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The Canon EL-5 Speedlight Is Doing a Lot Just Right!

Chris Gampat
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11/02/2022
2 Mins read
Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Canon EL5 first impressions 2.81-250s800

I am sometimes a bit shocked when brands release their own flashes. But this time around, I think Canon has gotten it right. The new Canon EL-5 speedlight isn’t super pricey, and it’s doing things other flashes just can’t do. While it’s not as affordable as what Godox and those other brands have, it’s providing more than what they do along with some major innovations.

Canon EL-5 Tech Specs

  • Multi function shoe: this flash will only work on the Canon EOS R6 Mk II, Canon EOS R7, Canon EOS R3, and Canon EOS R10.
  • Junior to EL1, so it’s positioned below that
  • Same guide number as the EL1
  • 1.2 sec recycle time
  • LED lamps inside for modeling light
  • Can remote toggle lights on and off
  • Radio transmission and receiving built in
  • Super low power output capabilities of the EL1
  • Dust and weather resistance
  • Shipping in March 2023, and it’s only $399.99

Why the New Canon EL-5 Speedlight is Amazing

There’s a bunch of reasons why we’re into the new Canon EL-5 speedlight. First off, it boasts weather-resistance. Specifically, it won’t charge via USB-C (there isn’t a battery port for that). Instead, it uses a lithium-ion battery. Then it’s doing a whole lot of other things that are pretty cool.

For starters, it can output the same super low-power pops that the EL1 puts out. So, it’s perfect for when you need only just a little bit of power. There’s also a new special menu that comes up with compatible cameras.

Oh, and here’s the big one: the Canon EL-5 cannot be mounted onto a bunch of Canon cameras. That’s because there are no other pins on it. It will only work via the multi-interface shoe. With that said, a lot of new things are apparently coming from Canon in the future. This makes me believe they’re thinking about flashes and the multi-interface shoe differently.

Most brands charge a ton of money for their flashes, while Canon’s EL-5 is more affordable. It’s also offering features lots of other flashes don’t. So we’re elated Canon is fighting back against Profoto, Elinchrom, and all the Chinese manufacturers dominating the flash space.

Unfortunately, our reps told us that no one on a recent Canon press trip was amazed at or excited by the new flash. But I am!

This means Canon is seriously considering what the multi-interface shoe can do. It also convinces me that they’re thinking about the future of flash and how it can evolve. If Canon put Bluetooth or WiFi transmission inside, rather than using radio, I think it could initiate a big change. I’m also hopeful, with Canon adding weather-resistance, that there’s going to be a shift in possibilities.

Other cool things could be having these work as normal constant lights in a weaker power output as well as strobe mode. That also means a variety of changeable colors. I’m not certain what Canon can come up with here, but I’m excited at the possibilities.

canon canon el-5 canon el1 hot shoe output speedlight weather resistance
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Chris Gampat is the Editor in Chief, Founder, and Publisher of the Phoblographer. He provides oversight to all of the daily tasks, including editorial, administrative, and advertising work. Chris's editorial work includes not only editing and scheduling articles but also writing them himself. He's the author of various product guides, educational pieces, product reviews, and interviews with photographers. He's fascinated by how photographers create, considering the fact that he's legally blind./ HIGHLIGHTS: Chris used to work in Men's lifestyle and tech. He's a veteran technology writer, editor, and reviewer with more than 15 years experience. He's also a Photographer that has had his share of bylines and viral projects like "Secret Order of the Slice." PAST BYLINES: Gear Patrol, PC Mag, Geek.com, Digital Photo Pro, Resource Magazine, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, IGN, PDN, and others. EXPERIENCE: Chris Gampat began working in tech and art journalism both in 2008. He started at PCMag, Magnum Photos, and Geek.com. He founded the Phoblographer in 2009 after working at places like PDN and Photography Bay. He left his day job as the Social Media Content Developer at B&H Photo in the early 2010s. Since then, he's evolved as a publisher using AI ethically, coming up with ethical ways to bring in affiliate income, and preaching the word of diversity in the photo industry. His background and work has spread to non-profits like American Photographic Arts where he's done work to get photographers various benefits. His skills are in SEO, app development, content planning, ethics management, photography, Wordpress, and other things. EDUCATION: Chris graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a degree in Communications in Journalism in 2009. Since then, he's learned and adapted to various things in the fields of social media, SEO, app development, e-commerce development, HTML, etc. FAVORITE SUBJECT TO PHOTOGRAPH: Chris enjoys creating conceptual work that makes people stare at his photos. But he doesn't get to do much of this because of the high demand of photography content. / BEST PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Don't do it in post-production when you can do it in-camera.
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