Lighting


WPPI 2018: Canon’s New Speedlight Does Something Totally New

February 26, 2018

By Greg Scoblete

Speedlight innovation happens at a bit more stately pace than cameras, but change it does.

At WPPI 2018, Canon is unveiling a new flash, the 470EX-AI, with a totally new capability: it can automatically determine the distance of the camera to the subject and to walls and ceiling to optimize the flash for bouncing. A brief double tap of the shutter will fire the flash and then the flash head will automatically swivel into position for an optimal bounce-flash exposure.

Incidentally, the “AI” in the flash’s name doesn’t refer to artificial intelligence, which is an increasingly popular topic in photo circles, but to its automated functions.

Of course, you can also disable this function and use the 470EX-AI as a typical flash.

Its other features:

* Max Guide No. is approximately 154 ft./47m at ISO 100 and 105mm flash coverage

* up to 966 flashes on four AA Ni-MH batteries

* recycle times clock in at 0.1–3.5 sec. in normal or 0.1–2.8 sec. in quick mode.

* HSS at 1/250th sec.

* 10 custom buttons/ nine personal funcitons

* draws power from four AA-size/LR6 alkaline batteries, AA-sized HR6 Ni-MH batteries but not lithium batteries.

The flash will set you back $400 when it ships in April. It’s available for pre-order now.