Canon EL-102.5s Full-Power Recycling, Wireless Radio Commander and SlaveOnly works on the newest EOS R1, R3, R5 II, R6 II, R8, R7, R10 and R50 cameras.Introduction New Good Bad Missing Compatibility Specifications Accessories Performance Compared User's Guide R1 R3 R5 II R5 R5C R6 III R6 II R6 R R8 RP R7 R10 R50 R50V R100 Bodies Compared RF Lenses EF Lenses Flash
Canon EL-10 Flash (13.7 oz./388g with 4-AA eneloop, measured GN 19m/63' at 35mm or 29m/95' at 105mm, measured 2.5s recycle time, $199). bigger. I got mine at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally approved sources I've used myself for way over 100 combined years when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Canon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, non-USA, store demo or used flash — and all of my personally approved sources allow for 100% cash-back returns for at least 30 days if you don't love your new flash. I've used many of these sources since the 1970s because I can try it in my own hands and return it if I don't love it, and because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new flash before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I've used myself for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
November 2024 Better Pictures Canon Reviews Canon Flash Lenses All Reviews Phil Steele's Advanced Off-Camera Flash course EL-1 (2020 - today) 580 EX II (2007 - 2012) EL-5 (2022 - today) 430EX III RT (2015 - 2024, when it was reincarnated as this EL-10!) 320EX (2011-2017) EL-100 (2018-2024)
Canon EL-10 on included stand. bigger.
Canon EL-10. The rear LCD is not particularly visible, and the green backlight is very dim, only for use in pitch black. bigger.
Introduction topIntroduction New Good Bad Missing Compatibility Specifications Accessories Performance Compared User's Guide This EL-10 is a well-featured, small-sized and reasonably-priced flash with a very flexible zoom head. The big gotcha is that it only works with the very newest cameras with a Multi Function Shoe, which as of November 2024 are the EOS R1, R3, R5 II, R6 II, R8, R7, R10 and R50 cameras. It will not work with any other camera. This EL-10 is a newer version of the 430EX III RT (2015 - 2024) that replaces the universal shoe with the new weirdly incompatible shoe, removes the infrared AF illuminator, removes optical IR slave ability, removes the ability to change the LCD backlight to orange (from green), removes the lock on the tilting head, no longer includes the SBA-E2 bounce diffuser or the SCF-E2 tungsten filter that all came included with the 430EX III RT. For about $100 used (How to Win at eBay) the 430EX III RT is actually a better, more compatible version of this EL-10 for half the price. The 430EX III RT works with just about every Canon camera made since about 1999; the only incompatibility is that the the R50 has only the new shoe and needs this EL-10; for any other Canon camera the 430EX III RT might be a superior choice for much less money. I got my EL-10 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
New Since 430EX III RT topIntroduction New Good Bad Missing Compatibility Specifications Accessories Performance Compared User's Guide
Good topIntroduction New Good Bad Missing Compatibility Specifications Accessories Performance Compared User's Guide
Canon EL-10 Wide Diffuser and Bounce Card. bigger.
Bad topIntroduction New Good Bad Missing Compatibility Specifications Accessories Performance Compared User's Guide
Missing topIntroduction New Good Bad Missing Compatibility Specifications Accessories Performance Compared User's Guide
Compatibility topIntroduction New Good Bad Missing Compatibility Specifications Accessories Performance Compared User's Guide
I got my EL-10 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
The EL-10 only works with the very newest cameras with a Multi Function Shoe, which as of November 2024 are the EOS R1, R3, R5 II, R6 II, R8, R7, R10 and R50 cameras. As of November 2024 there is no adapter to let this flash work on any other camera. It uses a special new foot with 15 gold-plated pins to talk to these new cameras through their 21-pin Multi-Function Shoes. Note the lack of traditional contacts; the 15 gold pins now do everything: New Multi-Function Shoe. There are no regular contacts, just a bunch of tiny gold ones. bigger. The advantage of this 15-pin digital connector is that the EL-10 can use the camera's processing power, rather than needing its own signal processing. Older flashes like the EL-1 need more processors to do all the processing themselves. Cameras have loads of processing power available while they're not crunching just-shot images, and flashes only need this computational capacity just before the image is captured when the camera is more idle, so we all win since we don't need to pay to duplicate processing power — if you have a compatible camera. These 15 pins connect to Canon's new 21-pin Multi Function Shoes. Here's the easy way to identify a Multi Function Shoe:
The EL-10 won't work with cameras with only a traditional hot shoe lacking the tiny contacts:
Specifications topIntroduction New Good Bad Missing Compatibility Specifications Accessories Performance Compared User's Guide
I got my EL-10 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Rated Power Output specifications top
*Guide Number at ISO 100. Divide the guide number by your distance in meters or feet and that's the aperture to use at full manual power.
