Canon Announces Its New Pro Flash, the $1,100 Speedlite EL-1

Canon Speedlite EL-1: Price & Specs

With an asking price of $1,100/£1249, the EL-1 is twice the price of Canon’s previous top Speedlite, the Canon Speedlite 600EX II-RT. We must say: that is quite expensive!

What features for pro photographers does it offer?

• a guide number (GN) of 60, which is at the top end of what they can achieve. For professionals, however, it’s not just about outright power, but endurance and dependability.
• weather-resistant design that uses sealing similar to that on top Canon cameras like the EOS-1D X III and connection via dual-line electronic contacts (like the 600EX II-RT) for consistent and reliable firing.
• powered by a new lithium-ion LP-EL battery pack which offers approximately 335 flashes at full power. There is a battery level indicator to keep you informed about the remaining capacity, and this battery uses the same LC-E6/LC-E6E charger as many Canon cameras.
• a clever-sounding Continuous Shooting Priority (CSP) Mode, which lowers the flash value by one stop and raises the ISO by one stop to conserve power, extend shooting time and reduce the recycle time
• Canon claims recycle times as short as 0.1-0.9sec, depending on the power setting.
• own internal cooling system with a fan to allow up to 170 full power shots in quick succession without overheating.

Check out or online training: flashes in dental photography!

It looks like Canon has prepared something for us, dental photographers. This flash can easily replace a monolight in dental office and we would recommend it because:

• its battery lasts for a long time, which means we can work longer and shoot photos with speedlight’s full power and large aperture number (so important in intraoral photography)
• its compact size perfect for small dental offices

We don’t like its price so much though, but we do understand that quality costs. One may consider buying PROFOTO A1X or A10 flashlight with way more accessories in the same price. But, as we predict, Canon and others will develop the range of their accessories and light modifiers.

We look forward to these next releases!