Profoto B2

Yes does look the biz Adam, I'd love something like this but I'm going to have to say that I can't really justify the outlay.
 
Slightly off top but it makes me wonder, if they can supply the OCF grids and holder and bag for £70 total why does each grid for the zoom reflector cost over £80? :mad:
 
Livin The Dream said:
Yes does look the biz Adam, I'd love something like this but I'm going to have to say that I can't really justify the outlay.
Click to expand...

I was sold on the B1 kit, but this is quite a bit cheaper, and I like the look of the new smaller light modifiers made for it. Arghhhh decisions decisions.
 
UaeExile said:
I was sold on the B1 kit, but this is quite a bit cheaper, and I like the look of the new smaller light modifiers made for it. Arghhhh decisions decisions.
Click to expand...

It's only money Adam..... you know you want it, ha.
 
UaeExile said:
I was sold on the B1 kit, but this is quite a bit cheaper, and I like the look of the new smaller light modifiers made for it. Arghhhh decisions decisions.
Click to expand...

Last time I checked the B2 was more expensive than the B1, and has half the power. Also the OCF modifiers work with the B1 as well.

Only advantage I can see from the B2 is less weight up on a light stand, unless I'm missing something...
 
matty D said:
Last time I checked the B2 was more expensive than the B1, and has half the power. Also the OCF modifiers work with the B1 as well.

Only advantage I can see from the B2 is less weight up on a light stand, unless I'm missing something...
Click to expand...

B1 Location Kit = £2682
B2 Location Kit = £1967
 
Blimey, they are good prices! Is that exc vat?

For a single light, the b1 is cheaper, but I guess as the b2 location kit only supplies one 250ws pack for 2 heads it comes in at less.

Can you get 2x 250ws from it or is it split?
 
matty D said:
Blimey, they are good prices! Is that exc vat?

For a single light, the b1 is cheaper, but I guess as the b2 location kit only supplies one 250ws pack for 2 heads it comes in at less.

Can you get 2x 250ws from it or is it split?
Click to expand...

The UAE is always cheaper than the UK, even more so when you can negotiate a discount.... Which I almost always do :D

Not sure what you mean by that?
 
matty D said:
Is it 250ws split between the two heads, or can both heads kick out 250ws at the same time?

/....goes off to look up flight prices to the UAE :)
Click to expand...

Plenty of people do it if they're making a big purchase. There's a couple of times a year during big electrical exhibitions where the local dealers put on insane deals.

Not sure on the split between heads. I'm off to GPP Week (http://gulfphotoplus.com/gpp/2015/workshops) tomorrow so I'll check it out then.
 
Quick update.

Having spent the day with the B1 and B2, I can confirm I'll be buying neither.

The Phottix Indra 500 is a very good piece of kit and looks like it'll be making its way into my line up very soon!
 
UaeExile said:
Quick update.

Having spent the day with the B1 and B2, I can confirm I'll be buying neither.

The Phottix Indra 500 is a very good piece of kit and looks like it'll be making its way into my line up very soon!
Click to expand...

What was wrong with the B1 and B2?

I like the concept behind the B2 but would have prefered an AcuteB3 around 600Ws luke the current AcuteB2 however, I imagine Profoto think that would step on the toes of the ProB4 with all those additional features. 250Ws, especually when split between the two heads is not enough IMO.
 
gazwas said:
What was wrong with the B1 and B2?

I like the concept behind the B2 but would have prefered an AcuteB3 around 600Ws luke the current AcuteB2 however, I imagine Profoto think that would step on the toes of the ProB4 with all those additional features. 250Ws, especually when split between the two heads is not enough IMO.
Click to expand...
Absolutely nothing Gaz. They are great pieces of kit, both of them.

But after spending a full day shooting with the Phottix Indra in the studio and on location, I'm all but sold.

The B1 is out of my price range just now and the B2 and Indra are very similar in terms of features. Both have ttl and hss, both have a small battery back. The Indra though is a lot cheaper, can be plugged into the mains and has 500ws over the B2s 250ws. It also has built in receivers.

Very impressed.
 
Phottix Indra is also part of the same system as Phottix Odin triggers and Mitros+ speedlights, that seems a rather handy combo.

To my eye, the Profoto B2 looks expensive compared to something like the Lencarta Atom and similar (that seems to have already got good traction in the market) perhaps limiting its appeal to existing Profoto users. The B1 with 600Ws is currently a unique proposition so avoids that kind of comparison.
 
