 3d printing a reinforcement bracket for mine cuz i didnt trust the mounting bracket long-term... definitely worth looking into if you like tinkering.

Caught this thread and thought I'd chime in from a bit of a market research angle since I've cycled through basically every brand available for the EF mount over the years. While price is a big driver, I’ve learned a few hard lessons about the "third-party tax" that isnt always about the initial cost: - Protocol instability: Remember that most third-party brands are reverse-engineering the E-TTL II communication. I've had situations where a firmware update on a body like the 90D caused weird exposure spikes or sync errors that just dont happen with native communication protocols.
- The Hot Shoe Fail: Honestly, keep an eye on the mounting foot construction. I've seen several units with poor pin alignment that causes the flash to drop out of TTL mode randomly because the tolerances are off by a fraction of a millimeter compared to industry standards.
- Thermal Limiting: In my experience, the duty cycle on some of the popular budget-friendly market leaders is way more aggressive. Theyll shut down to prevent overheating much faster than professional-grade gear during a heavy HSS sequence outdoors. Basically, you really have to weigh that cost saving against the risk of the flash locking up right as the action peaks. Its a trade-off that goes way beyond just battery types.

I totally agree with the point about protocol stability being a huge factor when you are pushing these bodies to their limits. One thing people usually forget is that you can actually maintain these units yourself to extend their life significantly without needing to send them for pro service every time something feels off. If you are worried about the top-heavy feel or the flash cutting out during a shoot, here are a few technical DIY tips from someone who has pulled a few of these apart:

• Keep a small bottle of DeoxIT or high percentage isopropyl alcohol to clean the pins on the bottom of the flash and the camera hot shoe every few months. This fixes 90 percent of those weird TTL exposure spikes everyone complains about.
• If the flash starts feeling wobbly on your 90D, dont just ignore it. You can usually peel back the rubber or sticker on the foot and tighten the four tiny screws yourself to prevent the mounting plate from snapping under the weight of a heavy head.
• Check the flash tube for any slight browning or crazing before a big event. If you are decently handy with a soldering iron, some of these tubes are actually user-replaceable if you source the right parts, though you have to be realy careful with the high-voltage capacitor discharge. Basically, whichever route you go, a little self-maintenance goes a long way toward keeping your HSS reliable.

Just caught this thread and had to jump in. I've spent years swapping gear on my 80D and then the 90D, and the weight balance issue is seriously underrated. I remember buying this massive, top-of-the-line unit thinking more power was always better, but after a five-hour event, my wrist was literally throbbing. It completely changed how I look at gear. A few things I've noticed over the long haul:

• The heavier units tend to put a lot of stress on the hot shoe if you arent careful.
• Some of my older flashes started having misfire issues after about a year of heavy use.
• Having a smaller backup in the bag saved me more than once when the main battery died unexpectedly. Quick question tho, are you mainly shooting these portraits handheld while moving around, or are you planning to set up light stands for most of your work? That really changes how much that top-heavy feeling is gonna bug you.

> I definitely need reliable TTL for when things are moving fast at a party or wedding. ^ This. Also, honestly, I used to obsess over the tech specs just as much, but in my experience, the gear is usually the last thing that fails you when things get real. I remember this one wedding I shot with my 90D where I was so worried about the flash recycle speed for the bouquet toss. I had everything synced up and was ready to go. Then, right as the bride threw the flowers, the grooms uncle—who maybe had one too many at the open bar—tripped and fell face-first into the wedding cake. It was absolute chaos. I was so busy trying to dodge a flying layer of buttercream that I didnt even fire a single shot during the actual toss. I had the perfect setup for the lighting, but I ended up with zero photos because I was basically busy wiping frosting off my lens filter for the next ten minutes. Sometimes you spend all this time worrying about the HSS or the battery type, and then the universe just decides to make sure none of that matters anyway. It definitely changed how I look at these gear debates... stuff just happens!

Respectfully, I'd consider another option if you're worried about long-term reliability and budget. While the Li-ion units are popular, I'm always a bit nervous about proprietary batteries failing mid-event or becoming hard to find later... it's just one more specialized thing to manage. I've been really satisfied with the Godox TT685II-C Flash for Canon on my 90D because it uses standard AA batteries. I just keep some Panasonic Eneloop Pro AA Rechargeable Batteries handy and never have to worry about a dead charger brick. It handles HSS and TTL perfectly for way less money than the V-series. Honestly, the weight feels much better balanced on mid-sized bodies like the 80D too!! It's basically the same performance but feels like a safer, more cost-conscious investment for event work imo. gl with the choice!!