Review: Comparing the new Elinchrom THREE to the Profoto B10X / B10 250ws battery powered monolight
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- Опубликовано: 28 июн 2024
- in this video I’m going to review the new Elinchrom THREE, a 261 watt-second compact battery powered flash unit! I am also going to compare Elinchrom vs. Profoto.
Elinchrom THREE One Light Kit
Adorama howl.me/ckOHJkaLdm0
Amazon
B&H bhpho.to/46Sg90q
Elinchrom THREE Two Light Kit
Adorama howl.me/ckOHKuk7x2V
Amazon
B&H bhpho.to/46BxRW2
Profoto B10X
Amazon howl.me/ckMGN2YTtfB
Amazon amzn.to/45tFRHl
B&H bhpho.to/3PWUa1d
Click here for a full list of all the gear I use shop.howl.me/JohnGress
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The Elinchrom THREE is a new portable off-camera flash unit that is around the size of a 70 to 200mm lens. It will produce 525 full power 261 watt second flashes on a single charge of the integrated lithium ion battery. It features TTL and HSS as well.
And if you’re running low on power during a shoot, you can charge the light with any USB-C power source while you’re shooting. You don’t have to turn it off to charge it.
Will get into all the specs, including the 1.2 second recycle time as I compare the light to its closest competitor the Profoto B10X and I will share with you the results of several tests I conducted over the past few weeks with the THREE and a Profoto B10. These tests were the most extensive tests I have ever conducted on any lights over the course of my career. Plus I’ll also show you the results I got from two photo shoots. And if you stick around til the end, I’ll share with you what I learned while making this video and how I am going to change the way I shoot going forward. This will be great information for everyone, regardless of wether or not you’re planning on purchasing a new light.
To give you a little bit of background. I switched over from Profoto to Elinchrom in 2019 mostly because I loved their modifiers and over the past few years Elinchrom has hired me on occasion to speak in a trade show booths and make content for their RUclips channel. They also gave me the Elinchrom THREE, but they did not pay me to make this video and in fact, they gave me the light without me promising to make any content whatsoever. They also did not have any editorial control over this video.
So as always, I am here to share with you what I have learned and if you’d like to help support me to make more videos like this, please click on the links above.
Specifications
The compact Elinchom THREE will fit in any modifier made for the Profoto system and it comes with a nice adapter that will allow you to use it with any of the standard Elinchrom modifiers. It uses the Elinchrom radio system, however you could trigger it with Profoto lights by turning on the photocell.
The Elinchom THREE also comes with a knob AND a lever to secure the tilt mechanism.
It’s predecessor the Elinchom ONE came with a rubber adapter and only had a knob on the tilt mechanism. Unfortunately, I had difficulty keeping large modifiers in place with that light.
Lineup
The Elinchrom THREE is exactly half the power of the Elinchrom FIVE and twice the power of the Elinchrom ONE. The ONE was just strong enough to shoot outdoors with high speed sync in small modifiers, so having one more stop of power will make this light more attractive for many users. If you plan on using a large softbox outdoors, or a beauty dish, the Elinchrom FIVE would be a better choice given the fact that it has twice the power and an umbrella hole inside of the octa ring to accommodate the deflector discs for Elinchrom Beauty Dishes.
Recycle time
The Elinchrom THREE can recycle in 1.2 seconds at full power, which is slightly faster than a Profoto B10X which recycles in 1.3 seconds. I conducted a test with the Elinchrom THREE at full power, and confirmed that the recycle time is exactly 1.2 seconds.
Batteries
As I mentioned earlier the Elinchrom THREE internal battery is capable of 525 full power flashes and you can charge it with the Included charger in only one hour and 40 minutes. Plus, you can charge it in general with any USB-C power source and that includes your ability to do so while you’re shooting. The come in really helpful as Ive used power banks and my MacBook charger to keep Elinchrom lights charged up on set.
On the other hand, the Profoto B10x battery is capable of 400 flashes and you have to use the proprietary charger.
