Canon’s Updated Speedlite EL-5
Canon has updated its Speedlite EL-5, and the Version 2 model now gives you a 50-meter wireless range, up from 30 meters on the original. That extra 20 meters should be useful for larger lighting setups, particularly when flashes need to be spread across venues or positioned farther away from the camera. You can still wirelessly control up to 15 Speedlites across five groups. Beyond that, Canon has pretty much left the EL-5 alone, with the core flash specifications carrying over from the previous model.
The flash has a guide number of 60 at 200mm and ISO 100, while the zoom head covers lenses from 24-200mm, or down to 14mm when using the built-in wide-angle diffuser. Manual output can be adjusted as low as 1/1024 power in one-third-stop increments, while high-speed sync goes down to 1/128. There is also a stroboscopic mode covering frequencies from 1 to 500Hz. The head itself rotates 180 degrees in either direction and tilts from -7 to +120 degrees, while the two-LED modeling light offers five brightness levels.
Power still comes from Canon’s LP-EL rechargeable battery, with Canon rating it for around 350 full-power flashes or as many as 2,450 flashes at lower output levels. Recycling takes between 0.1 and 1.2 seconds, with a full-power flash requiring 1.2 seconds. Dust and splash resistance also remain, as does Canon’s Multi-Function Shoe for communication with compatible EOS R cameras. Interestingly, the new model is technically a little lighter too, although only by about four grams, coming in at 487g. The Canon Speedlite EL-5 Ver. 2 is expected to arrive at the end of October for $400.
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