Canon Speedlite EL-1

A flashgun that costs as much as a camera

- Matthew Richards

1 There’s no fancy colour touchscreen, but the controls are highly intuitive and make adjustments quick and easy to carry out.

2 Two built-in LED modelling lamps enable you to preview how the flash light will fall on your subject.

3 The EL-1 is weathersealed, unlike most flashguns, so rain needn’t stop play. Note the red ‘luxury’ ring.

£1,299/$1,099

The price tag is enough to make you do a double-take. £1,299/$1,099 for a flashgun? That’s more than twice the price of Canon’s very capable Speedlite 600EX II-RT, and almost as much as a Canon EOS RP complete with Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM kit zoom lens. So Canon’s new Speedlite EL-1 should be something pretty special if it’s to deserve a place as one of the best flashguns, and indeed it is. We’re just not sure if it’s special enough.