Last Updated on 03/28/2020 by Mark Beckenbach
For a limited time, the Profoto A1 is a more in line with the price of other speedlights, but there are more affordable options.
The Profoto A1, a roundhead Speedlight, burst on to the scene a few years ago with an eye-watering price of $995. Since then, many manufacturers have released versions of roundhead speedlights, which cost far less, and prices of flashes and lighting have generally come down dramatically since then as well. The Profoto A1, which is a solid speedlight, seems like it has been on perma-sale for $795, but it has now dropped to $595, which still far exceeds the price of many other options out there. Let’s talk about this after the break.
We reviewed the Profoto A1 in September of 2017, and were generally impressed with the performance of the flash. But, we were shocked that $995 would get a speedlight with just 75ws of output. We praised the light for its small size, excellent battery life, and how simple it was to use, but that initial entry price left a sour taste in our mouthes. Now at $595 (for a limited time we might add), the Profoto is a more palatable, and it is a bit more in line with what you might pay for a first-party light from the likes of Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony, Olympus, etc. Still, we’re still talking about $595 for a speedlight with just 75ws of power.
Since 2017, Godox/Flashpoint has drawn inspiration from Profoto, and they have released several products that closely match Profoto lights. The Godox V1 or Flashpoint Li-Ion Zoom R2, which you can get for Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Sony, and M4/3 cameras, are almost replicas of the Profoto A1, and they are half the price of the new sale price of the A1.Â
These lights from Godox/Flashpoint do everything the Profoto A1 can do, and apart from perhaps a slightly more complex menu system than the A1, they are identical. If you really want to up your off-camera flash game, you could grab a Flashpoint XPLOR 400 Pro TTL for quite a bit less as well! Madness!
If you really love Profoto gear (and there are many reasons to like their lights), then you might want to pick up the Profoto A1 for $595 while you can. Just know that there are also other options that can get the same job done for much less money.