Modeling lamp
The Elinchrom THREE appears to share the same 20-watt bi-color modeling lamp as the Elinchrom one which produces 3000 lumens of light which is quite comparable to the 24 watt 3200 lumen modeling lamp in the B10 X
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:13 Form Factor
02:47 Specifications
03:32 Recycle Time
03:50 Batteries
04:25 Modeling Lamp
04:41 Power Range
05:05 Flash Duration
13:01 Brightness Test Results
14:25 Softlighter Test
14:55 Color and Luminance Stability Test
15:21 Conclusions
16:20 Sekonic Light Meters
17:00 Elinchrom App
17:51 - Key Takeaway 
Хобби
I've used Elinchrom and Profoto side by side for nearly 40 years. Both have been great, reliable lights. I'm glad to see Elinchrom is still in business. I don't think Profoto is really the competitor they're threatened by. It's the Chineses lights, Godox, Flashpoint, etc.. The one thing you can't test, yet, that will prove to be key is the durability and dependability of the new Elinchroms. Oh and, a 500K shift can be obvious on human skin, that's not acceptable. Have fun correcting dozens of photos after a wedding or other event. That's where the cost difference between brands comes in.
nice review, I think these lights will be mainly bought by photographers that shoot on-location, (say in an office doing corporate portraits, or outside shoots), so portability, form factor and robustness may have a large weighting on these portable battery operated lights. The B10 X 250Ws is 1.5kg at 17.5cm long (USD1795), B10 X plus at 500Ws is 1.9kg at 23.5cm long (USD2195), while Elinchrom Three at 261 Ws is 1.6kg at 24.5cm long (USD1000) . The B10X plus is almost the same size as the Three, yet gives 250Ws more power (so more useful for outdoor shoots) and is 300g lighter, but more than twice as expensive. Your review indicates the B10X and Three lights are great. It would be up to the photographer to weigh up size / power output and costs, to decide which light to get. I have only in the past used the Quad Ranger and wasn't too happy with the trigger, am sure the newer lights are much better. With the B10 plus the trigger is 100% reliable. Am using the larger portable Elinchrom modifers with the B10 plus as they are easier to setup.
Great review John. I’m glad to see Elinchrom stepping it up. Always loved their lights.
Thanks Paul!
You always have great explanations and information
Thanks Jefry! I appreciate that!
Absolutely love Elinchrom... Been using them for more than 10 years and never had any issues with them. Neither have I the desire to switch brands. I think the "Three" would be a great addition to my kit. Thanks for the great review.
Thanks Miguel. Glad to hear it!
Thank you John
Man I am still on the fence
Not having a soles light and only having 4 groups holds me back
Thank you
Thanks! Did you mean Speed light? I use the groups like this. 1=Main, 2=FIll or Background, 3=Kicker, 4=hair. Rarely am I using a a background and a fill, but in those cases I just walk over and change it.
Great video as always John!
Thanks Keith! Glad you enjoyed it
Thank you for the comparison, full of useful insight.
Thanks! Glad it was helpful.
Really great review, John.
Thanks Alan! Glad you liked it.
Awesome video John!! Can't wait to try one of these bad boys out!! :D
That’s Aaron! I can’t wait to see what you do with it.
Nice work! Great comparison between the two lights.
Thank you so much!
Thanks John! I still might need some direction with my Elinchrome 500s when shooting dancers. I have to do some experimentation.
🙏🏼🙏🏼 Ok great. We can go over that soon.
Thank you for pointing out the issue of the beam on the Profoto heads. I know if I used them I would use the domes which let me guess are not provided on all lights ?
This is why I like bare bulb lights in modifiers over say a speedlite head.
🙏🏼🙏🏼yeah they are an additional cost and then they take up even more room in your bag.
Great information and video! If the Three had been out when we switched recently from Godox I think Elinchrom would have won our business. We’re spoiled with so many good choices of equipment nowadays.
Thanks! And thanks for sharing.
John, you asked who won, and the answer is simple: the consumer/photographer. Godox is making more robust systems now than ever before and Elinchrom is competing again after a long hiatus. Profoto, Bron, and others have to keep up with the new models from other manufacturers--not to mention all the continuous light options as LED output goes up and prices go down.
