Speedlite 550EX is the main component of a new flash system designed together with the EOS-3 SLR camera. It provides full compatibility with the new area AF technology employed by the EOS-3 and refined E-TTL autoflash for improved performance. Other main features include a maximum Guide Number of 180 (ISO 100, ft.), an AF-assist beam which links to the EOS-3's 45-point area AF, FP Flash (high speed sync), FE lock (a flash version of AE lock), and FEB (Flash Exposure Bracketing). The Speedlite 550EX also incorporates a built-in wireless transmitter, which can control other Speedlite 550EX units set up as slave units. Flash coverage is set automatically from 24mm to 105mm, and a wide-angle panel extends the coverage to 17mm. The new Speedlite runs on 4 AA-size batteries, and can also be used with optional external power supplies such as Compact Battery Pack E and Transistor Pack E. Recycling times are faster than those experienced with the Speedlite 540EZ. Speedlite 550EX is compatible with all EOS models.
- Type: Direct- sync, shoe-mount flash with E-TTL/TTL autoflash control and wireless transmission/reception (E-TTL preflash, AF-assist beam, auto zoom, and bounce flash).
- Compatible cameras: Type-A EOS cameras (for E-TTL autoflash control). Type-B EOS cameras (for TTL autoflash control).
- Flash coverage and Guide No.: See chart at end of 550EX Specifications.
- Battery life and recycling time.
-
Power Source |
Recharging Time (sec.) |
Available flashes |
Quick Flash |
Normal Flash |
Internal Only:
4 x AA Alkaline
4 x AA Ni-Cd |
0.1 - 4
0.1 - 2.5 |
0.1 - 8
0.1 - 5 |
100 - 700
40 - 300 |
Transistor Pack E:
Ni-Cd Pack TP
6 x C Alkaline |
0.1 - 1.5
0.1 - 2 |
0.1 - 3
0.1 - 5 |
300 - 1800
350 - 2200 |
Compact Battery Pack CP-E2:
6 x AA Alkaline
6 x AA Ni-Cd |
0.1 - 1.5
0.1 - 1 |
0.1 - 5
0.1 - 2 |
350 - 2200
130 - 900 |
Direction |
Angle |
Click Stops |
Up |
0° - 90° |
0°, 60°, 75°, 90° |
Down |
0° - 7° |
0°, 7° |
Left |
0° - 180° |
0°, 60°, 75°, 90°, 120°, 150°, 180° |
Right |
0° - 90° |
0°, 60°, 75°, 90° |
- Exposure control modes:
- E-TTL autoflash (with Type-A cameras)
- TTL autoflash (with Type-B cameras)
-
Flash metering system:
- E-TTL autoflash with instant metering using a preflash (with Type-A cameras).
- E-TTL autoflash with instant partial metering using a preflash (with Type-A cameras).
- E-TTL autoflash with instant spot metering using a preflash (with Type-A cameras).
- TTL off-the-film auto flash metering (with Type-B cameras).
-
Flash exposure compensation:
- Automatic flash output reduction for fill flash.
- Flash exposure compensation adjustable manually with the Speedlite up to ±3 stops in 1/3- or 1/2- stop increments.
- Flash exposure compensation adjustable manually up to ±3 stops in 1/3- or 1/2- stop increments with cameras equipped with flash exposure compensation function.
- Flash Exposure Bracketing: Set with the Speedlite up to +/- 3 stops in 1/3-stop or 1/2-stop increments.
- Flash range (with 50mm f/1.4 lens at ISO 100):
- With normal flash: 0.5-30 meters/ 1.6- 100 feet
- With quick flash: Min. 0.5 - 7.5 meters and max. 0.5 - 21 meters/: Min. 1.6 - 25 feet and max. 1.6 - 70 feet
- With high- speed sync: 0.5 - 15 meters/ 1.6 - 49 feet (at 1/250 sec.)
- Flash exposure confirmation: Yellow-green pilot lamp lights.
- Sync speed: According to camera.
- Flash-ready indication:
- Red pilot lamp indicates normal flash ready.
- Green pilot lamp indicates quick flash ready.
- AF-assist beam linkage and range: Linked to area AF (45 focusing points), effective from approx. 0.6 to 10 meters / 2 to 33 feet at the center and 0.6 to 5 meters / 2 to 16 feet along the periphery (in total darkness).
