Specifications

Making its debut along with the AE-1 PROGRAM was a new dedicated flash unit: the
Speedlite 188A. The Speedlite 188A has its advantage in its operating ease and
convenience. All you need to do is to set the ISO film speed and the auto aperture on
the flash. There are two apertures to choose from besides manual: f/2.8 and f/5.6
with ASA 100 film, which correspond to distances of 1-9m and 0.5-4.5m respectively.
Guide number was a moderate 25 (ASA 100, m).
Turn the unit on and after a few seconds a green " " will appear in the viewfinder.
This signifies that the flash is charged and ready to go. The AE-1 PROGRAM's
circuitry will automatically sets the camera to the 1/60 sec. flash sync speed and
chooses the aperture as well, as long as the lens is on "A" and the shutter speed
selector dial is at any setting other than "B" The " " will flash on and off for two
seconds after the shutter is released to inform you that the exposure was correct. It
operates on only four AA-size batteries. A wide adapter (standard accessory)
enables flash coverage with lenses as wide as 28mm. However, depends on your
requirement on the variable power output, Canon's other Speedlites, like 133A, l 55A,
l 77A, l 99A, 533G and 577G, can be used with the AE-l PROGRAM. With the
exception of auto-exposure flash confirmation, they provide the same ease of
operation as the Speedlite 188A.
Some quick general info on the Speedlite 188A
Specifications:
Type: Electronic computer flash unit with a series control system.
Guide Number: 25 (ASA 100, m) or 41 (ASA 25, ft.). l 6 (ASA 100, m) or 26 (ASA 25,
ft.) with Wide Adapter 188A.
Recycling Time: Less than 8 sec. using alkaline-manganese batteries. Less than 6
sec. using Ni-Cd batteries. Number of Flashes: About 200 using alkaline-
manganese batteries. About 70 using Ni-Cd batteries.
Flash Coverage Angle: Covers a 35mm lens. Covers a 28mm lens when Wide
Adapter 188A is used.
Flash Duration: 1/700 sec. to 1 /50,000 sec.
ASA Film Speed Scale: ASA 25-800.
Dimensions: 68(W) x 52(D) x 103(H)mm (2-11/16-x 2-1/16-x 4-1/16")
Weight: 290g (101/4 ozs.) incl. batteries.
Accessories: Soft Case, Wide Adapter 188A.
The film back is detachable type and thus it can be used with Canon Databack
MA. But it has its limitations since Canon Databack is little weak* in its original
design.
The AE-1 PROGRAM can be used with many Canon accessories. For close-up work
there are the Extension Tubes FD, Auto Bellows which employs a Double Cable