Fantastic review, John! LOL - and I switched years ago from Elinchrom to a couple of Profoto D2. But I adapted the great Elinchrom Rotalux Light modifiers to my Profoto lights - best of both worlds. For mobile shooting I just use the new 300w flashes from Godox, really best bang for the buck right now.
Thanks Daniel. The D2s are good lights.
I am knees deep in to a light system already but I do like the sound of being able to use them whilst charging and charge via any USB-c source, like an Anker power bank for example.
Not sure about the integrated battery though.
The form factor looks great for location and studio work.
It’s supposed to be a simple repair like your cell phone, but they also say they have never had to replace one.
Thanks for the deep analysis. Are these lights good enough for recording video indoors?
Thank you. I’m sure you could use them for that but they don’t likely have fans as quiet as video lights and they’re going to be a lot dimmer than the lights I have from Nanlite.
This was a great demonstration. Have to admit price wise it's amazing compared to the B10. Thank you!
Thank you! I really appreciate it.
John, nice video. The integrated battery is kind of a deal breaker for me since I'm a power user. I actually just switched to Paul C Buff's new Celestial - believe it or not, it outpaces everything else available in it's class including recycle time and flash duration, except for the bi-color modeling light. Paired with the Fusion Raven, it works amazing.
Thanks Joe! The internal batter may be there to improve weather sealing, but regardless, powering it with a power bank is a great option. I have 5 of them and use them for everything I need to charge.
Working with ELB-400 and now the One. Love them. Just wish Elinchrom release an on camera flash like the B10.
Like A10 I mean!
Thanks for the side by side comparisons. I have been using the cheap Godox brand and have good results but I know the HSS could be stronger.
Thanks. Sorry to hear that. Which head are you using and what is going on?
This is really helpful thanks for making a great video about them.
Do you think these will be adequate for general mixed use ? Studio & location portraits , lifestyle fashion outdoors - Interesting to see how they work outdoors in HSS mode with a small softbox like the 60cm rotalux go . Most of the time I fill or augment natural light rather than overpower it.
I’ve been holding off getting new kit as my quadras and ELB 400s cover both grounds really well with Action and HS heads .
But I can really see the ease and quickness of a single unit when under pressure .
Cheers!
Absolutely. Adding flash to ambient like that in a small modifier shouldn’t be a problem with a small softbox. While I appreciated the built in sand bag and the light heads with the ELB like, not having any wires is it’s own type of freedom.
The video is very good and comprehensive. I saw one of your videos and saw you using an Elinchrom light that seems modern, and I was like : so Elinchrom is not dead? then I wend to the page and see the battery powered monolights and I was like: that looks nice. I search for them in B&H and the lights are not in the catalog. I did noticed that they can be buy at Adorama. This light. The Profoto is superior for the simple fact that you can buy extra batteries, for a long shoot or because the battery degraded. The integrated battery is enough to discard this light. It's such a mayor flaw in an otherwise great product. Also the difference in flash duration is not small, is massive outside full power the Profit is twice as fast.
Wonderful review. Did the Elinchrom Profoto adapter seem sturdy enough to take the deep Octa. I remember Elinchrom had the Rotolux speed ring with a Profoto mount. I wonder if that might be more secure.
Thanks! My deep octa 100 has been attached to my three with the included adapter for the last 5 days and counting!
@@JohnGress Good to know!
Great review! This almost feels like an ecosystem decision similar to Apple vs Android. More likely to get one vs the other based on the other lights you’re already invested in.
Thanks! I think that is a huge factor.
Great video (as always)! Why did you switch from Profoto? Is there video where you discuss pro/con of each system?
Thanks! After the test I did with the different Profoto light models and the modifiers, which I showed in this video, I decided that I really wanted to use pro heads and packs for most things. The most expensive pro heads I was willing to buy were pro 6 and 7 versions and the gear was probably 20-30 years old. When they started to fail I decided to pick the Elinchrom lights because they had the tubes exposed, the Sekonic light meter talks to the heads and the modifiers are great.
I teach a PPA course that uses beauty dishes as a teaching tool how to optimize a modifier. Your results with the mola was not surprising.
