Last Updated on 12/04/2024 by Chris Gampat
It’s easy to look at Profoto lights and wonder why they’re sometimes so damn expensive — such as in the case of the new Profoto B3. Lots of folks tend to go for LEDs simply because they’re easier to work with and they really don’t know how to light. That’s a song as old as photography itself and is further marinated in the fact that lots of modern photography lacks real creativity. But the magic of using a studio strobe and a flash is often that you’re shooting something that can’t be seen with the human eye. And for that, LEDs at comparable price points are often lacking the muscle power to climb the mountain. So when you take a look at the new Profoto B3, you’d be quite surprised at what you’re getting.
Profoto B3 Specs
Here are the important tidbits for real photographers that make it stand out from all of their other lights:
- 750 Watt seconds
- Boasting 0.01 recycle time
- Up to 1/15,900 second flash duration. That’s probably more than the now discontinued B10.
- 6,300 lm of continuous light using the LED built in, just in case you need to use it as a constant light. That’s not as powerful as some of Nanlite’s LEDs, but those constant lights still can’t do what a flash can
- 100 air channels, which is great for ensuring that the light can’t interfere with other radio channels if you’re ever shooting alongside another photographer
- These lights seem to be replacing the B2, which were tethered to a power pack. The latest pack is the B11.
Below are the specs for the new Profoto B3 from their website listing:
Overview
- Product name: Profoto Pro-B3
- Regulatory modelPCA1639
Flash
- Max energy: 750 Ws
- Energy range: 11 f-stops (0.8 – 750 Ws)
- Energy control increments: 0.1 f-stops (0.1-10)
- Recycling time: Eco mode: 0.01-2.0 s
Boost/Freeze mode: 0.01-2.3 s - Energy stability: <0.03 f-stop at energy 3.0-10
<0.06 f-stop at energy 0.1-2.9 - Flash modes: Eco (Normal), Boost and Freeze
- Flash duration: t0.1Eco mode: 1/600 s (10) – 1/5,500 s (0.1)
Boost mode: 1/600 s (10) – 1/5,500 s (0.1)
Freeze mode: 1/600 s (10) – 1/15,900 s (0.1) - Flash duration t0.5Eco mode: 1/1,900 s (10) – 1/7,000 s (0.1)
Boost mode: 1/1,900 s (10) – 1/7,000 s (0.1)
Freeze mode: 1/1,900 s (10) – 1/75,000 s (0.1) - Color temperature: Eco mode: 6300K ±100K
Boost mode: 6300K ±100K
Freeze mode: 6400K (10) -9000K (0.1) - F-stop @ 2m / 100 ISOBare: 22 6/10
Magnum: 45 4/10
OCF Magnum: 32 9/10 - Beam angle: 65°
- Field angle: 106°
Continuous light
- Lamp type: LED
- Max luminous flux (lumen): 6,300 lm
- Max illuminance @ 1meter: (lux)Bare: 2,380 lx
Magnum: 16,540 lx
OCF Magnum: 25,530 lx - Dimming range: 100-1 %
- Color temperature: 5600 K ±100 K
- Color rendering index (CRI)>92
- Beam angle: 65°
- Field angle: 105°
- Max power: 56 W
Wireless connectivity
- Built-in connectivity: Profoto AirX
- Frequency band: 2,4 Ghz
- Supported Air functions: Sync, TTL, HSS, Remote control (Air 1 and Air 2)
- Number of Air channels: 100 (1-100)
- Number of groups per Air Channel: 6 (A-F)
- Wireless operating range With Profoto remotes: 0.5 – 100 m (1.5- 330 ft)*
With Bluetooth devices: 0.1- 30 m (0.3-90 ft)
* in optimal conditions up to 300 m (1000 ft) - Supported apps for Bluetooth devicesProfoto Camera and Profoto Control apps
Connectors
- Sync1 x 3.5 mm socket (mini-phone)
- OtherUSB-C service port
Powering
- Power supply: Profoto Li-Ion Battery 4S2P
- Battery capacity: Min 78,32 Wh
up to 250 full power flashes
up to 60 minutes full continuous light - Battery charger: Profoto Battery Charger 5A
- Battery charging time: 90 minutes
Other
- Firmware update: via Bluetooth
- Photocell/IR-slave: Yes
- Stand adapter: Yes for standard 5/8 studs
- Umbrella mount: Yes (in stand adapter)
- Operation temperature: 0 °C to +35 °C
+32 °F to +95 °F - Storage temperature: Store in normal indoor conditions
Measurements
- Width: 14.0 cm / 5.5 in
- Length: 34.5 cm / 13.58 in
- Height: 20.0 cm / 7.87 in
- Weight: 3.45 kg / 7.6 ln (without battery)
4.0 kg / 8.8 in (with battery)
But Why is It Nearly $4,000?
This light is designed for studios and outdoor photographers who have to do a lot of work with overpowering the sun. However, Profoto doesn’t put a durability rating on this light and doesn’t talk about its weather resistance. This is a bigger problem than you’d think when you’re outdoors on a set. Surely, this light isn’t for everyone. But it’s very powerful and capable.
Profoto’s launch video shows a photographer using it in the field, working to overpower the sun. If you don’t know any better, then you wouldn’t realize that a weaker light can do this. We did a similar test in the deserts of Sedona years ago when we tested the Sony a7r III on a press trip. To that end, I don’t think that it’s a great way of showing off what this light can do.
In our years of reviewing products and interviewing photographers, we’ve interviews lots who use Profoto lights. In fact, we even did a roundup of them a while back. Photographers who would probably need this level of power are:
- Matthew Joseph: Overpowering the city’s light can be a challenge
- Henriette Sabroe Ebbesen needs to overpower the sun and mirrors
- Kremer and Johnson need it to overpower the light outdoors
- Jarle Hvidsten can’t do the work he does photographing native people without Profoto
- Jean-Yves Lemoigne also needs to overpower the sun to make really unique photographs and he also needs the recycle time
- Adam Pretty arguably needs the power of Profoto lights to photograph skaters the way he does with minimal post-production
- Yannick Schurwanz combined Profoto lights with Nanlite products
If anything, the Profoto B3 is really for a photographer who needs the extra power.
Transparently, too, we haven’t done the testing of this light, and Profoto hasn’t reached out to offer it to us. So we’re basing our analysis (not our review) off the fact that we’ve tested nearly all of Profoto’s lights.
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