Speedlite 270ex – Official

Craig
2 Min Read

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Speedlite 270EX - With The Tilt
Speedlite 270EX - With The Tilt

Amstelveen, the Netherlands, 25 March, 2009: Canon announces the launch of the entry level Speedlite 270EX, an enhanced flash designed for EOS and PowerShot users. Replacing the popular Speedlite 220EX, the Speedlite 270EX is aimed at photographers wanting to expand their flash photography beyond the built in flash and those who want a small: pocketable flash unit to complement their EOS-1D or EOS 5D series. The compact Speedlite 270EX builds on the success of its predecessor, with more power than usual for its class and size.

The Speedlite 270EX includes a host of new features not available with a built-in flash that push the boundaries for the entry level flash market. These include the addition of a zoom head, ensuring efficient light distribution and bounce flash head, enabling light from the flash to bounce off a ceiling to produce pictures with more flattering lighting with softer tones and depth. Improved circuitry offers near silent recharging and enables similar recharging times as its predecessor, despite being powered by just 2 AA batteries.

Key Features include:

* High power flash with a maximum guide number 27 m
* Fast, silent recycle times
* Manual flash output (settable via camera menus)
* Speedlite controllable with compatible camera's menu
* Zoom head
* Bounce flash head

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Craig is the founder and editorial director for Canon Rumors. He has been writing about all things Canon for more than 17 years. When he's not writing, you can find him shooting professional basketball and travelling the world looking for the next wildlife adventure. The Canon EOS R1 is his camera of choice.
30 Comments
  • I think this little flash would be perfect for my G10. Occasionally to bring along with my 5D if I’m not expected to use flash heavily. The bounce has sold me.

  • Umm, yeah. Think about it; 24p is better than 30p or 60p, so 20p is even better. 20p is the new 24p!!!

  • Yeah man. After all, Chaplin shot at 18p!

    We’ll have to wait for the 7D or the 600D before Canon breaks out the 18p for us. =p

  • I would have rushed to buy it, if the manual controls were also on the flash body. I am looking for a tiltable small sized medium power flash to use with my Pana LX3 (in manual flash mode) as well as on my 40D.
    Unfortunately Canon blew it again.

  • really guys? manual only settable through camera menu. that trashed this otherwise excellent product. If it had had that and, heaven forbid a PC port to use 3rd party triggers with I would have bought at least two.

  • The attractiveness of this flash depends to a large part on pricing… it must be considerably cheaper than the 430 EX II. I personally would not give up a true tilt/swivel head, more power, and on flash controls. Would you?

    The only benefit is the smaller size of the flash, but I recently took a 450D, 24-105 and a 580 EX II on a short trip and had it with me most of the time. I didn’t find the extra flash to be too obtrusive.

  • What are you talking about? On 2AA batteries, I don’t think it can do 20 flashes per second, nor does the article claim that it can.

  • Can I get you some cake and let you eat it too? It’s an entry-level flash. They’re going to go easy on manufacturing costs, so the settings come from the body. What’s wrong with that, if they have two other models that meet your high standards?

  • i think he missplaced his comment, thats the video for the camera…

    20fps is a new format, but is it unuseable? I dont think so…

  • it must be priced around 120-140… its really not that bad, its an on camera flash… I hardly ever use my two 430 ex on my camera, but this might be the perfect flash for people that dont want to to pay 270 bucks, and never use it off camera.

  • Well, first let me state that I have the 580 II as well as the 420. Both are great flashes but bulky. Eight now I am looking for a smaller one, with Tilt AND manual (to use for my LX3 as well as my 20D second body, plus for the 40D in case I want to travel light. This flash I can only fully use on the 40D. On the 20D I would not have the manual option, only ETTL. And on the LX III I would only have full power.
    I am ok to buy a third flash for my system, but it needs to be one that can accomodate all Cameras.
    How much would 2 switches and maybe 5 LEDs have cost Canon?

  • well, there is always the Sunpak RD2000, which is smaller and has the basic FEC controls at its back and it can work with remote triggers as far as I know.

    I know I always carry it around because its just so small and it bounces and works well on the 5DmkII.

  • I think it’s pretty cool. It’ll be perfect for my 5D when I travel and don’t know if I’ll need a flash for a shoot or whatnot. :)

  • I just would like to know the price tag… Over $130 Street price I wouldn’t go for it. Under $120… It will probably ome with me :-D

  • This would be absolutely perfect for in-club concert photography situations. I shot in lots of small clubs at SXSW this year, and a bit of fill would have been spectacular. But keeping my large flash units on the 5D made it too heavy and clunky to take through the crowds quickly. This would have been perfect!

  • most places I’ve heard of will show you to the door for using a flash unless you are some drunk girl with an its-bitsy P&S (and the 1-series is many things but subtle is not among them :P )

  • lol this is the cutest flash evar. If they had got the head to swivel I would get one just for fun!

  • I’m poor :(

    Actually I see your point, I can easily forgive and forget the PC port, but I still think Manual control should have been physically on the flash, since it is inherent in E-TTL II (the camera actually makes most of the decisions and communicates them as a manual setting to the flash) so they would only be out the buttons if they put it on the flash, well and an LCD of course, then they’d have to backlight it, and put a button on it. So thats 4 buttons, and an LCD on top of what this already has. I see why they chose not to do it, I just really wish that hadn’t been the direction they took this. Though as long as the 430 EX II price drops I’m happy.

    You see, I’ll find use a hotshoe adapter to get PC sync out of it, then use cheap radio triggers to sync them. This is because my personal aesthetic to lighting is to surround the subject in light, which has more to do with the quantity of lights rather than the quality. I do of course have a 580 EX II, which I like very much, and it is a superb flash for working on camera or slightly removed (via OC-E3) and a 550EX I got because it has a broken hotshoe, which is a nice remote.

    However, if I can apply settings to the flash with a camera, then remove the flash, but have it retain those settings I might buy a good two or three of them for starters.

  • Yossarian Says (stupidly!): “I would have rushed to buy it, if the manual controls were also on the flash body. I am looking for a tiltable small sized medium power flash to use with my Pana LX3 (in manual flash mode) as well as on my 40D.

    Unfortunately Canon blew it again.”

    ===================================

    Canon blew it? How? What would EVER give you the lame-brained idea that a Canon EOS system flash would cross-work on a Panasonic camera?????????? Are you looney???????

    In that case, Panasonic blew it by not making their cameras compatible with Canon flash units. Or Nikon. Or Sony. Or any other *DEDICATED* flash units.

    Buy a Metz *system” flash with interchangeable shoes for your Pansonic **AND** your Canon 40D.

    Problem solved – and we won’t have to see *you* blowing any more dead donkeys.

  • I can’t wait for this flash to come out. I think it would work great with my Rebel Xsi.

    >^..^<

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