# Profoto A1



## chuasam (Sep 22, 2017)

Soooo who's getting one?
I'm kinda conflicted
Sure it's fast recycling but what does it really do that a SB5000 with a circular modifier can't do?






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Also I'm waiting for the cheaper YongNuo version.


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## Derrel (Sep 22, 2017)

It probably empties your wallet more quickly than the other alternative.


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## tirediron (Sep 22, 2017)

I can't find a GN for it, but 76 w/s?  You're not exactly going to overpower the sun, and at $1000 US, that makes it just about the most expensive third party medium powered speedlight in history.  I can see ZERO reason to buy this.


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## Derrel (Sep 23, 2017)

Maybe some specifications and details on this would help this post to get a little more traction. I'm on my phone right now and don't feel like looking up the URL for product info on this. It looks like a speed light that has four channels. Maybe a has some really cool features that we don't know about? I don't know so many flash units to choose from now some simple some medium some super complex.


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## Destin (Sep 23, 2017)

So essentially a streaklight 360 that’s triple the price for the brand name slapped on it. 

No thanks.


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## Derrel (Sep 23, 2017)

But doesn't the Streaklight 360 offer a bare tube type of look? It looks like this flash has only the diffuser panel permanently installed, with no bare tube possibility. The advantage to a flash that allows you to use a bate tube  configuration  is that it can light in a 360° arc.


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## Destin (Sep 23, 2017)

Derrel said:


> But doesn't the Streaklight 360 offer a bare tube type of look? It looks like this flash has only the diffuser panel permanently installed, with no bare tube possibility. The advantage to a flash that allows you to use a bate tube  configuration  is that it can light in a 360° arc.



Touché. Good point.


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## Braineack (Sep 23, 2017)

and the streaklight can be bought at a 350w/s power.   The biggest problem I see with the steaklight is that need for that battery pack to power it -- so you might as well use something else...

the Flashpoint eVOLV is interesting, has the flash bulb derrel is after, integrated power-pack I'm after  -- i think it's rated at 200 w/s  which is okay, but not going to do much to fight a sun.

the Profoto A1 at 75 watt/sec, is just as powerful as say a SB-800/900, but costs $1000 and uses Profotos wireless triggering and ttl.  It also has a silly LED modeling light that wont help you in any situation.


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## benhasajeep (Sep 23, 2017)

Yup, 76 w/s.  300 full power flashes on its rechargeable battery (1 hour recharge).  Has built in wireless to work with their B1's.  Their sales pitch is smallest most portable studio light.  Has bounce cards, domes, gels, adjustable beam, swivel, and bounce just like other speedlights.


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## tecboy (Sep 23, 2017)

If it doesn't overheat at full power with a lot of flashes in a short amount of time, I may buy one and try it.


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## Braineack (Sep 23, 2017)

Youre not spending a grand on that.


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## Cody'sCaptures (Sep 23, 2017)

So you can't replace the battery on it? 300 flashes and it's done or can you swap their battery packs? Crazy expensive either way

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk


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## tecboy (Sep 23, 2017)

Profoto is know to be super-expensive.  I'm not surprised that thing is one grand.


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## Braineack (Sep 23, 2017)

You're still not going to buy it


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## cgw (Sep 24, 2017)

If you have to ask the price you can't afford it.


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## Cody'sCaptures (Sep 24, 2017)

cgw said:


> If you have to ask the price you can't afford it.


Zj? Or profoto? Either way I can't...

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk


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## Derrel (Sep 24, 2017)

Neil V's video review of this Profoto A1. This really looks like a device for the already-exisiting Profoto light users.






For people who do NOT have Profoto gear, the A1 does not look like a good "value" to me. The omni-0directional bare-bulb look he mentions is achieved by using their magnet-attaching dome diffuser, or so he says. To me though, the look of ANY small diffuser is NOT THE SAME as a bare-tube, clear-glass flash firing! A TRUE bare-tube burst is rather hard light, which can be used in the way bare-tube flash has been used for decades...using a frosted diffuser, the light is not quite the same; bare-tube looks a lot like incandescent lightbulb light. Not all that commonly needed, but, at times, it6's the best way to light a big area, in that 360-degree circle.

I dunno...this is a very high-tech light unit, and is yet another part of the Profoto universe, which is a far cry from the Streaklight or Yongnuo or Neewer universes!

A much longer, Adorama-sponsored look at the Profoto A1, 44 minutes, is here:


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## chuasam (Sep 25, 2017)

it doesn't really fit with current profoto modifiers.


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## TCampbell (Oct 19, 2017)

It supports radio via their AirTTL system (built-in), comes in E-TTL versions for both Canon & Nikon (and they also have AirTTL radio transmitters for both systems - which is the same one they use with other Profoto systems such as the Profoto B1 & B1X, etc.).  It has a built-in modeling light (I'd have loved to have that back when I started shooting at dark wedding receptions).

I'm not sure how it compares to other high-end speedlites (e.g. from Canon & Nikon) because speedlites are typically rated in "guide number" (because the reflector is fixed - it's not a bare tube) and studio strobes (which typically are bare tube) are rated in watt-seconds because the "guide number" you get really depends on which modifier you use.  

It took a bit of digging... but it DOES have an exchangeable Li-Ion battery pack.  Extra packs are already pre-orderable at B&H Photo for $99.

But there is another fairly distinct advantage... 

Suppose you are doing "event" or "on-location" photography and you want a side-light with a strong flash ... something like a Profoto B1 ... but you also want an on-camera flash.  Since the AirTTL is built-in, you can use this as your "on camera" flash and use the B1 as the "off camera" flash since the radio technology is built-in and the same.

This has some nice advantages for pros (who want to add an on-camera flash to an existing Profoto "on-location" lighting system (and I'm really thinking of the B1 or B1X system).  If I'm a photographer who only wants a single on-camera flash and I'm not looking at my flash as just being one part of a larger flash system... then there are lots of other flashes on the market that will probably do the job for less money.  The A1 is about $1000.  It's a nice flash, but it's more than even the flagship Nikon & Canon brand-name flashes.


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