Wireless functions
- Transmission system: Optical pulse transmission
- Configuration: Camera, master unit, and slave unit(s)
- Wireless switchover: With wireless selector
- Wireless selector positions: OFF, Master, Slave
- Channels: 4 (Master unit)
- Transmission angle: Horizontal: Approx. 80° / Vertical: Approx. 60° (At M 24 mm zoom setting) (Manual zooming of flash head also enabled)
- Transmission range: Indoors: Approx. 12 to 15 meters / 39.3 to 49.2 feet Outdoors: Approx. 8 to 10 meters / 26.2 to 32.8 feet
- No. of transmissions: Approx. 1500 (without master unit firing)
- Controllable slaves: A, B, C (3 groups)
- Flash control:
- E- TTL autoflash (with Type-A cameras) High-speed sync (FP flash) / FE lock / flash exposure compensation / FEB / flash ratio control
- Manual flash (with Type A and B cameras)
- Stroboscopic flash (with Type A and B cameras)
- Flash ratio control: A:B = 8:1 to 1:1 or 1:1 to 1:8 (In thirteen 1/2-stop increments) (For C, flash exposure compensation can be set up to ±3 stops in 1/3 or 1/2-stop increments.)
- Master flash: ON/OFF possible (When ON, automatic set as slave unit A.) (Slave unit)
- Reception angle: Horizontal: Approx. 80°/ Vertical: Approx. 60°
- Flash coverage: Set automatically to M 24mm (Manual zooming of flash head also enabled)
- Flash-ready indication: AF-assist beam emitter blinks
- Flash modes:
- Controlled automatically by master unit
- Manual flash and stroboscopic flash settable independently from master unit.
- Flash exposure compensation: Settable individually with each slave unit up to ±3 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments.
- Slave Operation Confirmation: Enabled with master unit's test firing button.
- Slave unit SE mode cancelation: While the slave unit's SE mode is in effect, the slave unit turns on when a flash is fired. The slave unit's SE mode can be canceled by the following wireless operations:
- When the master unit's test firing button is pressed.
- When the camera's FE lock button is pressed.
- Power source: Internal power sources:
- Size-AA alkaline LR6 batteries (6 V) x 4
- Size-AA Nicad KR 15/51 batteries x 4* Size-AA Lithium FR6 batteries (6 V) x 4
- External power sources:
- Compact Battery Pack CP-E2 Size-AA alkaline LR6 (AM-3) batteries (9 V) x 6
- Transistor Pack E Battery Magazine TP with size-C alkaline LR14 (AM-2) batteries (9 V) x 6 Ni-Cd Pack TP (NR-SC Ni- Cd batteries x 6 in sealed pack)
- SE mode: With the power switch set to SE, the Speedlite enters the SE mode as follows:
- On-camera master unit enters the SE mode after 90 sec. of non-use.
- Slave unit enters SE mode after 60 min. (or 10 min. with CF-4) of non-use.
Custom Functions:
Function |
Custom Function No. |
Setting |
Description |
FEB cancellation after completion |
CF-1 |
0 |
Enabled |
1 |
Disabled |
FEB sequence |
CF-2 |
0 |
Correct exposure, underexposure, overexposure |
1 |
Underexposure, correct exposure, overexposure |
Flash metering system |
CF-3 |
0 |
E-TTL |
1 |
TTL |
Slave unit SE mode activation |
CF-4 |
0 |
Activate after 60 min. of non- operation |
1 |
Active after 10 min. of non- operation. |
Slave unit SE mode cancellation |
CF-5 |
0 |
Enable SE mode cancelleation by master unit for 1 hour. |
1 |
Enable SE mode cancellation by master unit for 8 hours. |
Modeling flash |
CF-6 |
0 |
Enabled |
1 |
Disabled |
Dimensions (mm) and Weight:
- 80 (W) x 138 (H) x 112 (D), 405 g
- 3.1 (W) x 5.4 (H) x 4.4 (D) in, 14.2 oz
* All data are based on Canon's Standard Test Method.
* Subcject to change without notice.
