The new Profoto B 10 is the company’s smallest ever cordless off-camera flash, presented as a big light in a small package, so you can carry your flashes anywhere you go.
Location photography has its challenges. Bring too much gear, and you’re weighed down by lights and cables. Not enough, and the final image might not be what you’d imagined. Still, size and weight matter, so, many times, you’ve to compromise. Profoto believes it has created a light that represents a solution for those who need to move fast, get in, get out and nail the shot. Those to whom size of what is carried, and space to set up on location matter.
“We designed the B10 to be small,” says Göran Marén, Product Manager at Profoto. “Just a little bigger than a medium-sized zoom lens. That means you can fit it in your bag with the rest of your gear and because it’s cordless and lightweight, it’s easy to bring and set up anywhere. That said, this is in every way a Profoto light, so the power and quality of light is essential.”
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The size of the Profoto B10 means that it slips into your camera bag with – some – ease. And with the B10 you can shape and create any kind of light because it’s compatible with pretty much every light shaping tool Profoto makes. The power of small, as Profoto B10 calls it, has 250 Watts, and a battery capacity able to provide up to 400 full power flashes or up to 75 minutes full continuous light. The battery charges in less than 90 minutes, says Profoto.
With a width of 11cm (4.3″), a length of 17.5cm (6.9″) a height of 10cm (3.9″), and a weight of 1.5 kg / 3.3 lbs (including battery and stand adapter), the Profoto B10 is, essentially, a small Profoto light, with all the functions usually present in the range of lights from the company. The clean and minimal interface means you can start shooting straight from the box, the battery is quick and easy to switch in and out, and you can also charge it while it’s in use. Prices? Expect to pay $1,595.00 for the B10. Profoto does suggest that with two you’ll have everything you need in terms of a portable take anywhere studio.
The B10 can also be controlled wirelessly from any Profoto AirTTL remote or the Profoto A1. And users can point and shoot with TTL or switch to manual control at any time. The Profoto app – only available for iOS now, Android version promised – allows you to easily view and control all B10 settings from the palm of your hand, and install new B10 updates in seconds. New firmware available in the future will allow to update your light over-the-air. Right now, with creative capture [Beta] and your B10 you can light and capture images with total creative control, and you can also adjust colour temperature, also in Beta. Intuitive sliders and a smart preview function allow you to play with light and shadow until you find the perfect mood for your shot.
If you want to know what professionals think of Profoto’s B10, visit the company’s website. Profoto says they asked leading wedding photographers, Erika and Lanny Mann of Two Mann Studio’s and Joseph Radhik to put the Profoto B10 to the test in the city of Jodhpur, India. Erika and Lanny were curious to see if the B10 could fit with their fast-moving approach while Joseph wanted to know if it packed enough punch for him to create the sort of light he wanted. If the images they created count for anything, the B10 came through on both counts.