I used the Profoto beauty dish in this video.
Ive had been using Elle for 35 years before I switched to Profoto - wish they would do a Profoto style camera mounted flash - thats where Profoto wins - especially with the OCF adaptor
261 watts.... Interesting number to come up with but I get it 261>250. Wow it fits in a profoto too. I might have to check this out. Great Review
Thanks Ray! I really appreciate it!
Would love to see the video with the White Balance accuracy. So that we also know how to correct it if we shot with a specific setting on our flashheads ☺️
Great! I will work on that this year.
Great Video!!
Thanks!
Fantastic information on flash duration and color variance. It would be great to see you compare the ELC 500 TTL with the FIVE or similar 500Ws offerings from Profoto such as the B1X.
Thanks! I think I’ll be able to do it with a d2 and b1 x
I will have to rewatching the freeze motion portion to figure out what you were saying. I didn’t see anyone moving for these test so I got confused.
Issues with Elinchrom is having different triggers for different cameras. Medium Format Hasselblad and a Sony A7R II.
There are universal triggers but if you want to use hss or ttl you will need a brand specific transmitter as you do with other brands.
This video will really help you to understand the flash duration section. How to Freeze Motion In the Photography Studio Using Flash
ruclips.net/video/Y-Vy9mg3T_o/видео.html
I would love to see a flash duration chart of all your Elinchrom strobes.
Thanks Alex! I’ll work on that soon and add some Profoto lights to the mix too.
Hi John, you mentioned at the end that 250ws is more than enough power for most situations, I have traditionally used the RX4 and the Dlite's with 400ws and I find that I very often use the full amount of power available in commercial set ups. Do you think this is a safe bet for replacing 4 x RX4 ? (or is there another elinchrom coming perhaps ?)
This might give context. I use to try and use 150-190cm softboxes at f11 while using 100 ISO, which would lead me to using a 1200ws pack at full power. Over the past few years I have become more and more comfortable shooting at 200 or 400 ISO and f5.6-8.
I'm ok with the fact that if you want to freeze action, the strobe that allows you the shortest flash duration is the best for you.
The issue with the flash duration tab you gave is the fact that we don't have the unit used for flash duration values. Some other manufacturers give their values in seconds (1/x second) or microsecond but it seems that it's not the case here.
Sorry, all the flash duration numbers I mentioned are t.1. The chart for action shows it but not the normal chart.
Does the Elinchrom save the last TTL settings when you switch over to manual?
Yes they do!
I'm a big Elinchrom fan and have been for many years, but let's be honest and objective here. The ONE and the THREE are disappointing products for many reasons.
- Integrated battery : This is probably the one thing I hate the most about it. It's a trend that I don't understand, particularly in professional products. I get that you can charge it via USB-C even while using it, but it's way more cumbersome than just switching batteries with a spare one. And you know that battery degradation means it won't hold a charge as well 2 or 3 years after you start using it.
- Native Profoto mount : This is very weird. Why would a company make a mount that makes it easier to use another company's modifiers than their own. I would even prefer a Quadra mount to this, as the adapter mark II is solid enough to hold big modifiers easily and I've heard the ONE's bracket had trouble with that.
- Removal of the usual Elinchrom hole for umbrellas near the flash tube : That means that you can't really use the deflector plates that Elinchrom makes, which I consider to be one of the best advantage of using Elinchrom strobes. I use them with all of my softboxes. The goal of a softbox is to spread the light evenly, the silver deflector helps a lot with that, but can't be used with the ONE or THREE.
- Only 6 stops of range : This is caused by Elinchrom wanting to stick to their power display units. It means none of their strobes will go under 7j in power (0.1 on Elinchrom scale). Most people will care about the maximum power setting, but minimum power setting is also important if you shoot at night or if you want to mix with ambient light. In a world where Buff Celestial has 12 stops of range, this doesn't cut it. I see you were talking about using the modeling light instead in the video, but you and me know very well that is a workaround. When I but a low power strobe, what I want is the capacity to go as low as possible for the reasons I mentioned.