Guide No. (At ISO 100 in meters and feet)
(Normal Mode)
Flash Coverage (mm) |
17 |
24 |
28 |
35 |
50 |
70 |
80 |
105 |
Normal (full) Flash Guide No. |
15 |
28 |
30 |
36 |
42 |
46 |
50 |
55 |
Quick Flash |
Same as for manual flash from 1/2 to 1/16 |
Manual Flash Guide No. |
1/1 |
m
feet |
15
50 |
28
92 |
30
99 |
36
119 |
42
139 |
46
152 |
50
165 |
55
182 |
1/2 |
m
feet |
10.6
35 |
19.8
65 |
21.2
70 |
25.5
84 |
29.7
98 |
32.5
107 |
35.4
117 |
39
128 |
1/4 |
m
feet |
7.5
25 |
14
46 |
15
50 |
18
59 |
21
69 |
23
76 |
25
83 |
27.5
91 |
1/8 |
m
feet |
5.3
18 |
9.9
33 |
10.6
35 |
12.7
42 |
14.8
49 |
16.3
54 |
17.7
58 |
19.5
64 |
1/16 |
m
feet |
3.8
13 |
7
23 |
7.5
25 |
9
30 |
10.5
35 |
11.5
38 |
12.5
41 |
13.8
46 |
1/32 |
m
feet |
2.7
9 |
4.9
16 |
5.3
18 |
6.4
21 |
7.4
24 |
8.1
27 |
8.8
29 |
9.7
32 |
1/64 |
m
feet |
1.9
6.3 |
3.5
12 |
3.8
13 |
4.5
15 |
5.3
18 |
5.8
19 |
6.3
21 |
6.9
23 |
1/128 |
m
feet |
1.4
4.6 |
2.5
8.3 |
2.7
8.9 |
3.2
11 |
3.7
12 |
4.1
14 |
4.4
15 |
4.9
16 |
[High-Speed Sync (FP Flash)]
Shutter Speed |
Flash Coverage (mm) |
17 |
24 |
28 |
35 |
50 |
70 |
80 |
105 |
1/125
1/160
1/180
1/250
1/320
1/350
1/400
1/500
1/640
1/750
1/800
1/1000
1/1250
1/1500
1/1600
1/2000
1/2500
1/3000
1/3200
1/4000
1/5000
1/6000
1/6400
1/8000
|
m
feet
m
feet
m
feet
m
feet
m
feet
m
feet
m
feet
m
feet
m
feet
m
feet
m
feet
m
feet
m
feet
m
feet
m
feet
m
feet
m
feet
m
feet
m
feet
m
feet
m
feet
m
feet
m
feet
m
feet |
10.6
35
9.4
31
8.8
29
7.5
25
6.6
22
6.3
21
5.9
20
5.3
18
4.7
16
4.3
14
4.2
14
3.8
13
3.4
11
3.1
10
3.0
9.9
2.7
9
2.4
8
2.2
7.3
2.1
7
1.9
6.3
1.7
5.6
1.5
5
1.5
5
1.3
4.3 |
19.8
65
17.5
58
16.5
55
14.0
46
12.4
41
11.8
39
11.1
37
9.9
33
8.8
29
8.1
27
7.8
26
7.0
23
6.3
21
5.7
19
5.5
18
4.9
16
4.4
15
4.0
13
3.9
13
3.5
12
3.1
10
2.9
9.6
2.8
9.2
2.5
8.3 |
21.2
70
18.8
62
17.7
58
15.0
50
13.3
44
12.7
42
11.9
39
10.6
35
9.4
31
8.7
29
8.4
28
7.5
25
6.7
22
6.1
20
5.9
20
5.3
18
4.7
16
4.3
14
4.2
14
3.8
13
3.4
11
3.1
10
3.0
9.9
2.7
8.9 |
25.2
83
22.5
74
21.2
70
18.0
59
15.9
53
15.2
50
14.2
47
12.7
42
11.3
37
10.4
34
10.1
33
9.0
30
8.0
26
7.3
24
7.1
23
6.4
21
5.7
19
5.2
17
5.0
17
4.5
15
4.0
13
3.7
12
3.6
12
3.2
11 |
29.7
98
26.3
87
24.7
82
21.0
69
18.6
61
17.7
58
16.6
55
14.8
49
13.1
43
12.1
40
11.7
39
10.5
35
9.4
31
8.6
28
8.3
27
7.4
24
6.6
22
6.1
20
5.9
20
5.3
18
4.7
16
4.3
14
4.2
14
3.7
12 |
32.5
107
28.8
95
27.1
90
23.0
76
20.3
67
19.4
64
18.2
60
16.3
54
14.4
48
13.3
44
12.9
43
11.5
38
10.3
34
9.4
31
9.1
30
8.1
27
7.3
24
6.6
22
6.4
22
5.8
19
5.1
17
4.7
16
4.5
15
4.1
14 |
35.4
117
31.3
103
29.5
97
25
83
22.1
73
21.1
70
19.8
65
17.7
58
15.6
52
14.4
48
14
46
12.5
41
11.2
37
10.2
34
9.9
33
8.8
29
7.9
26
7.2
24
7
23
6.3
21
5.6
19
5.1
17
4.9
16
4.4
15 |
38.9
128
34.4
114
32.4
107
27.5
25
24.3
80
23.2
77
21.7
72
19.4
64
17.2
57
15.9
53
15.4
51
13.8
46
12.3
41
11.2
37
10.9
36
9.7
32
8.7
29
7.9
26
7.7
25
6.9
23
6.1
20
5.6
19
5.4
18
4.9
16 |
|
