New Elinchrom IGBT Light

[mike weeks]

From the people that said IGBT was not the way to go, that Tail Sync was better we bring you an IGBT light http://www.elinchrom.com/battery/elb500ttl.html

Mike

 

[Finste]

Looks like a tasty bit of kit that will fit well into Elinchrom's lineup. Don't know if it will sway anyone into the Elinchrom lineup though as 500WS, TTL and IGBT has been done by so many other manufacturers. And usually cheaper as well.

Regards...

 

[simonbarker]

So that's why they dropped the price on the ELB 400 not too long ago, I'd be a little sore if I just bought the 400.

ELB 400 To go set £1249
ELB 500 To go set £1500
ELB 1200 To go set £3300

There's only one head for the ELB 500 but unless I'm missing something is there any reason to opt for the ELB 400 now as the 500 seems to do everything better? It's a little heavier but I'm not seeing much downside otherwise.

 

[redsnappa]

Elinchrom are very late to the IGBT party. Most people who want IGBT strobes now have it.

 

[Garry Edwards]

Well, better late than never
I can't agree with their statements that it has 10x the power of on-camera flash, or that it's "the most powerful and portable TTL light ever designed for adventurous portrait photographers shooting both in studio and on location."

I have a lot of respect, both for the Company and the people running it, and can only hope that this new model will help them to regain some market share, but I think that it may be too little too late.

 

[Finste]

Looks like you need a new remote unit as well to access the HSS functioanlity. The Skyport Pro which looks a bit like the Skyport HS.

Shame they don't bundle it in the ToGo kit. So add another 250-300 to the 1500 price.

Regards...

 

[Phil V]

Looks like you need a new remote unit as well to access the HSS functioanlity. The Skyport Pro which looks a bit like the Skyport HS.

Shame they don't bundle it in the ToGo kit. So add another 250-300 to the 1500 price.

Regards...

How is it a ‘to go’ kit without the transmitter?

 

[Finste]

How is it a ‘to go’ kit without the transmitter?

Perhaps because they include a sync-cord for basic functionality

Regards...

 

[simonbarker]

Did someone else make the pack for them or something?

Why on earth are they bringing out a new charger, a new head, a new battery and a new transmitter for products which overlap their existing kit?

 

[redsnappa]

Why on earth are they bringing out a new charger, a new head, a new battery and a new transmitter for products which overlap their existing kit?

To erm make more money?

 

[HoppyUK]

Hoorah! And the spec looks promising too

I just hope it's a sign of more to come. Launching a single unit like this is not enough, location photographers face a multitude of difficulties and need a range of weapons for various tasks, eg a good speedlight, as well as this and maybe something inbetween around 250Ws, plus of course a good trigger/controller to manage everything. Elinchrom needs an IGBT location 'system' like Profoto, Godox and Phottix. Just a standalone unit in this sector is almost like launching a new DSLR without a range of lenses.

It's a two-piece unit, not monolight, which is fine but a shame to miss out on the modular approach like Godox and have the best of both.
They've missed a great opportunity to drop that daft EL adapter that's needed for proper modifiers.
How good is the colour at different power settings?
The price is, predictably, pretty scary.

I wonder if Phottix has a hand in this? Elinchrom already has one leg in bed with them and on the face of it looks like a very good partnership. Phottix has strong IGBT technology and good products, including speedlights, that have failed to make much impact. The strength and reach of the Elinchrom brand could fix that to mutual benefit.

 

[HoppyUK]

Having googled around, there have been a few units handed out to tame bloggers. They're all gushing of course, though there's quite a bit of info hidden in this wordy review
https://www.hansvaneijsden.com/elb-500-ttl-experience-new-elinchrom-flash/amp/

- There is indeed major cooperation with Phottix - it also works with the excellent Phottix Odin II system and can work directly with Phottix Mitros speedlights, and most others via add-on Phottix receivers, or alongside Phottix Indra 360 and 500 heads. Very smart move
- It looks like Elinchrom has been clever on the colour front. Not totally clear on this, but perhaps a combination of IGBT tweaks, voltage adjustment, plus mixing and matching multiple capacitors. Promising
- Power is said to be up on competitors' HSS output, possibly around one stop brighter than the Profoto B1X. If true, that's a killer feature.

No doubt we can check it all out at The Photography Show in a couple of weeks time (and the Godox AD600-Pro)

 

[paul williams]

Well for myself I'm still considering an ELB 400 kit as I've never used or wanted TTL functionality. The current HS trigger can be used with the ELB 500 as a TTL trigger with a software update so that's good news for current users, I'm just going to hang on for a few weeks and see what ELB 400 deals turn up, either new or second hand!

 

[Finste]

Well for myself I'm still considering an ELB 400 kit as I've never used or wanted TTL functionality. The current HS trigger can be used with the ELB 500 as a TTL trigger with a software update so that's good news for current users, I'm just going to hang on for a few weeks and see what ELB 400 deals turn up, either new or second hand!

The software update for the current Skyport HS trigger is good news. However the spec states that the Skyport Pro is required for HSS.

Regards...

 

[arthurbikemad]

The software update for the current Skyport HS trigger is good news. However the spec states that the Skyport Pro is required for HSS.

Regards...

