Profoto announced several products including the B10 Plus, a B10 Plus carrying case, and an updated battery for the popular Profoto B10 light. In this post, we compare the Profoto B10 plus with the Profoto B10 and review its features, specs, and power.
This is a review of the Profoto B10 AirTTL OCF Flash Head, a lightweight, portable and battery-powered flash designed for professional portrait photographers. Although Profoto had previously released battery-powered flash heads for on-location work such as the B1 , B1X and B2, they were all either too big and heavy, or small enough to require an external battery pack. The Profoto B10 was designed to strike a perfect balance of portability, power and weight, so it it is arguably the flash head that delivers the most value in the entire line-up.
I had a chance to test the Profoto B10 in the last few weeks for portrait photography while traveling, and I found it to be an extremely versatile off-camera flash. It is powerful enough to be able to do portraits in daylight conditions, it is light and small enough to be able to fit in a small camera bag, and the ability to use it in the field without having to hook up any cords, battery packs or other accessories gave me a lot of freedom and flexibility. Let’s take a look at the Profoto B10 in more detail.
Profoto B10 Specifications
First, let’s take a look at the specifications of the Profoto B10:
- Maximum Power: 250 Ws
- Power Control: 10 Stops
- Guide Number: 72.51′ / 22.1 m at 6.56′ / 2 m, ISO 100 with Reflector
- TTL: Yes
- HSS: Yes
- Recycle Time: 0.05 to 2 Sec (Full Power)
- Color Temperature: 5,600K
- Flash Ready Indicator: Audio
- Reflector: 3.9″ / 9.91 cm Fixed
- Accessory Fitting Type: Profoto, Profoto OCF
- Modeling Light: 150 W LED
- Modeling Light Control: Dimming 10-100% (up to 2500 lumens), Adjustable Color Temperature 3000-6500K (+-500K)
- Modeling Light Color Rendering (CRI): 90-96
- Sync Type: Button, Optical, Radio
- Sync Socket: No
- Wireless Frequency Bands: 2.4 GHz
- Wireless Channels / Groups: 8 / 3
- Operating Range: Sync and remote control 0.5-300m (1.5-1000ft), HSS and TTL: 0.5-100m (1.5-330ft)
- Bluetooth: Yes (Profoto app)
- Interface: USB Type-C
- Power Source: External Battery
- Battery: 3000 mAh Lithium-Ion
- Maximum Output Voltage: 14.4 VDC
- Flashes Per Charge: 400 Flashes (Full Power)
- Recharge Time: 90 Minutes
- Display: LCD
- Mount: 5/8″ / 16 mm Receptacle
- Auto Dump: Yes
- Fan Cooled: No
- Operating Temperature: 32 to 113°F / 0 to 45°C (Recommended)
- Dimensions: H: 3.9 x W: 4.3 x L: 6.9″ / H: 9.9 x W: 10.9 x L: 17.5 cm, Including Stand Adapter
- Weight: 3.3 lb / 1.50 kg, Including Battery and Stand Adapter
Profoto B10 Plus
Profoto knows when it’s got a good thing but rather than rest on its laurels and enjoy the ride, they continue to tweak and enhance the product as they have done previously with the B1/B1X and the D1/D2. Such is the case with the augmented B10 Plus OCF Flash Head, which at 500Ws offers double the power of its predecessor.
Like the B10, the B10 Plus is part of the OCF (Off Camera Flash) family and in a move that’s consistent with their ongoing “techno-logic”, Profoto packs all the features of its forerunner (and then some) into the B10 Plus.
The 500Ws light has a 10-stop variable power range and swift recycle times of 0.05 to 2.5 seconds. Freeze Mode, which prioritizes flash duration yields a very short 1/50,000 second at minimum power. The B10 Plus is powered by a lithium-ion battery that gives you 200 full-power flashes on a 90-minute charge, while 60 minutes will top up the battery to 80% if you’re short on time. Of course, the B10 Plus retains TTL technology that takes advantage of your DSLR’s flash auto-exposure system and significantly shortens the time between inspiration and execution and capture. The path to this great feature is purchase of an optional wireless radio Air Remote TTL controller, which is currently made for Nikon, Canon, Fujifilm, Olympus, and Sony cameras
Key Features
- 500Ws, 10-Stop Power Range
- Length: 9.3″, Diameter: 3.9″
- Li-Ion Battery: 200 Full-Power Flashes
- Full TTL Auto Exposure Control Plus HSS
Profoto B10 Vs B10 Plus
| B10 Plus | B10 (Original) | |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 9.3″ x 4.3″ x 3.9″ | 6.9″ x 4.3″ x 3.9″ |
| Weight | 4.2 lbs including battery and stand adapter | 3.3 lbs including battery and stand adapter |
| Flash | ||
| Max energy | 500 Ws | 250 Ws |
| Energy range | 10 f-stops (1.0-10) | 10 f-stops (1.0-10) |
| Recycling time | 0.05-2.5s | 0.05-2s |
| Energy stability | 0.2 f-stops | 0.2 f-stops |
| F-stop @ 2m / 100 ISO | 32.7 with OCF Magnum reflector16.7 without reflector | 22.7 with OCF Magnum reflector11.9 without reflector |
| TTL | Yes | Yes |
| HSS | Yes | Yes |
| Continuous/Modeling Light | ||
| Max output (lumens) | 2500 lm | 2500 lm |
| Lamp type | LED | LED |
| Dimming range (%) | 100-10% | 100-10% |
| Color temp (⁰K) | Adjustable 3000-6500K (+-500K) | Adjustable 3000-6500K (+-500K) |
| Color rendering (CRI) | 90-96 | 90-96 |
| Powering | ||
| Input Power Supply | Li-Ion battery for B10 | Li-Ion battery for B10 |
| Battery Capacity- Flash | Up to 200 full power flashes | Up to 400 full power flashes |
| Battery Capacity – Continuous Light | Up to 75 minutes full continuous light | Up to 75 minutes full continuous light |
| Battery Capacity – Charge Time | 90 minutes | 90 minutes |
| Wireless Connectivity | ||
| Flash Sync | ✔ | ✔ |
| Remote Control | ✔ | ✔ |
| High-Speed Sync | ✔ | X |
| Bluetooth | ✔ | ✔ |