You can go with the name brand, in your case Canon, or you can go with a 2nd party that makes flashes that fit your Canon. If you decide to go with a 2nd party flash, such as Quantaray, make sure you buy the one that is made specifically for your make & model of camera, otherwise it may not work properly (or at all!) on your camera.
If you go with the Canon flash, you'll be guaranteed that the flash will work perfectly with your camera in all situations. Some 2nd party flashes don't have all the features that a Canon flash will have. However, they are also a lot cheaper and they do work quite well.
In general, check the guide number: the higher the guide number, the more powerful the flash. I always think it's best to get the most powerful flash esp. if you plan to bounce it, which is pretty much one of the main reasons to get one! You lose a lot of light when you bounce, so the higher guide # flash means you'll get more light even when you bounce it.
good luck!
Jennifer
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