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Specifications of the 550EX Speedlite.

Article ID: ART124346 | Date published: 05/12/2015 | Date last updated: 11/29/2017
 

Description

Specifications of the 550EX Speedlite.

Solution

Flash
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).
Guide Number

Normal Mode (ISO 100)

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, ISO 100)

Shutter Speed

Flash Coverage (mm)

17

24

28

35

50

70

80

105
1/125
 m
ft		 10.6
35		 19.8
65		 21.2
70		 25.2
83		 29.7
98		 32.5
107		 35.4
117		 38.9
128
1/160
 m
ft		 9.4
31		 17.5
58		 18.8
62		 22.5
74		 26.3
87		 28.8
95		 31.3
103		 34.4
114
1/180
 m
ft		 8.8
29		 16.5
55		 17.7
58		 21.2
70		 24.7
82		 27.1
90		 29.5
97		 32.4
107
1/250
 m
ft		 7.5
25		 14.0
46		 15.0
50		 18.0
59		 21.0
69		 23.0
76		 25
83		 27.5
25
1/320
 m
ft		 6.6
22		 12.4
41		 13.3
44		 15.9
53		 18.6
61		 20.3
67		 22.1
73		 24.3
80
1/350
 m
ft		 6.3
21		 11.8
39		 12.7
42		 15.2
50		 17.7
58		 19.4
64		 21.1
70		 23.2
77
1/400
 m
ft		 5.9
20		 11.1
37		 11.9
39		 14.2
47		 16.6
55		 18.2
60		 19.8
65		 21.7
72
1/500
 m
ft		 5.3
 		 9.9
33		 10.6
35		 12.7
42		 14.8
49		 16.3
54		 17.7
58		 19.4
64
1/640
 m
ft		 4.7
16		 8.8
29		 9.4
31		 11.3
37		 13.1
43		 14.4
48		 15.6
52		 17.2
57
1/750
 m
ft		 4.3
14		 8.1
27		 8.7
29		 10.4
34		 12.1
40		 13.3
44		 14.4
48		 15.9
53
1/800
 m
ft		 4.2
14		 7.8
26		 8.4
28		 10.1
33		 11.7
39		 12.9
43		 14
46		 15.4
51
1/1000
 m
ft		 3.8
13		 7.0
23		 7.5
25		 9.0
30		 10.5
35		 11.5
38		 12.5
41		 13.8
46
1/1250
 m
ft		 3.4
11		 6.3
21		 6.7
22		 8.0
26		 9.4
31		 10.3
34		 11.2
37		 12.3
41
1/1500
 m
ft		 3.1
10		 5.7
19		 6.1
20		 7.3
24		 8.6
28		 9.4
31		 10.2
34		 11.2
37
1/1600
 m
ft		 3.0
9.9		 5.5
18		 5.9
20		 7.1
23		 8.3
27		 9.1
30		 9.9
33		 10.9
36
1/2000
 m
ft		 2.7
9		 4.9
16		 5.3
18		 6.4
21		 7.4
24		 8.1
27		 8.8
29		 9.7
32
1/2500
 m
ft		 2.4
8		 4.4
15		 4.7
16		 5.7
19		 6.6
22		 7.3
24		 7.9
26		 8.7
29
1/3000
 m
ft		 2.2
7.3		 4.0
13		 4.3
14		 5.2
17		 6.1
20		 6.6
22		 7.2
24		 7.9
26
1/3200
 m
ft		 2.1
7		 3.9
13		 4.2
14		 5.0
17		 5.9
20		 6.4
22		 7
23		 7.7
25
1/4000
 m
ft		 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
1/5000
 m
ft		 1.7
5.6		 3.1
10		 3.4
11		 4.0
13		 4.7
16		 5.1
17		 5.6
19		 6.1
20
1/6000
 m
ft		 1.5
5		 2.9
9.6		 3.1
10		 3.7
12		 4.3
14		 4.7
16		 5.1
17		 5.6
19
1/6400
 m
ft		 1.5
5		 2.8
9.2		 3.0
9.9		 3.6
12		 4.2
14		 4.5
15		 4.9
16		 5.4
18

1/8000

m
ft

 1.3
4.3

2.5
8.3

2.7
8.9

3.2
11

 3.7
12		 4.1
14		 4.4
15		 4.9
16
Flash Coverage Auto zoom head covers 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 70mm, 80mm, and 105mm lens focal lengths automatically.
Manual zoom: Enabled with zoom button.
Wide panel: When the built-in wide panel covers the flash head, flash coverage is extended for 17mm lens local length.
Number of Flashes

Power Source

Available
Flashes
Only:

4 x AA Alkaline
4 x AA Ni-Cd

100 - 700
40 - 300
Transistor Pack E:

Ni-Cd Pack TP
6 x C Alkaline

300 - 1800
350 - 2200
Compact Battery Pack CP-E2:

6 x AA Alkaline
6 x AA Ni-Cd

350 - 2200
130 - 900
Recycling Time
 

Power Source

Recharging Time (sec.)

