Pros: The pros to this flash is of course the price; one of the cheapest available options to the casual photographer. Build quality is really good. Sturdy, solid and fits on the EOS 500d well. Nice pouch included to keep it in new condition.

Cons: The only con I can see is a relatively big one - whilst it works with my camera, only on manual mode, like it's not designed to work with it. If you use your SLR on automatic, photos will be completely blown out. I have no experience with specifically tailored flashes, but I'm sure they work with more success. Not an issue for me, because I use manual mode, for others, maybe.

Other Thoughts:

Bottomline: It (generally) does what it needs to do for the Canon EOS 500d. Other than the cons above, it makes for an extremely affordable and good solution.

Pros: - Works perfectly with my Canon S5 IS.
- Extremely cheap compared to Canon's cheapest SpeedLite flash
- Great build quality - doesn't feel cheap or flimsy
- The built-in diffuser works nicely
- The tilt/rotation adjustment is really handy

Cons: - Setting the flash level manually is a bit of a pain, but the wheel is sturdy and doesn't stray from the chosen position.

Other Thoughts: Having this got me interested in photography, so I finally grabbed my camera's manual and learned to use modes other than "auto". With those skills and this flash I can actually take decent pictures. :)

Bottomline: Most certainly worth the price! Takes casual photography to a new level without making you bankrupt.

Pros: Works VERY well with my Sony A200, coupled with http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11203 just simply works. and that's that.
It feels EXTREMELY solid, made out of good materials. Low voltage, 6V, so no worries about toasting your cameras. The diffuser and flashcard is a really cool feature.

Cons: It seems to have a minor delay that I can't seem to fix.. I can't bump my shutter speed any higher than 1/200th of a second, otherwise it misses the flash completely. I've been screwing around with the settings of EVERYTHING involved, but nothing seems to fix this.. if anyone has any suggestions, I'd appreciate it! it so far hasn't been a problem, as I don't often require anything faster than that.

Other Thoughts: Has this faint.. hissing sound? I don't know if that's standard in all flashes, the way they charge themselves or something. It will take a little while to familiarize yourself with what settings work best in what conditions, but once you get it figured out, it's pretty excellent.

Bottomline: For the price, you CANT go wrong. it's a high quality flash, for less than a quarter of the cost of a large name brand. I am impressed.