Canon has announced the new Speedlite EL-5, a powerful and portable flash unit for advanced photographers that’s the company’s first flash designed for the Multi-Function Shoe found in the latest EOS R mirrorless cameras.
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The EL-5 features a maximum guide number of 197′ at ISO 100 and 200mm. Manual power can be adjusted from 1/1 to 1/1024, and the zoom range is 24-200mm (or down to 14mm when using the built-in diffuser panel).
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Powered by the LP-EL rechargeable Lithium-ion battery pack, the unit can fire off 350 full-power flashes on a single charge as well as continuously trigger up to 95 flashes in a row. The recycle time between flashes is 0.1-1.2 seconds.
Using 2.4GHz wireless radio transmission, the EL-5 can be triggered wirelessly as well as trigger up to 15 flash units wirelessly from a range of up to 98 feet (29.9m).
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The EL-5 features a built-in modeling lamp for visualizing your lighting prior to firing the flash.
A Flash Designed for EOS R
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On the back of the dust- and moisture-resistant EL-5 flash is a joystick, dial, and high-definition LCD screen. Thanks to the compatibility with the Multi-Function Shoe found on EOS R cameras such as the EOS R6 Mark II, EOS R3, EOS R7, and EOS R10 cameras, the EL5 can be used to directly control settings on those cameras.
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Photographers can also pair a smartphone running the Canon Camera Connect app to remotely control settings, For more info Canon Users Manuals.
“The new Canon Speedlite EL-5 flash will give that magical kiss of light that brings a picture to life and illuminates your creative vision,” says photographer and Canon Explorer of Light Bob Davis.
Pricing and Availability
The new Canon Speedlite EL-5 flash unit will be available starting in late March 2023 with a price tag of $399.