Canon Patent Application: Hybrid Speedlite Cooling

[Canon Rumors]

In this patent application (2024-039230), Canon is looking at methods of cooling a hybrid speedlite capable of both continuous and flash lighting. As with most speedlites in the modern era, heat is the biggest problem facing speedlites. The flash tube that outputs the light usually runs quite hot; this heat must go somewhere. As we

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[Maximilian]

Interesting...

Does this mean Canon will release even bigger Speedlites?

... Not to mention but Canon needs something sexy to get rid of the stench from the disastrous EL-1 release. ...

Or just a quick redesign of the EL-1?

 

[koenkooi]

It'd be fantastic if they made a speedlite that actually functioned properly wirelessly. I have 5 EL1's right now that won't stay paired for more then 30 seconds [...]

I suspect that any fixes in that area will break backward compatibility, or only work with future speedlites.

 

[diegopisante]

Even people say that the EL-1 is a disaster, this is my main flash and is a beast in every way.
My main complaint is the range of the wireless, 30 meters is so little and it should be increased!

 

[danfaz]

Even people say that the EL-1 is a disaster, this is my main flash and is a beast in every way.
My main complaint is the range of the wireless, 30 meters is so little and it should be increased!

It is a fantastic on-camera event flash.

 

[LDS]

I suspect that any fixes in that area will break backward compatibility

That depends if it is a design flaw and not some firmware bug. If they need to change frequencies, modulation or protocol it won't be backward compatible. IF the only need to improve the radio/data handling without such changes it could be.

 

[koenkooi]

That depends if it is a design flaw and not some firmware bug. If they need to change frequencies, modulation or protocol it won't be backward compatible. IF the only need to improve the radio/data handling without such changes it could be.

If it’s a firmware bug, you’d need to upgrade the speedlites, are those user updateable?

 

[EricN]

You've been cooling. Baby, I've been drooling

 

[LDS]

If it’s a firmware bug, you’d need to upgrade the speedlites, are those user updateable?

No, the big problem of Canon units is their firmware cannot be updated by the user - that's hard to understand. The recent release of the ST-3 v3 is a little incomprehensible, most competitors have units that can be upgraded, my Elinchrom remote is regularly updated to support new Elinchrom units (and fix issues), with no need to buy a new unit. I understand the need to sustain and increase profits - but not having system with software that cannot be upgraded in 2024. Unless it's an hardware upgrade, of course, because some components have reached end-of-life and new ones has to be used, but sometimes that's an internal change and it doesn't surface as a new version.

 

[blanddragon]

With all the really good options in battery powered mono-light portables I've quit using my Speedlight's and moved to the FJ system. Even just handholding a 200 WS light is often easier for run and gun with more than enough power vs Speedlight's. I am sold on them for outdoor studio work.

 

[LDS]

This was posted on Canons repair forum. Not mine, but just reposting.

It's interesting but without analyzing the actual radio situation in that moment it's one empirical evidence. I routinely use Canon wireless in my home studio, where there is also a WiFi AP, without any issue. But I'm in a detached house and beyond my own WiFi other signals are quite weak. My APs are set to regulate the transmission power as needed, also, and that might help to avoid hampering the Canon signal. Also, wireless flash should not disrupt WiFi transmissions.

A building with a lot of APs filling each and every channel, blasting at full power, the interference can be far worse. Still, being the 2.4GHz band an unlicensed one, interference must be expected, and any design should account for them. Wireless flash has the issue it has to be a real-time signal, with strict tolerances, unlike WiFi which can stand far higher latency. Maybe today using a different band is not a bad idea, since most devices moved to WiFi, although many now uses the 5 GHz band.

Anyway, we don't know if it is a problem at the hardware level - the hardware enter a state when it loses the link and can't re-establish it until power cycled, or it's a software problem, the hardware still works correctly but the software is in a state when it cannot resume operations. The latter might be far simpler to fix than the former, although without software update capabilities Canon units can't be fixed that way.

I hope Canon is working on new, more powerful units and they might need to exchange more data - requiring a protocol overhaul.