Alongside the EOS R8 Mark II, Canon’s announced a second version of its Speedlite EL-5. If you’ve been waiting for the EL-5 to gain the newer Multi-Function Foot so it talks to Canon’s latest bodies properly, this is the update that does it, and it slots neatly between the flagship EL-1 and the more modest EL-10 in the radio-controlled Speedlite range.
What’s actually changed
The headline is the Multi-Function Foot. The original EL-5 used the older mount, and the Ver.2 moves to Canon’s Multi-Function Shoe, which means a more reliable connection and improved communication with compatible cameras, controlling the flash direct from the camera body. If you’re pairing a flash with one of Canon’s current mirrorless bodies, that’s the change that matters, and it’s the reason to choose the Ver.2 over the original.
The core performance carries over, and it’s strong. This is a GN60-rated flash at 200mm (ISO 100), with a zoom head covering 24-200mm and down to 14mm with the built-in wide panel, powered by Canon’s LP-EL lithium-ion battery. That battery is the quiet strength here: it gives a firing interval of roughly 0.1 to 1.2 seconds, a flash count of approximately 350 to 2,450, and a proper power-level indicator so you know where you stand on charge, rather than the vaguer readout you get from AA-powered units.
Built for studio and location
For anyone doing off-camera work, the built-in radio transmitter is the useful part. You can control up to 15 Speedlites wirelessly at up to 50m, across five groups, with a dual white LED modelling lamp offering five brightness levels so you can preview your lighting before you commit. That’s a genuine studio capability in a single hotshoe flash.
It’s also built to be worked hard. There are weather-resistant seals for shooting flash outdoors, and an improved internal airflow design to keep the head cool during long bursts, though note there’s no active cooling fan, so the airflow design is doing that job passively. The head tilts up to 120 degrees and swivels 180 degrees left and right for bounce, and you control it either from the Speedlite’s own joystick, from the camera’s LCD via the flash’s Direct Menu button, or remotely through the Camera Connect app.
Manual control goes down to 1/1024 power in 1/3 steps, there’s high-speed sync, stroboscopic mode, FE lock and FE memory, and Custom Flash Modes that store settings and link them to a compatible camera’s own custom settings. It weighs 487g excluding batteries and ships with the LP-EL battery, a mini-stand and a case.
Where it sits, and the honest caveat
In Canon’s line-up the EL-5 Ver.2 sits below the flagship EL-1 Ver.2 (GN60 too, but with faster 0.9-second recycling, output to 1/8192 and optical as well as radio wireless) and above the EL-10 (GN40, AA-powered) and the entry EL-100. For most enthusiasts and a lot of working photographers, the EL-5 Ver.2 hits the sensible middle: near-flagship guide number and the lithium battery, without the EL-1’s price or bulk.
Two things to weigh. If you already own the original EL-5 and shoot bodies it communicates with happily, the Ver.2 isn’t a must-have, the changes are about the foot and communication rather than a leap in output. And Canon lists it as not compatible with the Canon Speedlite Bracket, which is worth knowing if you use one. As with the R8 Mark II, Canon hasn’t confirmed UK pricing in the launch material, so that’s the figure to watch for.
Canon Speedlite EL-5 (Ver.2): Specifications
Guide number: GN60 at 200mm, ISO 100 (14.8 with wide panel).
Zoom head: 24-200mm, auto/manual, plus 14mm wide panel, auto zoom for sensor size.
Flash modes: E-TTL II / E-TTL, high-speed sync, manual to 1/1024 in 1/3 steps, stroboscopic 1-500Hz.
Wireless: built-in radio transmitter and receiver; up to 15 receivers at approx. 50m; groups A-E; channels 1-15 or auto; linked shooting.
Modelling lamp: dual white LED, 5 brightness levels.
Head movement: up 120°, down 7°, left and right 180°.
AF assist: dual white LED, approx. 0.6-10m.
Battery: LP-EL lithium-ion; firing interval approx. 0.1-1.2sec; flash count approx. 350-2,450; 5-level or percentage charge indicator.
Construction: dust and water resistant; Multi-Function Shoe mount; improved passive airflow cooling (no active fan).
Control: Speedlite joystick, camera LCD via Direct Menu button, or Camera Connect app.
Custom functions: 11 (24 options) / 8 personal.
Dimensions: 80.2 x 139.9 x 123.3mm.
Weight: 487g excluding batteries.
Included: LP-EL battery, mini-stand, case.
Note: not compatible with the Canon Speedlite Bracket.
Canon Speedlite EL-5 (Ver.2): Price and availability
Canon announced the Speedlite EL-5 (Ver.2) on 16 September 2026. UK pricing and on-sale date weren’t confirmed in the launch material, so keep an eye on Canon UK’s website, and we’ll update this article once they’re official.
