The Profoto name is legendary for many reasons. For me after 20+ years as a professional wedding & portrait photographer, the word that comes to mind is longevity. Profoto lighting equipment just works, and never lets you down. Other things that come to mind are the quality of the light itself, and the reliability of the system as a whole. Today, Profoto is announcing two new strobes, the Profoto B20 and the Profoto B30. Building on the Profoto B10 line of strobes, both the B20 and B30 offer a host of improvements.
The studio lighting strobe market has come a long way since wired sync cables, heavy power cables, and other annoying accessories like Pocket Wizards. Now, Profoto is offering an all-around cutting-edge solution. The Profoto B20 and B30 offer more than just sheer power: They’re refined in their design, more versatile in their power and battery life, and also more capable for specialized types of lighting work, whether you’re doing photo or video work.
We are working on an in-depth review; in the meantime, here are the specs and the highlights!
**Photo Credit for Featured Image (Above): Evan Naka
Profoto B20 Specifications
MAX OUTPUT (Flash Power): 250 Ws
RECYCLE TIME: 0.01s-1.2s (Boost/Freeze Mode), 0.01-1.1s (Eco Mode)
FLASH DURATION (T0.1):
Eco mode: 1/500 s (10) – 1/10800 s (0.1)
Boost mode: 1/500 s (10) – 1/10300 s (0.1)
Freeze mode: 1/500 s (10) – 1/11700 s (0.1)
FLASH DURATION (T0.5):
Eco mode: 1/1500 s (10) – 1/14500 s (0.1)
Boost mode: 1/1500 s (10) – 1/15200 s (0.1)
Freeze mode: 1/1500 s (10) – 1/38100 s (0.1)
COLOR TEMPERATURE:
Eco mode: 6000K +-100K
Boost mode: 6000K +-100K
Freeze mode: 6000K (10) – 9000K (0.1)
CONTINUOUS LIGHT:
40 W brightness, (5000 lm) 2800-7000K color temperature, dimming range 100% to 1%
Profoto B30 Specifications
MAX OUTPUT (Flash Power): 500 Ws
RECYCLE TIME: 0.01s-2.1s (Boost/Freeze Mode), 0.01-1.8s (Eco Mode)
FLASH DURATION (T0.1):
Eco mode: 1/300 s (10) – 1/5000 s (0.1)
Boost mode: 1/300 s (10) – 1/6200 s (0.1)
Freeze mode: 1/300 s (10) – 1/9800 s (0.1)
FLASH DURATION (T0.5):
Eco mode: 1/900 s (10) – 1/10700 s (0.1)
Boost mode: 1/900 s (10) – 1/13800 s (0.1)
Freeze mode: 1/900 s (10) – 1/21100 s (0.1)
STROBE COLOR TEMPERATURE:
Eco mode: 6000K +-100K
Boost mode: 6000K +-100K
Freeze mode: 6000K (10) – 9000K (0.1)
CONTINUOUS LIGHT:
40 W brightness, (5000 lm) 2800-7000K color temperature, dimming range 100% to 1%
Profoto B20 & Profoto B30 Press Release
You can read the full press release here; we’ll go over the key highlights of this duo of new flashes. Mainly, the B20 and B30 are a new generation of the Profoto B10 series, of course. This means that right off the bat, their build quality is incredibly durable, and their design is intuitively functional.
Going above and beyond their 10-series predecessors, the B20 and B30 also offer a recycle time that is 13% faster. Furthermore, the strobe flashes have a few key features that add versatility: You can choose one of three different flash modes: ECO mode offers maximum battery life, Boost mode offers the most power possible, and Freeze mode offers the shortest flash duration (T0.5 and T0.1 times) for extremely high-speed subjects.
For those who either do video or who just want to use a constant light when conditions allow, the Profoto B20 and B30 also offer an improved bi-color LED light. It’s 50% brighter, and ranges from 2800-7000K.
Wireless control can be achieved using the Profoto AirX remote system. The simple, ultra-compact Profoto Connect device works like a charm, with wireless power control happening using the (bluetooth connected) mobile app. There’s also the Profoto Connect Pro, which has an extensive interface for directly controlling multiple wireless strobes.
All in all, I’m delighted with the potential these two lights have. Owning both of them for a full on-location studio setup would be any serious professional portrait photographer’s dream.
Three Flash Modes For Maximum Versatility
Indeed, not all strobe flashes are created equal. Aside from the sheer physical quality of a strobe, there are a few other subtle details that all serious portrait photographers should be aware of. For example, the exact color of a strobe is important for high-end commercial & editorial work, and many strobes aren’t consistent; they can suffer from either temperature or tint issues depending on the brightness, or even between two identical units. Profoto’s reputation for color fidelity is well-established in this regard.
Furthermore, iIn the case of the Profoto B20 and B20, the light itself is giving three different strobes all in one! That is, the Eco, Boost, and Freeze modes, as outlined above. This diversity of performance greatly enhances these flashes’ overall usefulness.
Profoto B20 & Profoto B30 VS Profoto B10X Plus
Although the numbers in the names might suggest that the B10 is half the power of the B20, and ⅓ the power of the B30, the Watt-seconds noted the spec sheets clear things up: the B10X Plus offers 500 Ws of power, which is double the B10X.
Overall, it’s more than just the sheer power of output. The B 20 and B30 both offer a host of significant improvements versus the B-series predecessors. The recycle times are improved, and the constant LED light is brighter. Lastly, the three power modes, (Eco, Boost, & Freeze) add versatility to the new duo.
Conclusion | In-Depth Review In Progress
We are currently putting these two strobes through their paces in some of the most demanding conditions that we can find, (all-day Hindu wedding portraits in the hot summer sun!) …and we will report back to you as soon as that review is complete! For more information, check out the Profoto website.