Quick Flash

Normal Flash
Only:

4 x AA Alkaline
4 x AA Ni-Cd

0.1 - 4
0.1 - 2.5

0.1 - 8
0.1 - 5
Transistor Pack E:

Ni-Cd Pack TP
6 x C Alkaline

0.1 - 1.5
0.1 - 2

0.1 - 3
0.1 - 5
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
Flash Duration 0.2 ms or less. For quick flash: 2.3 ms or shorter.
Sync Speed According to camera.
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 Modes Normal flash; Quick flash; High-speed sync (FP flash); Stroboscopic flash: 41 flash frequency settings, 31 firing settings; Preflash: Obtains exposure reading for E-TTL autoflash control; Test flash: With test firing button; Modeling flash: Fired with the EOS-3's depth-of-field preview button
Exposure Control Modes E-TTL autoflash (with Type-A cameras)
TTL autoflash (with Type-B cameras)
Flash Metering System 1. E-TTL autoflash with instant metering using a preflash (with Type-A cameras).
2. E-TTL autoflash with instant partial metering using a preflash (with Type-A cameras). 3. E-TTL autoflash with instant spot metering using a preflash (with Type-A cameras).
4. TTL off-the-film autoflash metering (with Type-B cameras).
Flash Exposure Compensation 1. Automatic flash output reduction for fill flash.
2. Flash exposure compensation adjustable manually with the Speedlite up to +/-3 stops in 1/3- or 1/2- stop increments.
3. 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 Exposure Confirmation Yellow-green pilot lamp lights.
Flash-ready Indication Red pilot lamp indicates normal flash ready.
Green pilot lamp indicates quick flash ready.
AF Assist Beam 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).
Bounce Positions

Direction

Angle

Click Stops

Up

0degrees - 90degrees

0degrees, 60degrees, 75degrees, 90degrees

Down

0degrees - 7degrees

0degrees, 7degrees

Left

0degrees - 180degrees

0degrees, 60degrees, 75degrees, 90degrees, 120degrees, 150degrees, 180degrees

Right

0degrees - 90degrees

0degrees, 60degrees, 75degrees, 90degrees
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

receiver unit SE mode activation

CF-4

0

Activate after 60 min. of non- operation

1

Active after 10 min. of non- operation.

receiver unit SE mode cancellation

CF-5

0

Enable SE mode cancelleation by sender unit for 1 hour.

1

Enable SE mode cancellation by sender unit for 8 hours.

Modeling flash

CF-6

0

Enabled

1

Disabled
Wireless Functions
Transmission System Optical pulse transmission
Configuration Camera, sender unit, and receiver unit(s)
Wireless Switchover With wireless selector
Wireless Selector Positions OFF, sender, receiver
Channels 4 (sender unit)
Transmission Angle Horizontal: Approx. 80degrees / Vertical: Approx. 60degrees (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
Number of Transmissions Approx. 1500 (without sender unit firing)
Controllable receivers A, B, C (3 groups)
Flash Control 1. E- TTL autoflash (with Type-A cameras) High-speed sync (FP flash) / FE lock / flash exposure compensation / FEB / flash ratio control
2. Manual flash (with Type A and B cameras)
3. 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.)
sender Flash ON/OFF possible (When ON, automatic set as receiver unit A.) (receiver unit)
Reception Angle Horizontal: Approx. 80degrees/ Vertical: Approx. 60degrees
Flash Coverage Set automatically to M 24mm (Manual zooming of flash head also enabled)
Flash-ready Indication AF-assist beam emitter blinks
Flash Modes 1. Controlled automatically by sender unit
2. Manual flash and stroboscopic flash settable independently from sender unit.
Flash Exposure Compensation Settable individually with each receiver unit up to +/-??3 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments.
receiver Operation Confirmation Enabled with sender unit's test firing button.
receiver Unit SE Mode Cancellation While the receiver unit's SE mode is in effect, the receiver unit turns on when a flash is fired. The receiver unit's SE mode can be canceled by the following wireless operations:
1. When the sender unit's test firing button is pressed.
2. When the camera's FE lock button is pressed.
General
Power Source 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 Source 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:
1. On-camera sender unit enters the SE mode after 90 sec. of non-use.
2. receiver unit enters SE mode after 60 min. (or 10 min. with CF-4) of non-use.
Dimensions 80 (W) x 138 (H) x 112 (D) mm/ 3.1 (W) x 5.4 (H) x 4.4 (D) in
Weight 405g / 14.2 oz

 

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