Profoto’s new battery-powered strobes, the B10X and B10X Plus, promise faster recycling and 30 percent more continuous light output than their predecessors (the B10 and B10 Plus). Better yet, these powerful lights are compact and lightweight for easy portability and storage: The B10X weighs only 3.3 pounds and is 6.9 inches long, while the B10X Plus is a little larger at 4.2 pounds and 9.3 inches in length. Those measurements include both the battery and the stand adapter.

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Since most photographers are often tasked with shooting stills as well as video, the B10X and B10X Plus provide more than enough flash and continuous light output for both scenarios.

For stills, the B10X and B10X Plus deliver 250 and 500 W/s, respectively, with a 10-stop range in 1/10-stop increments. While the more powerful B10X Plus recycles a hair slower than the B10X (0.05-2.2s vs. 0.05-1.3s), the difference is unlikely to be noticeable. TTL, manual and HSS options are available, as well as IR slave (manual only). Firmware updates are seamless thanks to a USB-C port on the strobes.

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On the B10X, you’ll get up to 400 full-power flashes and up to 75 minutes of full continuous light. Not surprisingly, full-power flash specs are cut in half to 200 on the B10X Plus, but you’ll get up to 65 minutes of full continuous light. The battery charges in 90 minutes for both models, and since they offer active charging, you can keep on shooting when battery capacity drops as long as you have a power source.

In keeping with Profoto’s intention of being a light for both video and stills, the B10X and B10X Plus offer continuous lighting output of up to 3250 lumens, with adjustable color temperature from 3000 to 6500K. It’s a good combination for, say, wedding photographers who can easily switch from one to the other without changing lights.

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From the demos we’ve seen, the user interface is intuitive and makes setting changes relatively easy with its buttons and dials. And you can control everything via a Profoto app, which is especially convenient when the light is not easily accessible.

The B10X and B10X Plus come with a frosted diffusion glass, have an umbrella mount and are compatible with more than 120 Profoto light modifiers. In the box you’ll find the strobe, Li-Ion battery, battery charger, stand adapter, USB-A to USB-C cable and a power cable. (The B10X also comes with a case.) Both models are available as a single unit or in two-unit kits.

Prices:
Profoto B10X $1,995 (duo kit $3,950)
Profoto B10X Plus $2,295 (duo kit $4,545)

www.profoto.com