Canon Professional Network - Speedlite 320EX: a lightweight, creative flash

Key features
Key benefits
Key technologies
Specifications

A mid-range flashgun in the Canon Speedlite range, the 320EX offers full distance-linked E-TTL II compatibility, a wireless slave function and a built-in LED light for use in filming HD Movies.

Who is it for?

The Speedlite 320EX features a guide number of 32, offering enough light for most situations. It will suit any photographer who doesn’t need the wireless master functions of the Speedlite 580EX II but is looking for a small, portable light to use in both stills and movie shooting situations.

Please click here to take a tour around the Speedlite 320EX flashgun.

Key features

Guide Number 32 (m, ISO100)
Compact lightweight design
Bounce-and-swivel flash head, with 24mm and 50mm zoom settings
Integrated LED video light
Wireless slave for off-camera TTL flash
Remote Release button
Fast, silent recycling

Key benefits

The Speedlite 320EX is designed for amateur photographers looking to take their photography further by adding flash to their repertoire, as well as professional photographers looking for a secondary flash to use either as a slave unit or for lighting scenes when shooting HD movies with their EOS camera.

Like the Speedlite 580EX II and 430EX II, the 320EX features a tough metal hotshoe to enable it to withstand regular use and provide a stable connection between the camera and flashgun.

For creative lighting, the 320EX supports modelling flash, so you can see where the light is going to fall, and also first and second curtain sync flash. The flash head can also be rotated and tilted, like the 430EX II and 580EX II Speedlites, allowing flash to be bounced from appropriate ceilings, walls or reflectors for softer lighting effects.

To ensure accurate white balance when the camera is set to either flash white balance or auto white balance the flash transmits its colour temperature to the camera as soon as the image is taken. Compatible with all digital EOS models, the flashgun also features four Custom Functions with eight options to allow you to tailor the flashgun to your needs. Flash settings can also be made from the menu system of compatible cameras such as the EOS 5D Mark II, EOS 7D and EOS 60D.

Key technologies

Integrated LED video light

In a first for Canon, the 320EX features an LED light that provides a continuous light for use with the HD Movie functions on several EOS Models. When used with the EOS 1100D or EOS 600D in Movie Mode, an Auto Light Mode will turn the LED light on or off depending on the ambient light in the scene to ensure optimum exposure for the clip.
Colour temperature transmission

When used with an EOS digital camera newer than the EOS 20D, the flash will transmit the colour temperature it fired with to the camera so that the camera can set an accurate white balance providing it is set to Auto White Balance or Flash White Balance.
Slave flash function

Not just for use in the camera’s hotshoe the 320EX also features a slave flash function, thus allowing it to be used wirelessly off-camera. It can be controlled and triggered by any of the master flash units in the Speedlite range. These include the Speedlite 580EX II, ST-E2, MR-14EX, MT-24EX and EOS 7D, EOS 60D and EOS 600D. The flash can be set to work with any one of four channels to allow several photographers to work in one area and not trigger each other’s flashguns. It can also be set to any one of three flash groups for complex lighting setups.
Remote Release Button

Another first for the EOS system, the 320EX features a button that can be used to trigger a remote camera. It works in the same way as the RC-6 infrared controller and is compatible with cameras like the EOS 5D Mark II, EOS 7D, EOS 60D and EOS 600D. Simply set up the camera on a tripod so the shot is framed as you want, set the camera to self-timer/remote control in the drive mode settings and then press the button on the flashgun. The camera will start a 2 second self-timer to give you time to turn the flash back to point at the subject. This is especially useful when using the built-in master flash functions found in the EOS 7D, EOS 60D and EOS 600D.

POWER
Guide No. (ISO100).meters	32 (50)

ZOOM
Zoom head	Yes
Focal length coverage	24, 50mm

FLASH MODES
Auto exposure control	E-TTL II/E-TTL
High speed sync (FP)	Yes
Manual / output settings	Yes - 1/1- 1/64
Manual steps	1/3 step
Video light	Yes
Video light power	75 lux
Video light colour temperature	4500-6500K

FLASH-RELATED FUNCTION
FE lock	Yes
Flash exposure compensation	Yes
Flash exposure bracketing	No
Second-curtain flash sync	Yes
Modelling flash	Yes
Colour temperature info communication	Yes

WIRELESS FLASH
Transmitter	No
Slave	Yes
No. of groups	3
No. of channels	4
Remote Shutter Release	Yes

FLASH HEAD MOVEMENT
Up	45, 60, 75 and 90°
Left	60, 75, 90, 120, 150 and 180°
Right	60, 75, 90°

AF ASSIST
AF-assist beam	Yes
AF-assist beam type	Flash strobe / LED

POWER SOURCE
Battery	4 x AA batteries
Minimum recycling time*	Approx. 2.3 sec
External power supply	No

CONSTRUCTION
Dust and water resistance	No
Mounting foot material	Metal

MISC.
Custom function	4 (8 options)
Flash settings from camera menus**	Yes
External flash exposure sensor	No
PC terminal	No
Compatible accessories	Off-camera shoe cord OC-E3
Dedicated flash bracket	No