# Got to see the Profoto B1's in action today!



## MOREGONE (Dec 11, 2013)

Wow is what it really boils down to.

The B1's are Profotos brand new battery powered, 500ws TTL monolight.

Aside from their price ($2,000 + $500 for the TTL trigger) these are pretty much a no compromise solution.

The speed, portability and ease of use is what was most impressive. 

Check our Mark Wallace get a pretty great shot in ~30seconds


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## Mach0 (Dec 11, 2013)

They are awesome! However, a bit much for one light IMHO. Cool features though. I just can't see how two lights will run you almost $4,500 lol.


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## MOREGONE (Dec 11, 2013)

Mach0 said:


> They are awesome! However, a bit much for one light IMHO. Cool features though. I just can't see how two lights will run you almost $4,500 lol.



I know, they are awesome by all accounts. But I just could not see dropping so much coin on lights. The whole time I was thinking in my head "you better not #$%^ing drop this"


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## Derrel (Dec 11, 2013)

Terribly expensive, but Profoto was DESIGNED as a brand to be overpriced. The *very name* of the brand was conceived as a way to dramatically ream the public.

I almost want to laugh at TTL flash control on a monolight. But hey, it's a marketing gimmick, designed to fool people with more money than experience in OCF, so hey...with a $500 transmitter...it can do TTL flash control.

My favorite Profoto accessory is the $600 globe flash diffuser...the thing that costs $5.99 at Home Depot....you know, the front porch light cover thing...overpriced only one-hundred fold. lol.


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## runnah (Dec 11, 2013)

They can't even spell "photo" right!


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## beachrat (Dec 11, 2013)

Derrel said:


> My favorite Profoto accessory is the $600 globe flash diffuser...the thing that costs $5.99 at Home Depot....you know, the front porch light cover thing...overpriced only one-hundred fold. lol.



Had to replace one of those on my garage this summer and the first thing I thought was,"I wonder what the hell this thing will look like on top of an SB-80dx"? I bought 2 of them.


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## tirediron (Dec 11, 2013)

He took 30 seconds....  I'm betting one of my beat-to-heck Speedotron M11 heads & Innovatrix inverter packs & a couple of PW +IIs could do the same thing in 2 minutes for <$500!  I can live with that!


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## Derrel (Dec 11, 2013)

The Profoto globe has gone up another $75...it is now priced at $675 at B&H Photo.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/141168-REG/Profoto_100673_Pro_Globe_and_Ring.html


http://strobist.blogspot.fr/2012/04/home-depot-homebrew-of-643-profoto.html


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## MOREGONE (Dec 12, 2013)

Derrel said:


> I almost want to laugh at TTL flash control on a monolight. But hey, it's a marketing gimmick, designed to fool people with more money than experience in OCF, so hey...with a $500 transmitter...it can do TTL flash control.




I would have to disagree considering they have battery packs and are for those who need power out in the field. People probably aren't buying these for 100% studio work. Their getting them for working on sight where conditions change. The TTL is very good btw. With a model in black shirt on a black background it nailed exposure first try. The only time it got confused was using a large softoax as the background for a pure white exposure, it did under expose as you would expect in that situation.

Plus, using TTL you can change the properties of the light without changing the exposure. Like the exposure but want harder light? Move the unit away form the subject. Want to soften the light and keep the exposure the same, throw a softbox on and get the light real close, same exposure with out changing anything, but softer light.

But another thing I really liked is that when you go from TTL to Manual, it stays at the last power setting. Unlike Speedlights which go back to the last Manual setting you used. this Hybrid mode as they call it allows you setup your key light in TTL for example, flip it over to manual, then add in your rim lights etc as not to confuse the TTL (which is not super easy to do)


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## Derrel (Dec 12, 2013)

TTL flash control and studio flashes. Again...that's basically an appeal to the novice buyer. Sorry, but I can determine the proper exposure myself, without needing a flash to try and out-think me, and coming up with shot-to-shot variability. I actually KNOW what it is that "I wish to achieve", so the idea that I would allow an automated system to determine my flash exposure and how that relates to my ambient light exposure...is pretty ridiculous.

Sorry...I just spent three days watching Tony Corbell's monolight flash course called "the Power of Control",and I've been a studio flash shooter since 1986...I don't actually WANT TTL yo-yo-ing my flash power up and down and up and down and up and down, depending on the color of a woman's blouse, or which AF point happens to be active.

TTL flash control in multiple light setups is a joke. But is is a neat way to sell a $19 CONTROLLER for $500, which does fatten up the profit margins for dealers and Profoto, by yet again, another obscene amount. Like Profoto's $675 front porch globe light accessory. Pshaw.


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## MOREGONE (Dec 12, 2013)

It's apparent the light is not for you, and your uses. Thats cool. But doesn't mean its for novice and in fact I would wager few novices will buy these.

If price was not a consideration, I really doubt people would turn them down in favor of old school lights. But to each their own..

Some people are so resistant to advancement.


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## Mach0 (Dec 12, 2013)

MOREGONE said:


> It's apparent the light is not for you, and your uses. Thats cool. But doesn't mean its for novice and in fact I would wager few novices will buy these.  If price was not a consideration, I really doubt people would turn them down in favor of old school lights. But to each their own..  Some people are so resistant to advancement.




