Canon postpones the release of the Canon Speedlite EL-5

[Canon Rumors Guy]

Regarding the “Speedlite EL-2022”, which was announced on November 11, 2 and scheduled to be released in March 2023, due to production reasons, we have decided to postpone the release to around the summer of 3 because we cannot prepare a sufficient supply for the release. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. Scheduled release date

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[koenkooi]

I wonder where Canon draws the line between shipping and not shipping, it seems that everything they have launched the past 3 years sold out minutes after pre-orders opened.
It feels strange that a relatively high-end product that only works with a tiny subset of their cameras is so popular.

 

[SwissFrank]

it seems that everything they have launched the past 3 years sold out minutes after pre-orders opened

Canon customers: the prices are ridiculous! No-one will buy this at this price!

Also Canon customers: why is everything sold out!

 

[TonyG]

It kind of makes sense to delay it.
As the new bodies are slowly coming out with the interface shoe, it's not exactly a dire need yet.
Think of how many R5 owners cannot use it.

 

[koenkooi]

Canon customers: the prices are ridiculous! No-one will buy this at this price!

Also Canon customers: why is everything sold out!

I think the first group is more "sponsored influencers" than customers. I do agree that pretty much all Canon gear is priced a lot higher that I'd like.

 

[Chaitanya]

Really odd that Canon is delaying this speedlite, though at this point I hope Canon also brings out a TTL cord for new hotshoe interface.

I think the first group is more "sponsored influencers" than customers. I do agree that pretty much all Canon gear is priced a lot higher that I'd like.

Yep, also some of the high priced Canon lenses also come with unwanted "features" as well.

 

[tq0cr5i]

It kind of makes sense to delay it.
As the new bodies are slowly coming out with the interface shoe, it's not exactly a dire need yet.
Think of how many R5 owners cannot use it.

Canon should offer EOS-1D X Mark III, EOS R5 and R6 owners a paid hot shoe hardware upgrade to work with the new Speedlites. Then Canon could earn more from both sides.

 

[neuroanatomist]

Kind of a bummer, but I'll survive with my ST-E10 and four 600EX-RTs in the meantime. One of the really nice features of the EL-5, that is also found on the ST-E10, is a 'menu' button that opens the flash settings on the camera.

At this point, the only camera that actually 'needs' the EL-5 is the R50 ('needs' is relative, since the current flashes will work with the R50 by using the AD-E1 adapter, and the R50 has an onboard flash meaning few buyers will likely want to add a Speedlite). The current flash lineup mounts directly in the new multifunction shoe of the other recent R bodies, although the connection is not weather sealed without the AD-E1 adapter.

 

[neuroanatomist]

... I hope Canon also brings out a TTL cord for new hotshoe interface.

I haven't used my OC-E3 in years. Since getting the ST-E3-RT (and replacing it with the ST-E10), even when using an off-camera flash close in (such as with a Better Beamer mounted on my RRS B91-QR flash bracket around the barrel of my 600/4), I find the radio control does the job perfectly without a cord getting in the way.

 

[koenkooi]

Really odd that Canon is delaying this speedlite, though at this point I hope Canon also brings out a TTL cord for new hotshoe interface. [...]

I suspect that won't happen and you'll need the AD-E1 + OC-E3 for 'old' flashes. I do hope we'll see some form of extension cable for new style flashes, I use that for my camera trap. All the wireless systems like to go into a deep sleep after a few hours, according to the manuals.

Practically speaking, I won't replace my godox v860C II till it breaks and I don't expect to go for an EL-5, unless it turns out to have really cool features that I actually use. Like a modeling light for macro

 

[neuroanatomist]

I suspect that won't happen and you'll need the AD-E1 + OC-E3 for 'old' flashes.

The OC-E3 works fine without the adapter on all new R bodies except the R50 (although it won't be a weather-sealed connection unless you use the AD-E1).

I do hope we'll see some form of extension cable for new style flashes, I use that for my camera trap. All the wireless systems like to go into a deep sleep after a few hours, according to the manuals.

Good point, a use case I hadn't considered.

 

[entoman]

Really odd that Canon is delaying this speedlite, though at this point I hope Canon also brings out a TTL cord for new hotshoe interface.

I don't think there's any likelihood of a TTL cord, these seem to have gone out of fashion in favour of radio triggering, which avoids clumsy cables.

Yep, also some of the high priced Canon lenses also come with unwanted "features" as well.

Not sure what you mean by "unwanted" features? I'd be more concerned about "missing" features, e.g. no function button on the RF100-500mm.

 

[TonyG]

Canon should offer EOS-1D X Mark III, EOS R5 and R6 owners a paid hot shoe hardware upgrade to work with the new Speedlites. Then Canon could earn more from both sides.

I don't think it's that simple lol.
New outer housing, new hot shoe, new main board to offer data to the new hot shoe, new firmware, might as well just buy a new camera lol

 

[Maximilian]

Is that Speedlite produced in China or Japan?

 

[neuroanatomist]

I don't think it's that simple lol.
New outer housing, new hot shoe, new main board to offer data to the new hot shoe, new firmware, might as well just buy a new camera lol

I think it's simple, something like the AD-E1 with the top and bottom connections swapped. Consider RF lenses, that like the multifunction shoe enable more and faster lens functionality. Canon states, "The RF mount has a 12-pin connection between the camera and lens, compared with 8 pins in the EF mount. This enables much faster communication between lens and camera, and much greater bandwidth for data transfer. This unlocks many benefits, and gives developers scope to add even more features in the future." Yet, a simple adapter enables those older EF lenses to work with the new mount.

I don't think Canon will make one, but I think it would be easy for them to do so.

 

[neuroanatomist]

Is that Speedlite produced in China or Japan?

Taiwan.

 

[JimmyJames]

Sigh. My R3 sure would love a new flash.

 

[neuroanatomist]

Sigh. My R3 sure would love a new flash.

Given the way things have gone with availability of new Canon products, if you didn't preorder when the EL-5 was announced your R3 will likely have a very long wait.

 

[Bonich]

A flash is a flash is a flash

 

[neuroanatomist]

A flash is a flash is a flash

Sure thing. I have one of these for an Argus TLR, but I'm having a helluva time figuring out how mount it on my R3 (not to mention the challenge of getting flash bulbs for it).