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Archive 2013 · Profoto B1 500 AirTTL

  
 
tedwca
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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · Profoto B1 500 AirTTL


Each battery is good for 220 shots according to the release.

"Spare battery for the B1 off-camera flash. This high-capacity battery will provide up to 220 full-power flashes and save you the trouble of having to worry about running out of power. The battery is exchanged in seconds thanks to the quick release design.
High-capacity lithium-ion battery provides up to 220 full-power flashes.
Integrated LED battery indicator.
Recharges in one or two hours, depending if standard charger or quick charger is being used.
Optional car charger available for recharging on location."



Nov 06, 2013 at 08:08 PM
joeisayo
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p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · Profoto B1 500 AirTTL


The batteries have 220 shot capacity at full power and can fully charged in 90 minutes. Also available is a rapid charger (60 min) and car charger (120 minutes)
Additional batteries are $250 each



Nov 06, 2013 at 10:06 PM
stuuke
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p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · Profoto B1 500 AirTTL


joeisayo wrote:
The batteries have 220 shot capacity at full power and can fully charged in 90 minutes. Also available is a rapid charger (60 min) and car charger (120 minutes)
Additional batteries are $250 each


I was actually surprised by the price of spare batteries. It's much lower than I expected. Yes these units are expensive but if you compare them to the Profoto AcuteB2 packs/heads you get a lot more for less. I have four Acute B2 packs and may switch out two of them for the B1's. I don't really care about TTL but do like the size/weight, price of spare batteries, LED modeling light, digital display, remote power control and faster flash duration.



Nov 06, 2013 at 10:44 PM
rico
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p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · Profoto B1 500 AirTTL


No way I'm giving up D4 and bare bulb, but these B1 lights look very nice. What makes them real is the fan cooling (missing from the AcuteB). Profoto has the best promotional photos, that's for sure!


Nov 06, 2013 at 11:40 PM
ukphotographer
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p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · Profoto B1 500 AirTTL


Fan cooling might not be good wrapped in a plastic bag.


Nov 07, 2013 at 03:05 AM
Deezie
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p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · Profoto B1 500 AirTTL


The batteries have 220 shot capacity at full power and can fully charged in 90 minutes. Also available is a rapid charger (60 min) and car charger (120 minutes)
Additional batteries are $250 each


I guess these aren't practical for my particular usage. I typically shoot about 1500 shots during a studio session. That would require about 7 batteries per light. Granted, there will be time to recharge during the course of a day, but it would still require a number of back up batteries. I'd still like to pick up a couple of these for some outdoor shooting.



Nov 08, 2013 at 10:40 AM
ukphotographer
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p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · Profoto B1 500 AirTTL


I guess it would be pretty easy to rig up, or buy a 14.4v power supply for studio use wouldn't it? I'd bet it won't be long before Profoto provide one.


Nov 08, 2013 at 11:59 AM
BigIronCruiser
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p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · Profoto B1 500 AirTTL


This is a step in the right direction, but $2,000 is quite a premium for a product that only adds a built-in battery. Okay, there's also some benefit to Canon and Nikon (vaporware) TTL, albeit without HSS support.


Nov 08, 2013 at 02:49 PM
dmward
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p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · Profoto B1 500 AirTTL


The real benefit of the TTL is ability to use it to get the exposure, then switch to Manual to maintain the exposure consistently until something changes. Essentially, Profoto have turned the camera meter into a reflective flash meter. That, for me is the clever feature. The rest of it is just repackaging. The recessed tube, is a big minus in my view.


Nov 09, 2013 at 12:03 AM
ukphotographer
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p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · Profoto B1 500 AirTTL


dmward wrote:
The real benefit of the TTL is ability to use it to get the exposure, then switch to Manual to maintain the exposure consistently until something changes. Essentially, Profoto have turned the camera meter into a reflective flash meter. That, for me is the clever feature. The rest of it is just repackaging. The recessed tube, is a big minus in my view.


The TTL conversion to Manual is a great feature. Unlike FEL (Flash Exposure Lock) it converts the remote flash TTL setting to a Manual one - on each light - so that each can be individually adjusted remotely. Thats fine, but you could also individually adjust your remotes in TTL mode with their system as well, so it just adds another dimension to the modes available.

I've never compared the difference between a barebulb Profoto head and the recessed tube - flat disc - design which is referred to as 'a built-in reflector'. The flat disc design looks similar to the Einstein which was added to provide an even light distribution and converge flash tube and modelling light results, but in the Profoto case for location work the recessed design would be beneficial in preventing tube and disc damage. It doesn't appear to have a detrimental effect on the light it provides.

It can only be a 'minus' if it has some detrimental effect. So in your opinion what is that detrimental effect?



Nov 09, 2013 at 06:12 AM
Gregg Heckler
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p.2 #11 · p.2 #11 · Profoto B1 500 AirTTL


I would also add that anything a manufacturer can do to help me work alone or without an assistant is a major feature. Plus the ability to carry less gear. If you are making a living at this, you should be able to amortize the $2,000 in a short time. But I guess that's why the call it "Pro"foto.


Nov 09, 2013 at 07:38 PM
BrianO
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p.2 #12 · p.2 #12 · Profoto B1 500 AirTTL


dmward wrote:
...The recessed tube, is a big minus in my view.


That's what I thought when I first saw the D1; but people I know who use them have told me that with the frosted dome in place it works just like a bare bulb. It's like a Speedlite with a Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce attached, but on a larger scale.







Nov 09, 2013 at 08:28 PM
rico
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p.2 #13 · p.2 #13 · Profoto B1 500 AirTTL


The D1 with frosted dome yields one form of bare-bulb lighting. Profoto pack heads offer both frosted and clear. The latter can be achieved by a clear dome, or no dome (naked). Clear is an important efficiency factor for the HardBox modifier. Naked is best for the ProBox (a small rigid light box) for reasons of efficiency, cooling and color temp. D1/B1 need the frosted dome to properly fill a BD (even Profoto concedes), while the pack heads are free to use frosted or clear according to your choice of light quality. I have to believe the recessed head - versus bare for the old Compact - is some kind of transport consideration.


Nov 10, 2013 at 03:20 AM
Deezie
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p.2 #14 · p.2 #14 · Profoto B1 500 AirTTL


Profoto always takes alluring product shots of their gear. Always makes me drool. I'm not going to pull the plug on these until some reviews come in. My D4 pack and heads are pretty hard to beat, but the portability of the B1's have given me pause.


Nov 10, 2013 at 11:31 AM
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