It's a cool light. I can see it having it's quirks.


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## tirediron (Dec 12, 2013)

I have to agree with Derrel on this; I really don't see the point in TTL capable monolights.  When I get my lights set up the way I want, the last thing I want is the results to to change because the computer decided that something had changed.


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## amolitor (Dec 12, 2013)

It seems like the TTL is intended to be used almost like a flash meter? Which begs the question -- why not use a flash meter?


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## runnah (Dec 12, 2013)

TTL is for babies.


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## Derrel (Dec 12, 2013)

If this device were made by Profoto, it would be priced at only $789.99. Great value,right?


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## MOREGONE (Dec 12, 2013)

amolitor said:


> It seems like the TTL is intended to be used almost like a flash meter? Which begs the question -- why not use a flash meter?




I guess Flash Meters are for Novices. Cool old schoolers only need their eyes and extra time. Plus its easier to walk around to each light then to change it on the fly.


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## amolitor (Dec 12, 2013)

The main use seems to be that you don't have to do any tests at all to get close, right? You set up, and you shoot, and starting from the word go your exposures are pretty much in the ballpark.

It's a narrow use case, but it's probably a real one. Maybe you're shooting exceedingly rich people at a charity event, and they're going to give you 30 seconds. You and your assistants roll up, place the lights, POP POP POP, done, you've got three probably usable exposures. It's a weird case, because you're working run-and-gun with a bunch of monolights, but if you're in that situation nothing else much is going to do.

I think a strong argument can be made that this is what speedlights are for, but I think a decent counter argument can be made that if you're shoo... err, photographing presidents, you should be getting the very best possible pictures, and a few thousand bucks is chump change.


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## tirediron (Dec 12, 2013)

MOREGONE said:


> amolitor said:
> 
> 
> > It seems like the TTL is intended to be used almost like a flash meter? Which begs the question -- why not use a flash meter?
> ...


Being able to control all your lights from one point is definitely a plus, but that's not the point.  Most photographers that I know that use lights of this calibre have very specific end-results in mind and would NOT want the light making a decision for them.  It does indeed seem more like a marketing ploy than anything.  Goooooooooo Speedotron!


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## MOREGONE (Dec 12, 2013)

amolitor said:


> I think a strong argument can be made that this is what speedlights are for, but I think a decent counter argument can be made that if you're shoo... err, photographing presidents, you should be getting the very best possible pictures, and a few thousand bucks is chump change.



These could be used in place of speedlights in most cases. But the kicker is they're 500ws, that's like 10 Speedlights. You can get 50,000 flashes on the lowest power setting with each battery that you can easily swap. No, that is not a typo. 50,000.


One of the uses someone talked about yesterday was photographing cyclists at the end of a marathon. The photographer explained that light changes across the day as the athletes come in and his lights are mounted out of reach. He was very interested in power, mobility and ease of use.

Sure, they're not for everyone, but nobody said it was.


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## amolitor (Dec 12, 2013)

You can run speedlights on battery packs too, though. I think the use cases for the TTL feature are genuinely very narrow. You really have to need monolight-specific features combined with speedlight features.


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## runnah (Dec 12, 2013)

amolitor said:


> You can run speedlights on battery packs too, though. I think the use cases for the TTL feature are genuinely very narrow. You really have to need monolight-specific features combined with speedlight features.



TTL is great for on camera run and gun type events. I used it today when I had to shoot an event in changing light where I had maybe 10 seconds with each person. In every instance where I have taken the time to setup speedlights or strobes I have also had the time to dial in the proper settings. Personally I see no benefit for me to have TTL on my remotes.


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## Derrel (Dec 12, 2013)

Somebody seems to be mixing in the ability to remotely control flash power via remote control, with TTL flash decision-making: the first technology has been around for a looooong time. The second ability, allowing the TTL sensor to make the exposure decisions on a $2,500 studio type flash...well, that's a BRAND NEW technology.

I can see a pair of these being popular with really wealthy MWAC-type shooters who want to buy monolights, and have a status symbol that can make the exposure decisions for them in simple baby- and child-photography scenarios.


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## runnah (Dec 12, 2013)

Derrel said:


> Somebody seems to be mixing in the ability to remotely control flash power via remote control, with TTL flash decision-making: the first technology has been around for a looooong time. The second ability, allowing the TTL sensor to make the exposure decisions on a $2,500 studio type flash...well, that's a BRAND NEW technology.
> 
> I can see a pair of these being popular with really wealthy MWAC-type shooters who want to buy monolights, and have a status symbol that can make the exposure decisions for them in simple baby- and child-photography scenarios.



Is it me?


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## amolitor (Dec 12, 2013)

Well, if you really want a full on three light setup with modifiers and stuff, and you really want to set up in 30 seconds, and you have enough assistants to make actually do that, then:

1) this is probably a good choice
2) you certainly don't care about a few grand for lights and stuff
3) you're probably one of about 10 guys on the planet

Much more likely to be bought because it's expensive than useful, but that doesn't mean it's not useful to some people. Most Deagles are not sold to serious target shooters, despite the fact that this is the only thing they're really good for. Doesn't mean it's not a good target pistol.


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