HoppyUK said:
To my eye, the Profoto B2 looks expensive compared to something like the Lencarta Atom and similar (that seems to have already got good traction in the market) perhaps limiting its appeal to existing Profoto users. The B1 with 600Ws is currently a unique proposition so avoids that kind of comparison.
Click to expand...

It's not cheap but all things being relative for Profoto it's cheap. Perhaps more importantly the modifiers that accompany it are pretty much inline with many other brands (£70 for the full grid kit, £150 for the softbox etc). This may not seem important but if you factor in the cost of buying a B1 and modifiers this kit should be a lot cheaper.

I do wonder how well the OCF pieces would work on a Pro or Acute/D4 head, I know they warn not to but I assume it's safe if you're shooting slow and without the modelling light constantly on.

It's not really apples to apples if you compare it to the Atom, sure they're both portable solutions but a major selling point is the inbuilt TTL. I was talking to someone and they pointed out these B model have effectively replaced the AcuteB entirely and perhaps Profoto see this as a way of rounding out their product range (not that I know if it concerns them but it can't hurt them to have cheaper options considering all the other portable solutions now available).

I'd have assumed the B2 would compliment someone who already has some B1s and the reduced power shouldn't be a concern there.
 
Bit the bullet yesterday on two Indra 500's. I'll do a mini review on them later in the week and start off a new thread.
 
yeah the B2s look nice but still going for the B1 kit i think, also if people are interested the B2s have 250w per head and is not split, the ocf modifiers will work with the profoto heads that have led modelling lights as the new modifiers art very heat resistant and the led heads run cold
 
James r said:
yeah the B2s look nice but still going for the B1 kit i think, also if people are interested the B2s have 250w per head and is not split, the ocf modifiers will work with the profoto heads that have led modelling lights as the new modifiers art very heat resistant and the led heads run cold
Click to expand...

I don't think that's the case, the pack can only deliver 250w/s.

Looking at the B2 FAQ I did spot they don't want you replacing the flash tube in the B2, which surprised me as they're OK with you doing it on the rest of their range including the B1.
 
James r said:
yeah the B2s look nice but still going for the B1 kit i think, also if people are interested the B2s have 250w per head and is not split, the ocf modifiers will work with the profoto heads that have led modelling lights as the new modifiers art very heat resistant and the led heads run cold
Click to expand...

You might want to check that out as that's the opposite of what the profoto rep told me yesterday about the power output split.
 
James r said:
yeah the B2s look nice but still going for the B1 kit i think, also if people are interested the B2s have 250w per head and is not split, the ocf modifiers will work with the profoto heads that have led modelling lights as the new modifiers art very heat resistant and the led heads run cold
Click to expand...
Definitely not the case unfortunately, I asked the question on their FAQ blog post. The B2 location kit has 2 heads that share 250 ws, whilst the B1 location kit gives a total of 1000ws.
 
Yep if you read the spiel, the power comes from the pack not the head of course, and the pack is spec'ed to output a total of 250ws. It is assymetric however.
 
For OCF kit I still think ETTL is more marketing blurb than useful feature.

IMO, once the flash is 'off camera' the shooting style becomes static and remote manual flash control is all I'd want.
 
Phil V said:
For OCF kit I still think ETTL is more marketing blurb than useful feature.

IMO, once the flash is 'off camera' the shooting style becomes static and remote manual flash control is all I'd want.
Click to expand...
Agreed, although ETTL can have its uses, it's basically 'idiot insurance' that most competent shooters avoid, most of the time.
It always amazes me that so many people attribute actual value to marketing hype
 
Garry Edwards said:
Agreed, although ETTL can have its uses, it's basically 'idiot insurance' that most competent shooters avoid, most of the time.
It always amazes me that so many people attribute actual value to marketing hype
Click to expand...

While I agree with Phil's point there seems to be an awful lot of B1s floating about and it can't just be because they need a wireless flash.
 
simonbarker said:
While I agree with Phil's point there seems to be an awful lot of B1s floating about and it can't just be because they need a wireless flash.
Click to expand...
I think that a lot of people are prepared to buy anything that Profoto produce, at any price, simply because Profoto have a deservedly good reputation for producing quality gear.

The same thing applies to all quality brands, e.g. Rolls Royce, Rolex. Some people are prepared to pay high prices for the right logo, even though the performance may not be exceptional. Of course, from what I've seen of the Profoto B1, people are getting a very good product, but my perception is that most people are paying the high price for the overall performance and brand reputation, not for the ETTL capability.
 
