Profoto B10

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I do like the trend of moving to smaller and lighter heads, has the standard Profoto recessed tube, 250 full power shots, 2 sec recycle, bi-colour LED, can be charged while in use, 1.5kg weight and is apparently priced at £1410 inc VAT.

The name seems odd, they've brought out the B1, B2 and now B10 but it's the same power as a B2? Price isn't much of a surprise as it's Profoto, I was expecting £1200 but either way it was never going to be a cheap option. There was mention it can be used as a continuous source, I'm guessing that's only practical off mains as the battery is small.

https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/news/profoto-b10-mini-monobloc-light-unveiled
https://www.lightingrumours.com/profoto-b10-10157
 
So an AD200 equivalent at about 5 times the price

In practical terms I don't think so, it appears outright better than the AD200 except for the tube position, price, size and weight.

I think it sits somewhere between the AD200 and AD400, compared to the AD400 it's lighter, smaller, bi-colour LED, supposedly can function as a continuous source but inferior in most specs (recycle, power, number of shots etc) but it's over twice the price and I expect the AD400 to get a little cheaper after a year.
 
In practical terms I don't think so, it appears outright better than the AD200 except for the tube position, price, size and weight.

I think it sits somewhere between the AD200 and AD400, compared to the AD400 it's lighter, smaller, bi-colour LED, supposedly can function as a continuous source but inferior in most specs (recycle, power, number of shots etc) but it's over twice the price and I expect the AD400 to get a little cheaper after a year.

WE may have to agree to disagree as this has little in common with the AD400PRO and is more akin to a combined AD200 with an A1

Mike
 
Fair enough I see your point, my point was simply it's more than an AD200 but less than an AD400 (not in reference to the power output).
 
Like the Profoto A1 speedlight, this looks as if it will appeal to existing Profoto system users, to whom it makes a lot of sense, but not to many others. Because of the price for one thing obviously, but as we move more towards 'system flash' with a selection of different units for different jobs operating within a closed ecosystem, it's not just a question of buying a new head and slave-synching it up any more - it's gotta be fully compatible.

That aside, it looks decidedly cute and desirable as Profoto's brand marketing becomes increasingly Apple-esque. And as often happens with Profoto, some of the claims are suspect or simply unsubstantiated. The power of five speedlights? Well certainly two, maybe three, but no more. Dual-purpose video light? With 3500lm? That would equate to an LED around 25w (B1X is 24w) - nowhere near enough for serious video work. Dual battery/mains operation? Not at all - the facility to charge the battery while working is not the same thing as mains power, and both Elinchrom and Godox also have that.

I can see wedding photographers going for it though. Nicely judged spec for them I'd have thought and the option of a little continuous light fill-in with easily adjustable colour balance would be handy for some lower light situations. Much better choice than the Profoto B2.

Godox AD400-Pro looks like the nearest rival IMHO, rather than the AD200. It's not much heavier (2.1kg vs 1.5kg) and also has a bright 30w modelling LED, plus a lot more power and versatility.
 
I was going to get an A1, I'll probably get one of these instead so it can take mods.

Not much cheaper than a B1, mind...

and the smartphone control app seems a right faff, one of those 'show off' features noone will ever use cos it's easier just to walk to the light 99% of the time...
 
I was going to get an A1, I'll probably get one of these instead so it can take mods.

Not much cheaper than a B1, mind...

and the smartphone control app seems a right faff, one of those 'show off' features noone will ever use cos it's easier just to walk to the light 99% of the time...

The phone app looks like a trendy gimmick to me too. The advanced control interface looks good, but it really needs to be built in to the master controller unit on the camera - that's where it's needed.
 
It looks like a nice light, as you would expect. If I were to buy one, I can’t see the Bluetooth and app being used a great deal? Perhaps a little gimmicky?

Maybe it has some useful features but it's a bit of a joke, no one is going to fiddle with their phone when they can just make adjustments via the Air TTL remote instantly.
 
Like the Profoto A1 speedlight, this looks as if it will appeal to existing Profoto system users, to whom it makes a lot of sense, but not to many others. Because of the price for one thing obviously, but as we move more towards 'system flash' with a selection of different units for different jobs operating within a closed ecosystem, it's not just a question of buying a new head and slave-synching it up any more - it's gotta be fully compatible.

As you say it's a product that changes very little for those who aren't already using Profoto and I agree completely about the system but photographers are a funny bunch, one of the reviewers who's posted on YouTube has insisted he's going to use PocketWizard with it which just confuses me as why would you pay such a large premium for a compact monoblock if you're having to bolt on things like a radio receiver?
 
As you say it's a product that changes very little for those who aren't already using Profoto and I agree completely about the system but photographers are a funny bunch, one of the reviewers who's posted on YouTube has insisted he's going to use PocketWizard with it which just confuses me as why would you pay such a large premium for a compact monoblock if you're having to bolt on things like a radio receiver?

He must be a PocketWizard Ambassador :D
 
The phone app looks like a trendy gimmick to me too. The advanced control interface looks good, but it really needs to be built in to the master controller unit on the camera - that's where it's needed.

Maybe I/we are being a bit hasty and dismissive on this.

I've mentioned several times on here about how I'd really like a nice big touch-screen master controller instead of a fiddly little unit with multi-function buttons, and that I'd be willing to pay well for it.

But in reality, are we ever going to get something with such a lovely big screen as a smartphone, which is really what's necessary, and would we want that stuck on top of the camera all the time? And realistically, what would the price be? Given that we all have smartphones now and always readily to hand, perhaps this is actually the better solution?

I've used a couple of high-end Sekonic meters recently with touch-screens and frankly they're not a patch on a smartphone - they're too small and need a fair bit of very deliberate stabbing, plus they're a bit sluggish. If that's what we'd end up with on-camera, I'd rather use the phone app.

Objection withdrawn! It's a brilliant feature :D
 
Godox have had a system to use an app via the A1 for a while and a big advantage is that you are not touching the camera to set things

Mike

Yes. Another thing is I often seem to have the camera up high on a tripod and would need a step ladder to see the controls on top, so I take the controller off the camera to make changes. It's a PITA when I've had to do this several times. A smartphone app bi-passes that.
 
As you say it's a product that changes very little for those who aren't already using Profoto and I agree completely about the system but photographers are a funny bunch, one of the reviewers who's posted on YouTube has insisted he's going to use PocketWizard with it which just confuses me as why would you pay such a large premium for a compact monoblock if you're having to bolt on things like a radio receiver?

And he's going to have trouble doing that, as apparently the B10 doesn't have a sync port! Which pretty much locks out all non-Profoto users aside from dumb-slave operation.
 
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