Recycling Time specifications topRated 1.5 seconds at full power with 4-AA eneloop, or 2.5s with alkalines. I measure 2.5 seconds with my 15-year-old AA eneloop cells.
Flashes per charge specifications topRated 260 at full power with 4-AA eneloop, or 210 with alkalines. Rated up to 1,700 at low power with 4-AA eneloop, or 1,400 with alkalines.
Flash Head Zoom Range specifications top24 ~ 105mm on full-frame. Wide Panel: 14mm on full frame.
Flash Head Bounce Angles specifications top-150º left and +180º right. 0º down to +90º up.
Sync Modes specifications topFront or rear curtain, High Speed Sync (HSS).
Modeling Lamps specifications topRapid stroboscopic Xenon discharge, which is useless for people photos because everyone covers their eyes!.
Wireless specifications topOpticalNONE.
Radio2.405 ~ 2.475 GHz. Rated up to 100'/30m indoors. Groups A, B, C, D and/or E. Channels 1 - 15 or Auto. Wireless Radio ID 0 ~ 9999. Up to 9 hours shooting time with alkalines before it shuts off.
Quality specifications topCertifications & Serial Number. bigger. Flash made in Taiwan.
Size specifications top2.78 × 4.58 × 3.87 inches WHD. 70.6 × 116.3 × 98.3 millimeters WHD.
Weight specifications top13.700 oz. (388.4g) with 4-AA eneloop, actual measured weight. Rated 10.1 oz. (287g) empty.
Operating Environment specifications top0º ~ 45º C (32º ~ 113º F). 0 to 85% RH.
Canon's Model Number specifications top6579C001.
Included specifications topFlash. Stand. Warranty and basic get-started guide. (full manual is online, not in the box.) Case: Canon EL-10 included case. bigger.
Announced specifications top05 June 2024.
Price, U. S. A. specifications top28 November 2024$199 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield. Get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
05 June 2024$249.99 MSRP at introduction.
Accessories (what's included) topIntroduction New Good Bad Missing Compatibility Specifications Accessories Performance Compared User's Guide
I got my EL-10 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
These filters from the 430EX III RT (2015 - 2024) should work (not included):
Performance topIntroduction New Good Bad Missing Compatibility Specifications Accessories Performance Compared User's Guide
I got my EL-10 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Measured Power Output performance top
*Guide Number at ISO 100. Divide the guide number by your distance in meters or feet and that's the aperture to use at full manual power.
Recycling Time performance top2.5 seconds at full power, measured with 15-year-old AA eneloop cells reading 80~100% charged on my ZTS tester. 2.6 seconds at full power, measured with 15-year-old AA eneloop cells reading 40~80% charged on my ZTS tester.
Exposure performance topExposure is mostly a factor of your own technique and your camera; your camera's TTL system is more critical to exposure than the flash, which is simply controlled by the camera. Exposures are all wonderful on my R5 II.
Frame Rates performance topIt shoots at 8 FPS with the electronic shutter of my R5 II. It shoots at 12 FPS with the electronic first-curtain shutter of my R5 II. It shoots at 11 FPS with the mechanical shutter of my R5 II.
