Profoto has been running full speed these past few years with the expansion of its AirTTL system with new monolights, brand new lighting systems, and lightning-fast power packs. So, it is only fitting that the company has come full circle since it has just revealed the upgraded B1X 500 AirTTL Monolight 1-Light To-Go Kit and 2-Light Location Kit. This upgraded model makes a few significant improvements, including a brand-new LED modeling light, which is 80% more powerful and has a CRI greater than 90, making it a great option for hybrid stills/video shooters. It also comes packaged with an MKII battery pack, which offers a massive 50% increase over the original for 325 full-power flashes on a single charge. Pleasing users of high-speed sync, the B1X now offers a full nine stops of power adjustment in HSS mode. Owners of the original B1 will be happy to hear that the new battery is backward compatible and that the HSS changes will be available as a firmware update.
To get the most out of this new fixture you should pick up or use one of Profoto’s AirTTL Remotes, which now include an option for Olympus shooters. This Air Remote TTL-O provides all the same features and functionality as the existing models for Canon, Nikon, and Sony cameras, which includes TTL, manual control, high-speed sync, and a range of 1000'. On top of this, Profoto has a couple of other modifiers specific to the OCF line: the OCF Magnum Reflector and OCF Zoom Reflector. These hard reflectors are lightweight versions of Profoto’s existing models and help boost output and control the beam angle of the light from 40-80° and 55-85°, respectively.