I think Firmware v2.10 gives all "Pro" features to HS including HSS, I've installed it on my HS but don't have a 500 (Yet ), I have asked the question to Eli, 99% sure thats the case..

Edit:- Confirmed from Elinchrom, V2.10 upgrades the Skyport HS to full HSS/TTL (Same as Pro ver) when used with the 500.

 

[simonbarker]

Well for myself I'm still considering an ELB 400 kit as I've never used or wanted TTL functionality. The current HS trigger can be used with the ELB 500 as a TTL trigger with a software update so that's good news for current users, I'm just going to hang on for a few weeks and see what ELB 400 deals turn up, either new or second hand!

I've not really looked into it and only played around with the ELB 400 a little but besides a small cost and weight saving what's the attraction of the ELB 400 over the 500?

 

[HoppyUK]

I've not really looked into it and only played around with the ELB 400 a little but besides a small cost and weight saving what's the attraction of the ELB 400 over the 500?

Not much on the face of it, except that the ELB400 uses High Sync instead of High-Speed Sync of course. Leaving aside all the other pros and cons, HS is substantially brighter. The ELB400 in HS mode actually beats twinned Godox AD600 heads in HSS mode into the 1200Ws head.

 

[Ecco]

Not much on the face of it, except that the ELB400 uses High Sync instead of High-Speed Sync of course. Leaving aside all the other pros and cons, HS is substantially brighter. The ELB400 in HS mode actually beats twinned Godox AD600 heads in HSS mode into the 1200Ws head.

Wow seriously? So I take it the ad600 hacked hypersync isn't as powerful as the elb400 hs?

 

[HoppyUK]

Wow seriously? So I take it the ad600 hacked hypersync isn't as powerful as the elb400 hs?

No, you shouldn't take it like that. AD600 is more powerful than the ELB400, very much in line with the stated Ws rating. You can hack any flash unit for hypersync (High Sync) and if it has a long flash duration it will work. Hypersync is basically a triggering and sync timing thing. The AD600 is actually well suited to hypersync with a long flash duration (only at full power) and some Godox triggers can work with it, but it's an 'unofficial' feature.

 

[mike weeks]

No, you shouldn't take it like that. AD600 is more powerful than the ELB400, very much in line with the stated Ws rating. You can hack any flash unit for hypersync (High Sync) and if it has a long flash duration it will work. Hypersync is basically a triggering and sync timing thing. The AD600 is actually well suited to hypersync with a long flash duration (only at full power) and some Godox triggers can work with it, but it's an 'unofficial' feature.

And this ELB will have HS but only at full power according to an Elinchrom demonstrator I spoke with

Mike

 

[paul williams]

I've not really looked into it and only played around with the ELB 400 a little but besides a small cost and weight saving what's the attraction of the ELB 400 over the 500?

I don't need the power, I'd probably keep this for use indoors, just want a small heads to get into those difficult places and the strobe & delay facilities - Oh, there is already a considerable saving with some ELB 400 kits over the 500 - for instance; 1x pack, 2x batteries, 2x heads, hard case and Skyport plus for £1399, which is actually rather good value in my book when you consider the "to go" set price of £1249. I'm also already seeing quite a few secondhand ELB 400 sets showing up for sale, so expect prices for these to fall as well.

And a quick edit to add that I've never been an early adopter of newly launched kit, and usually wait sometime to make sure all the bugs are sorted out, or better still till the new model comes out with facilities I usually don't need that pushes down the price of the earlier version.

 

[DG Phototraining]

As an aside - I had ot Google "IGBT" to see what some of you were on about, and when I read the definition I still don't know

So I'm going with the view that, it doesn't matter what it means so long as it works - simples - I like simples

I've dabbled with iTTL flash and found it to be utterly unreliable for my needs, hence I really wouldn't bother paying any extra for it as a feature, but something that would fire at well above the flash sync speed might be useful - any suggestions for power & transmitter that does that? (cheapish of course)

Dave

 

[mike weeks]

As an aside - I had ot Google "IGBT" to see what some of you were on about, and when I read the definition I still don't know

Just means a transistor that can switch the power off and on quickly - IGBT flashes work on switching off the power when output is at correct level (so a fully charged flash may only deliver a fraction of what it is capable of and the rest of the charge stays and the system gets topped up ready for the next flash), older studio flashes used capacitors where you just charged them up to the level you wanted to use.

On camera flashes have been IGBT for many a long year

Mike

 

[HoppyUK]

As an aside - I had ot Google "IGBT" to see what some of you were on about, and when I read the definition I still don't know

So I'm going with the view that, it doesn't matter what it means so long as it works - simples - I like simples

I've dabbled with iTTL flash and found it to be utterly unreliable for my needs, hence I really wouldn't bother paying any extra for it as a feature, but something that would fire at well above the flash sync speed might be useful - any suggestions for power & transmitter that does that? (cheapish of course)

Dave

IGBT power regulation, as used in speedlights forever, is the technology that gives us:
- auto-TTL exposure control
- proper HSS (pulsed High Speed Sync, as opposed to hypersync, tail-sync, High Sync, Super-Sync or various other confusing terms)
- very short flash durations, like 1/10,000sec and less

Voltage power regulation, as used in all studio-type heads until recently, can't do any of those things. It has some advantages but on balance IGBT ticks more boxes.