The EF-X500 is a hot-shoe mount flash with a maximum guide number of approximately 50, and includes support for the FP mode (high-speed flash sync) so that the flash can be fired at any shutter speed. Photographers can now concentrate on shooting when a faster shutter speed is required, for example, in order to use a near-maximum aperture to produce beautiful bokeh.

The EF-X500 also supports multi-flash lighting. Users can set up multiple flashes to freely control light on a subject and background for a creative result. Through-the-lens (TTL) lighting control is available with single flash and also in the multi-flash setup, so that users can start shooting without having to make cumbersome adjustments to light output.