HoppyUK said:
Phottix Indra is also part of the same system as Phottix Odin triggers and Mitros+ speedlights, that seems a rather handy combo.

To my eye, the Profoto B2 looks expensive compared to something like the Lencarta Atom and similar (that seems to have already got good traction in the market) perhaps limiting its appeal to existing Profoto users. The B1 with 600Ws is currently a unique proposition so avoids that kind of comparison.
Click to expand...
This was my first thought... the AD360 and various versions of it offer a lot for the money if you want small/power/battery. I would still prefer a "proper" AC studio head... none of the battery powered options offer a "usable" modeling light.

simonbarker said:
While I agree with Phil's point there seems to be an awful lot of B1s floating about and it can't just be because they need a wireless flash.
Click to expand...
There are a few potential advantages to TTL in a "studio environment"... remote power setting (achievable in other ways), True HSS (maybe), and possibly compatible with other TTL functions (i.e. stroboscopic). But their applicability is fairly limited and if you are not going to be making use of it you are wasting money (a lot of it in the case of Profotos)
 
James r said:
yeah the B2s look nice but still going for the B1 kit i think, also if people are interested the B2s have 250w per head and is not split, the ocf modifiers will work with the profoto heads that have led modelling lights as the new modifiers art very heat resistant and the led heads run cold
Click to expand...

250Ws total output and that is why with two heads attached the max power you can dial in on each head is 9.0 or in Ws terms, 1 stop down from full power meaning 125Ws each.

I'm not feeling theses B2's at all as they seem very bulky for little output. If you have to carry around a generator pack, battery and two heads with trailing cables why not go for something a bit heavier and get something with a useful amount of power?
 
gazwas said:
250Ws total output and that is why with two heads attached the max power you can dial in on each head is 9.0 or in Ws terms, 1 stop down from full power meaning 125Ws each.

I'm not feeling theses B2's at all as they seem very bulky for little output. If you have to carry around a generator pack, battery and two heads with trailing cables why not go for something a bit heavier and get something with a useful amount of power?
Click to expand...
For the bulk and money, a pair of Safari's would be a better bet.
 
I can't for the life of me work out why anyone would want to go for the B2 over the B1.

The B2 has less power and is more cumbersome (pack/head/leads). Admittedly it's lighter but the B1 is going to be so much easier to carry.

I can only assume Profoto felt they needed a product to match the Elinchrom Quadra and the Safari, but when they already had a product on the market that is better than those competitors I find myself scratching my head. :thinking:
 
ryanyboy said:
I can't for the life of me work out why anyone would want to go for the B2 over the B1.

The B2 has less power and is more cumbersome (pack/head/leads). Admittedly it's lighter but the B1 is going to be so much easier to carry.

I can only assume Profoto felt they needed a product to match the Elinchrom Quadra and the Safari, but when they already had a product on the market that is better than those competitors I find myself scratching my head. :thinking:
Click to expand...

They are quite a bit cheaper as well, like I said earlier. I do agree though, add Phottix Indra to that too. All very similar, but more powerful and cheaper options than the B2. Very odd.
 
Last edited:
ryanyboy said:
The B2 has less power and is more cumbersome (pack/head/leads). Admittedly it's lighter but the B1 is going to be so much easier to carry.
Click to expand...

Well, it is an easy way to add extra lights to compliment existing B1s, losing a stop or two shouldn't be a disaster there.

I think the Indra 500 should be generally superior for that but if you're already invested into Profoto it's probably more trouble than its worth.
 
I like the concept behind the B2 but would have prefered an AcuteB3 around 600Ws luke the current AcuteB2 however, I imagine Profoto think that would step on the toes of the ProB4 with all those additional features. 250Ws, especually when split between the two heads is not enough IMO.
Click to expand...

this. 250ws (between two heads lolololol) is pretty ridiculous. I guess they're pitching it as like an elinchrom quadra but not flimsy as hell, and ideally at wedding photographers, but still... way underpowered. I assume they'll be bringing out an acuteb3 in time.

The B1 is a really astonishingly good light. I've had one pretty much since launch and just ordered my second. If they made a version with a super lightweight head and a small pack (think - chop the monobloc in half!) then that'd be cool, for using on a boom etc. Bit niche though, they won't.

as for the ETTL - it has its rare uses, and profoto have got the algorithms down pretty well. I only ever use it when super run and gun-y, usually with the light handheld by an assistant. The remote control system is so simple and brilliant though that I can manually adjust very simply too.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top