Canon quietly announced a new flashgun that works in the rain, recycles in under a second, and beams light up to 190 feet

Canon has quietly introduced an update to its flagship Speedlite flash. The Canon Speedlite EL-1 Ver. 2 is a high-performance flash designed with the ability to beam light up to 190 feet or add a subtle glow down to an impressive 1/8192th power.

With a 190-foot guide rating, a recycle time of less than a second, and built-in wireless capabilities, the EL-1 Ver. 2 is clearly a flash designed for professionals and advanced hobbyists – with the previous version among the best Canon flashguns in DCW rankings. Along with TTL and manual flash, the EL-1 V2 also includes a stroboscopic mode, flash exposure bracketing, high-speed sync, and a modeling lamp.

For off-camera flash, the EL-1 Ver. 2 supports both radio and optical. The flash can fire with a receiver on the camera, but photographers picking up more than one can also use one flash on-camera as the transmitter. On-camera, the flash also has an AF assist beam to aid the camera in locking focus in dark scenes.

An active cooling system built inside the flash is key to the light’s performance and reliability, helping to manage heat for faster bursts and more reliability.

Like the original Canon EL-1, the EL-1 Ver. 2 is also weather-sealed, rated to the same level of rain resistance as the EOS 1D series DSLRs. Adding a backlit flash makes raindrops pop, yet many flashes aren’t designed to sit in the rain, so weatherproofing gives the EL-1 series an edge.

Keeping the EL-1 name hints at several similarities between the new and old and, in fact, going through the spec sheets between the EL-1 and EL-1 Ver. 2, I didn’t spot many differences. The new version is rated to 190 feet at ISO 100 where the old one was rated slightly better at 197 feet.

Canon says that the recycling time has improved, although the specs remain at .9 seconds for recycling full-powered flashes. The second generation has a better battery life, rated at 340 flashes at full power and 2,380 flashes at lower power, compared to the 335 / 2,345 on the first generation. Like the original, the flash uses a rechargeable battery and supports a continuous external power source with the CP-E4N battery pack accessory.

The Canon Speedlite EL-1 Ver. 2 is expected to begin shipping on September 25. In the US, the new flash is expected to retail for $1,349 / £1,299 / AU$1,899. The previous version listed for $1,199 / £1,249 / AU$1,725.

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