Power Control & Integration performance topOddly the EL-10 doesn't shut off when I turn off my R5 II, although it will time-out and go to sleep. Its data communication sadly isn't all that fluent. By comparison, my 2006 Nikon SB400 turns on and off magically on today's Z cameras all by itself; much better communication. The the EL-10 does turn back on by itself when my R5 II wakes up. Pressing the LCD illuminator button on my R5 II does not turn on the flash's LCD illuminator. Poor form here, Canon!
Compared topIntroduction New Good Bad Missing Compatibility Specifications Accessories Performance Compared User's Guide I got my EL-10 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay. More Canon Flash Reviews.
Versus the 430EX III RT (2015-2014)This EL-10 is a newer version of the 430EX III RT. Sadly this EL-10 removes many features from the 430 EX III RT; the 430EX III RT is actually a better, more compatible flash. The 430 EX II RT looks the same and works the same, assuming you're using features common to both flashes: For about $299 new or about $100 used (How to Win at eBay) the 430EX III RT is a better, more compatible version of this EL-10. The 430EX III RT works with just about every Canon camera made since about 1999; the only incompatibility is that the the R50 has only the new shoe and needs this EL-10; for any other Canon camera the 430EX III RT is a superior choice.
Versus Current Flashes compared top
* Actual measured values. ** If you know How to Win at eBay. All four can shoot bursts at lower power at 20 FPS (this EL-10 seems limited to 12 FPS on my R5 II); the difference is how many frames each can shoot before it loses steam. The EL-5 and EL-1 are the best for this, and the EL-1 adds a fan to keep the flash cooler and let you shoot harder and longer before it overheats.
Versus Some Great Used Flashes compared topPersonally I prefer my older flashes because they work with all my cameras and cost much, much less than the latest new flashes:
* Actual measured values. The similarly-sized 320EX has more maximum power and therefore range than the EL-10 at 24~50mm zoom settings, while at 105mm the EL-10 has a little more power because the 320EX' zoom head stops at 50mm. The 580EX II has twice the power of the EL-10 and therefore 40% more range than the EL-10, as well as having a longer zoom range and more features, but it's also bigger.
User's Guide topIntroduction New Good Bad Missing Compatibility Specifications Accessories Performance Compared User's Guide
I got my EL-10 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
See also Canon's EL-10 User's Guide PDF and Phil Steele's Advanced Off-Camera Flash course.
Watch the Connectors! user's guide topConventional hot shoes were pretty much indestructible, however these tiny new pins can be delicate. Use more care watching out for the tiny pins on the flash, and likewise try to keep crud and water out of your camera's shoe. Canon suggests being careful not to force the flash too far forward when sliding it into the camera's shoe. If you're in messy conditions, consider using the shoe covers included with some flashes and cameras when the flash isn't on your camera. Colored Filters user's guide topIt comes with no dedicated filters or diffusers. So? No flashes did years ago; we made our own from colored sheets of filter material used in stage and screen production. You could buy the SBA-E2 bounce diffuser and/or the SCF-E2 tungsten filter, but all we did decades ago was tape gel filters to the flash, or if I get fancy, use peel-and-stick Velcro to attach filter material I've cut to size. Pro practice is to filter your flash to match the ambient light. Otherwise subject and background take on different color casts — yuck! In daylight, no filter is needed as the flash matches daylight. Indoors with tungsten or 3,200K or 2,700K lighting, use the SCF-E2 tungsten filter or tape a piece of orange CTO color-conversion filter over the front of the flash to make it match the ambient light and prevent very warm backgrounds or blue people. You get either one or the other or a combination of both if you don't match the flash to ambient light, but use a filter and all should look awesome. Use a full CTO for complete conversion, and fractional CTO for a more mild effect if you set the camera's white balance to match the flash and then the background will be warmer. Also use an orange filter to taste when the flash is used for fill at sunset — but set your white balance manually to preserve the orange glow to taste (otherwise the Auto WB will try to make everything look too blue). Here's a decades-old SCUBA trick underwater in daylight: use a piece of full CTO filter over your flash to match tungsten and set your camera to manual tungsten white balance. Now whatever's lit by flash (think close-up people, fish or colorful plants) looks normal, while the background lit by ambient daylight will look very blue! Cool, huh? If I can't avoid shooting under fluorescent light, I use a a small piece of green fluorescent conversion filter taped over the flash.