- Price : This is not too bad considering Profoto is double, but it is still hard to accept when there are so many disadvantages compared to other much lower priced products in the same power range (and with none of the disadvantages I am listing here.)
The minimum power is an issue for me for sure, sometimes when using a large fill even at 0.1 it’s too bright indoors when shooting wider apertures and increased ISO’s to get the shutter speed I want. I’m not sure if a firmware update could allow for weaker output but it’d be massively appreciated. Probably strangely to some, I’d nearly hoped Elinchrom would release a speed light capable of a lower output to facilitate this request.
@@PeeGeeTips It is, in my opinion, one of the very weak point of the Elinchrom system. Most other systems can go down to 1/128, 1/256 or even 1/512 or less. It's not THAT important when you are selling a powerful strobe (500j or more) but it IS very important for small lights that are used for night shoots and interior shoots. Another weak point of the Elinchrom system is the inability to activate multiple groups, but turn off some. For example, having groups B and C on, but A and D off. However, Elinchrom Skyport is also one of the rare wireless trigger system that allows strobes on different power levels in the same group and all adjustable individually and this is a really strong point for them, in my opinion, and I love that feature.
There are still workaround solutions for the high minimum power setting : you can use double or triple diffusion or ND filters on the lights, but it's far from convenient. I think Elinchrom painted themselves in the corner by adopting their way of displaying the power setting since it's not allowing them to go below 7j (0.1). The ONE having 5 stops of range and the THREE having 6 stops of range is not acceptable to me considering the price and the fact that many competitors are doing 9 stops or more on their small lights for way less money. And, by the way, I'm surprised that this is almost never discussed anywhere. I'm pretty sure it's just software limitation and could be fixed, but I'm no engineer, so I don't know.
As I said, the Buff Celestial has 12 stops of range : going from 500j to 0.25j. And I think Buff is a way smaller company than Elinchrom.
I still love Elinchrom and it will remain my main light system, probably for years to come. But I feel like every time they release a new product with big and obvious flaws, everybody online is excited and disregard these flaws, kinda like fanboys in the video game consoles world. It's kinda weird to say this, but I feel like the ONE and the THREE are some of their worst products ever, while the ELC 500, and by proxy the FIVE, are some of their best products ever : where they fixed the wonky baby pin mount, LED modeling lights is great even though not that powerful, very good screen and interface, HSS, TTL, etc.
Hey John! Do you have a video showing the lighting and BTS at the timestamp16:11 ?
These videos will help you recreate window light: ruclips.net/video/xqP4KL4QiUE/видео.html This one is more advanced: ruclips.net/video/Fiu8qy4Wq8A/видео.html
@@JohnGress Thank You. I'll check it out. I was most interested in the way you have the back light/hair light positioned. It's unlike anything I've seen you do. I'll be trying it today.
Oh I see yes this is an old video and I don't think I quite knew what I was doing. Large round hair lights like this can end up lighting the nose and forehead and thats why I typically use a strip.
@@JohnGress Gotcha. Either way, I liked the results shown in the video, so I tried it. As long as I kept the softlighter completely behind the subject there was no spill and yielded similar results on canvas.
Typo around 7:20 -- on screen word "sing"
“Le” never mattered so much!
Thanks sir… can you compare it to godox products 😁
Thank you! Maybe some day =)
@@JohnGress okay thank you sir
That would be great.
You know you can use any brand modifier on any brand head right?
How do you think I did the brightness tests?
@@JohnGress “The main reason I switched to Elinchrom is because I loved their modifiers.”
Hi, bought a kit two weeks ago, but on white balance, these are shitty as hell! Especially compared with the B10. the B10 stayed on through the whole power range with 150k and the Three's are 400k between max and lowest power, which is like half power on the B10... then with the speed mode the difference was around 2000k! And the state they should be around 5600 and 5900 the lowest they where was around 6100k... So I am really curious about your real result number was the b10 around 5600 and the Three 6500? and did you compare between power settings?
For me te Three's are the worst light I ever bought!
I think referring to the tables in my video will answer your question. So we are on the same page, every time the Profoto and Elinchrom lights drop 1 whole number you are reducing the lights output by half of the previous setting so power setting 5 on the Profoto and setting .3 on the Elinchrom light is 1/32 power.
