Canon flash speedlite 550ex manual

Actual prices are determined by individual dealers and may vary. Examples: "prints missing colors", "flashing power light", "setting the white balance". Below is a listing of our top FAQ's. Click on the title for more information. This Limited Warranty is only effective upon presentation of this warranty card and proof of purchase. When returning equipment for warranty service, the shipping charges must be prepaid and the equipment should be shipped in its original carton or box, or an equivalent, properly packed to withstand the hazards of shipment and be fully insured.

A bill of sale, copy of this warranty card or other proof of purchase should be enclosed, as well as a description of the problem, film samples, etc. This warranty covers all defects encountered in normal use of the equipment, and does not apply in the following cases:. List of international service facilities included with equipment. List of participating international service facilities included with equipment.

This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from stat to state. This warranty is given by Canon U. Canon offers a wide range of compatible supplies and accessories that can enhance your user experience with you Speedlite EX that you can purchase direct.

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Read More. MSRP: Community Join our Community to ask questions, share knowledge, and connect with others. The Speedlite EX also incorporates a built-in wireless transmitter, which can control other Speedlite EX units set up as slave units.

Flash coverage is set automatically from 24mm to mm, and a wide-angle panel extends the coverage to 17mm. Recycling times are faster than those experienced with the Speedlite EZ. My Canon. Products Home. Network Cameras Software Solutions.

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View More Details. Find a dealer. Want to register this product? Register Product. Main Unit Spec. Flash Type. Compatible Cameras.

Guide Number. Flash Coverage. Auto zoom head covers 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 70mm, 80mm, and mm 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. Recycling Time. Flash Duration. Sync Speed. Flash Range.

Flash Modes. Exposure Control Modes. Refer to the tables below to check your camera type and the features available. Read the section which applies to your camera. If you have a Type-A camera, see pages 10 to 76 and to If you have a Type-B camera, see pages 10 to 22 and 77 to Before proceeding, turn on the main switch.

Icons for camera modes are also used. They are as follows:. The Custom Function explanations assume that the default Custom Function settings are in effect. Mini stand pocket. External power source socket. Electrical contacts. When these two buttons are pressed simultaneously, the setting changes in the following loop:. SE : Turns on the power and. Buttons marked with an asterisk remain active for 8 sec.

Flash exposure compensation icon. When replacing batteries, replace all four batteries at one time. If necessary, use a clean cloth to wipe the battery contacts. Be sure that the batteries are compatible with the flash unit before buying.

The recycling time will also be about half the time with size-AA alkaline batteries. Speedlite EX can use any of the following two external power sources. For details, refer to the Instructions of the respective external power source. Uses six size-AA alkaline or nickel-hydride batteries. Size-AA lithium batteries can also be used. Therefore, the internal power source may become exhausted sooner than the external power source. For prolonged flash photography, keep a spare set of batteries handy for the internal power source.

Attaching the Speedlite to the Camera. The locking pin retracts into the mounting foot. If the EX is to be used as a normal, on-camera Speedlite but the wireless selector has been set to or , the following applies:. If master flash OFF has been set, a picture cannot be taken. The Guide No. The Speedlite will then turn on again.

See page Memory feature. When the Speedlite is turned on again, all the settings remain effective. When replacing the batteries, the settings stored in memory can still be retained if the new batteries are installed within one minute. Pilot Lamp and Test Firing. When the flash is ready, the pilot lamp lights. When the flash is fully charged, the pilot lamp lights in red. For normal use, confirm that the pilot lamp is red before taking the picture.

When the camera is set for single shooting, a yellow pilot lamp indicates a less-than-full charge which enables a quick flash see description below. For close subjects which do not require full-output flash, quick flash shortens the recharging time.

With the quick-flash feature, you can fire a flash even before the flash is fully charged. When the pilot lamp is yellow, a quick flash can be fired.

For details, see page When a correct flash exposure has been obtained, the flash exposure confirmation lamp on the back of the Speedlite lights in yellow-green for 3 sec. If the flash exposure confirmation lamp does not light after the flash fires, the picture may have been underexposed.