Getting 12 FPS user's guide topObviously you can't shoot at 12 FPS at anywhere near full power, however we almost never actually shoot at full power. Even at quarter power (which is still a pretty hefty blast), you can get off two shots at high rates, and at 1/8 you can get off 4 shots at any rate, and so on as the power level drops. Power levels are usually much less than this in typical TTL shooting. Depending on how close you are to your subject and the level of ambient light, you'll be able to make longer and longer bursts at 12 FPS — and the EL-10 is always back up and ready for another burst a second later. I get up to 12 FPS with my R5 II; I can imagine higher rates at closer distances, higher ISOs or larger apertures or with different cameras. Experiment and see; in each case how fast you can go depends on many factors and how many frames you can get off depends on how much power you're using and the frame rate.
Multiple Light Setups user's guide topI always use battery powered flash on top of my camera for fill flash when photographing people or pups or cars in strong sunlight, as well as most kinds of light. For multiple light setups, I use plug-in-the-wall, stand-mounted wired studio strobes, which saves me having to screw around with all the maddening wireless settings. I use one optical slave plugged into my powerpack to trigger the whole wired system wirelessly from any basic on-camera (or built-in) flash and I'm done! Even the most basic studio strobes are about tens times as powerful as this EL-10 so I can stop down more and shoot at ISO 100 for much sharper images. Studio strobes are built to live on light stands and use light modifiers like umbrellas and soft boxes and don't require the fiddling needed to attach little flashes like the EL-10 to a stand — and I never have to change batteries in my plug-in-the-wall studio strobes! My one optical slave always fires everything, so I spend zero time cursing at units not firing. If you want to mess around with battery powered multiple lights with the EL-10 go right ahead, but I don't use battery powered shoe-mount strobes for multiple light setups. My entire pro strobe system, complete with stands and umbrellas, cost me not much more than one EL-10 costs — and I've been using the same set of used studio strobes since 2003! Today you can get a complete set of studio strobes, stands and umbrellas for $499 new! I doubt the EL-10 has enough power to work well (meaning being able to shoot at at least f/8 at ISO 100) with umbrellas. If I have to shoot a gig at another location, my whole strobe system pops into one case and I'm on the road.
Recommendations topIntroduction New Good Bad Missing Compatibility Specifications Accessories Performance Compared User's Guide I got my EL-10 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay. The EL-10 is a very competent flash if you look at it as if it was a fresh new flash for the EOS-R multi-function shoe system, but it looks like a ripoff when you realize it's really a Mark IV version the 430 EX III RT, but with half its features and accessories removed! This EL-10 is a great little flash, just that the 430 EX III RT is even better. If you're a dog agility photographer you need an EL-1 or EL-5 for lots of bursts of fill at high frame rates. A flash is just a xenon tube, a capacitor and a battery. Exposure is controlled by the camera's TTL system, not by the flash itself. Used flash works great at the fraction of the price. Two of my favorites are my fully professional professional 580EX II and my compact 320EX. Both of these are available used (see the links at each review) for less than half the price of a new EL-10, which does the same thing. I got my EL-10 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay. This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally approved sources I've used myself for way over 100 combined years when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Canon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, non-USA, store demo or used flash — and all of my personally approved sources allow for 100% cash-back returns for at least 30 days if you don't love your new flash. I've used many of these sources since the 1970s because I can try it in my own hands and return it if I don't love it, and because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new flash before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I've used myself for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection. Thanks for helping me help you! Ken.
More Information topIntroduction New Good Bad Missing Compatibility Specifications Accessories Performance Compared User's Guide
I got my EL-10 at B&H. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Canon's EL-10 User's Guide PDF.Phil Steele's Advanced Off-Camera Flash course.
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28-29 Nov 2024 (from EL-10 05 Jun 2024, 07-09 Aug 2023)