Canon updates the flagship EL-1 Speedlight to Ver.2

The original Canon Speedlite EL-1, released in early 2021, set itself apart with its dedicated LP-EL lithium-ion battery, delivering exceptional stamina and an impressive 0.9-second recycle time at full power. 

Despite the $160 – $180 price tag for a spare battery, the convenience of this single, dedicated battery unit is a game-changer. It simplifies power management immensely, making recharging and carrying backups far less cumbersome than dealing with bags full of AA batteries, which may or may not be in different stages of charge (hint - date label your batteries with 'label maker' tape).

An invaluable feature is the flash's integrated display, which shows you exactly how much charge is left – no more guessing games. And speaking of charge, these batteries genuinely seem to last forever, easily powering through even the longest wedding day without a hitch.

The other innovations include its active cooling system, which allows extended bursts of flashes (up to 170 full-power flashes in sequence) without overheating, a common pain point for professional event photographers.

Other standout features included an extensive power range down to 1/8192 for subtle fill-in light (perfect when used with high ISO and wide apertures), LED modelling lights for pre-visualisation, and comprehensive weather-sealing.

The original EL-1 is a great flash, with great features, that is also more than double, if not triple the price ($1,599 RRP) of other top speedlites.

So it comes as quite a mystery as to why Canon has just announced it's successor just over four years later – with barely any perceptible changes – and (more than likely) a $400+ increase in price.

What's new?

Let's examine the subtle distinctions between Canon's flagship Speedlites, the EL-1 and its successor, the EL-1 ver.2.

Power output, measured by guide number, sees a fractional dip in the newer model. At its widest 14mm setting (ISO 100), the EL-1 delivered a guide number of 14.1 meters (46.3 feet), a figure that barely shifts to 14 meters (45.9 feet) on the EL-1 V2.

This almost imperceptible difference extends to the telephoto end; where the EL-1 boasted a 60-meter (196.9 feet) guide number at 200mm, the EL-1 V2 registers a mere 2 meters (6.6 ft) less. Realistically, in practical shooting scenarios, this minor power variation is unlikely to be noticed by even the most discerning professional.

Accompanying this marginal reduction in output is a correspondingly slight enhancement in endurance. The EL-1 V2 promises 340 full-power flashes per charge, an increment of just five flashes over the original EL-1's 335. This modest gain in battery life logically follows the minor decrease in power consumption.

Beyond these two meticulously measured adjustments in guide number and battery capacity, the EL-1 and EL-1 V2 are virtually indistinguishable. Their robust construction, intuitive controls, and core performance specifications, including recycle times and advanced features, remain precisely the same.

So why no 15-pin multifunction shoe?

Initially, the original Canon EOS R5, released in 2020, featured the classic 5-pin hot shoe. This meant that when Canon announced the Speedlite EL-5 (street price $475 - $500) in late 2022, a flash designed exclusively with their new, proprietary 15-pin multi-function hot shoe, it actually wasn't compatible with the Canon R5.

However, a welcome change arrived with the Canon EOS R5 Mark II in mid-2024. This updated camera notably incorporated both the modern 15-pin multi-function hot shoe and retained the familiar 'classic' 5-pin interface, offering photographers broader flash compatibility. Given this dual hot shoe design on the R5 Mark II, one might logically assume that the recently updated EL-1 V2 Speedlite would also adopt the newer 15-pin standard. Surprisingly, it does not, which presents a rather puzzling compatibility decision in Canon's current flash lineup. Not that anyone is complaining about this.

There is no mention of availability or Australian price as yet, though US price is US$1,349 – which is an incredible AU$2,070. So if you were holding back to buy the original EL-1, you might find it a better buy before the price increase of the V2. Or perhaps just buy 4 X EL-5's for the same price.

We'll update availability and price when it announced.

You can read more about the new EL-1 ver.2 on the Canon Australia website.