Move closer to the subject and try again. The Speedlite can provide adequate flash coverage for 24mm to mm lens focal lengths. If a zoom lens is zoomed, the flash head also zooms to suit the lens focal length. If the zoom setting is a focal length longer than the actual lens focal length, the light will fall off along the periphery of the picture. Pull out the built-in wide panel and flip it down to cover the flash head. The LCD panel display will blink as a warning.

Otherwise, the wide panel may come off. Take the Speedlite to the nearest Canon Service Center for repair. The film speed is set automatically according to the film speed set with the camera. Flash photography will then be as easy as normal AE photography. The camera sets the aperture and shutter speed automatically to suit a wide variety of lighting conditions including outdoor fill flash.

The E-TTL autoflash system sets the flash exposure automatically. The aperture is also set at the same time. An optimum flash exposure is thereby obtained. When a correct flash exposure has been obtained, the flash exposure confirmation lamp lights for about 3 sec. If the lamp does not light, the flash may have been insufficient, resulting in underexposure.

In such a case, check that the pilot lamp is red, then move closer to the subject and take the picture again. Fill flash can be used outdoors in daylight to supplement existing light.

It can soften shadow areas of the subject or illuminate a backlit subject. Instead of having a properly-exposed subject and an underexposed background, both the subject and background are exposed correctly for a natural-looking flash picture. Flash photography is also automatic in the other picture-taking modes.

The camera sets the necessary shutter speed in the Av mode , aperture in the Tv mode , or flash output in the M mode. Flash photography is as easy as normal AE picture-taking. This mode is effective for controlling the depth of field in your flash pictures. You can also obtain a balanced exposure between the subject and background.

You set the aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed automatically to obtain a correct exposure for the background. The E-TTL autoflash system obtains the proper exposure based on the aperture you set. Check that the icon is displayed in the viewfinder, then take the picture. If the top sync speed display blinks, the background will be overexposed. In such cases, change the aperture until the shutter speed display stops blinking.

In low-light situations, the exposure level can be balanced between the subject and background by using a slow sync speed. The camera then sets the sync speed automatically to suit the background.

Using a tripod is recommended to prevent camera shake. You can then set the desired shutter speed and aperture manually. Based on the shutter speed and aperture you set, the E-TTL autoflash system controls the flash exposure automatically.

Follow the procedure below. And under tungsten lighting, the photo may have an orange cast. By selecting the shutter speed, you can obtain various effects with flash. You can set the shutter speed from 30 sec. The camera then sets the aperture automatically to obtain a correct exposure for the background. The E-TTL autoflash system controls the flash exposure based on the camera-selected aperture. If the aperture display blinks, the background may turn out overexposed or underexposed.

In such a case, change the shutter speed until the aperture display stops blinking. In this mode, you set both the shutter speed and aperture. The E-TTL autoflash system controls the flash exposure based on the the aperture you set. You can also use buLb. If the flash ranges below apply, the icon will blink on the left end of the scale. Flash Exposure Compensation page Close-Distance Flash Photography page Manual Flash Mode page Stroboscopic Flash page Second-Curtain Synchronization page When you set the synchronization mode to high-speed sync FP flash , the camera can synchronize with the EX at all shutter speeds.

When highspeed sync has been set, is displayed in the viewfinder. The faster the shutter speed, the shorter the flash range will be.

Check the. If you use fill flash in the Av mode with high-speed sync, you can use a faster sync speed than the normal X-sync speed. You can use FE flash exposure lock with Type-A cameras. This is the flash version of AE lock. With FE lock, you use spot metering to obtain the correct flash exposure reading for a specific part of the subject.

FE lock remains effective for 16 sec. The reading is retained in memory. Either move closer to the subject or use a larger aperture smaller f- number and try again. In such a case, use the manual flash mode. E-TTL flash exposure compensation Changes the flash exposure of the main subject. Compensating the exposure by Changes both the flash main subject exposure changing the film speed setting and the background exposure by the same. With FEB, you can obtain bracketed flash shots of the subject while the background exposure level remains the same.

Three bracketed flash shots can be taken: Correct exposure, decreased exposure, and increased exposure. After all three bracketed flash shots are taken, FEB is canceled automatically.