I will leave time stamps to the tables below, which is what I am referring to, not what I am talking about that those moments (I didn't listen, I just looked to see where the graphics were in the timeline).
The WB difference over the range is quite similar in normal mode and it's more divergent in action mode.When looking at the THREE and the B10 over the same WS range (1/1-1/32) in normal / standard mode there is a 125-degree swing with he B10 and a 164-degree swing with the THREE 11:06. In Freeze / Action mode (1/1-1/32) the B10 swings 849-degrees and the THREE swings 1398-degrees, but if you remove the lowest stop of power from consideration, the Profoto range is 524-degrees and the Elinchrom light swings 744-degrees (1/1-1/16) 10:10.
Hi @@JohnGress, I did a another round of testing after a talk with Elnchrom. This time first on the reflector side. I tested first with two Elinchrom 18cm reflectors. When I switched them there was an average 100k degree difference. Then I did the test with to profoto OCF Magnum zoom. Now the results on the lights in basic got a bit closer on the “Base” white balance, the B10 was now on the whole power scale (measured at 10, 4.8 and 0.1 (I always use the 10 scale)) in normal mode within 150k. The Three was still in the 6050 to 6450 range in normal mode between 4.8 and 10, so the stated 150k difference on all modes is not there. Even on the same power setting it is over 150k degree swings but under 200 while the B10 keeps within 25k swings. .
Now I also did the “Bare Bulb” test as stated by Elinchrom, with NO modifiers.. Now the b10 again was around 6100k/6200. Now the Three ranged between 6039k on lowest power to 6388k and these were mid-shoot, and I waited every time for the ready beep.
Now on speedmode the highest was 7788 on the low setting and 6373 on high power. So on speed mode the Three has major swings. While again the B10 keeps it within 250k.
Now on HSS full power, it went from 5954 to 6012 and on low power 5831 tot 6006 So on the setting which is the most terrible for your flash it is most stable…?
But then as you say it is stable but you measure 744-degree swings, IMHO these are major and I would call that stable.... used the Broncolor for a while and these kept with 25k... Now that is that I call stable/consistent....
But must say like the outer bulb better then the Profoto flathead... So will try them for a while, But I would call them stable on white balance...
By swing I was referring to the wb from low power to high power. I am working on another set of tests with a Sekonic spectrometer. And I did not see a significant difference from one flash to the next at the same power.
@@JohnGress Interesting. How I am testing now is, taking 10-15 shots at a colour checker with the camera and everything on a tripod, firing from capture one so the camera doesn't move even a bit. That check the WB number on the same spot. and have them listed and the average. On average, the Three had a difference of about 400 degrees between the highest and lowest power settings on the normal channel; on average, one was about 100k higher than the other. The B10 stayed with the highest and lowest recorded WB within 150k within the whole power range... So my thoughts based on what Elinchrom says on the website with the colour insistence of 150k with all modes and power setting was that it would be as consistent as the B10, but clearly, it isn't and now I am wondering are my units wrong or is the are the specs worng, and based what you are saying and Elinchrom also admitting that there statements are wrong or not clear... the Three are by far not as consistent as claimed...
Get the Elinchrom THREE and put the ProFoto logo on it and you to can impress your friends with all the extra money you have to burn. ;-)
Yeah, I'd switch if my compadres didn't have all profoto.
Further proof that Profoto equipment is way overpriced.
I still love my profoto lights!
Profoto sucks...you people won’t listen to your customers and you refuse to release an adapter to recharge the A10 flash battery via USB-C. I own your products and I am disgusted with you as your customer. Godox is making your company look like a joke because you refuse to give the A10 an off unit USB-C charger. I’m going to launch a class action lawsuit against your company if you do not give us what we need by this Christmas. They are in violation of EU laws
I'm sorry but a flash is a flash. I have spent so much damn money on gear thinking it was better than the next and its all bullsh*t.. I have gotten the same results with cheap ass gear compared to expensive gear. I fell into the trap of thinking u need certain gear for nice looking photos and it's all bS!