ACCESSORIES
A collection of the best fun-yet-functional products out there for photographers
A roundup of products for photographers to consider
elinchrom elB 1200 hi-sync To roll seT
A high-quality portable lighting system that lets you shoot wide open in bright sun
www.elinchrom.com
£3,500 / $3,700
Elinchrom has three heads available in its ELB 1200 range, the Pro, Action and HiSync. The Pro head is designed for general photography and the Action version majors on freezing subject movement through very short flash durations at normal shutter speeds. Meanwhile, the Hi-Sync (HS) head that we tested enables you to shoot at shutter speeds up to 1/8,000sec when triggered by the EL-Skyport Plus HS (an optional extra for £209/$250).
Designed to be portable, the heads are powered by a weatherproof battery pack. This comes in two parts, the detachable battery and the unit with the interface and controls. We used the 90 Wh 36V 2.5 Ah
Air battery which has a life of 215 fullpower flashes, charges in 90 minutes and weighs 1.1kg. If you need longer life there’s an optional bigger, heavier (1.5kg) 144 Wh 36V 4Ah HD battery that lasts for 400 max power flashes. Once the battery is charged, you just need to lift the control section onto it so it snaps in ready for use and then connect the heads via the A and B inputs.
After powering up the pack, the heads are activated by pressing the A and/or B buttons. Helpfully, rings around the outlets illuminate to show which is in use. Oddly, the buttons are awkwardly located under the battery pack handle, so you have to peer under in order to see them and the A:B button for adjusting output ratio (66%:33% or 50%:50%). Apart from that, however, using the ELB 1200 kit is plain sailing as there’s a straightforward menu that can be displayed to allow you to adjust settings.
The EL-Skyport Plus HS that mounts in your camera’s hotshoe to facilitate HS shooting also automatically scans for the transceiver built into the ELB 1200, so it’s easy to make a connection and get going. We found the light output consistent and there’s enough power to let you blast out the sun and darken the background. Plus, thanks to the HS capability, you can shoot with wide apertures to make your subject stand out even more. Getting the full value of this kit requires the addition of the EL-Skyport Plus HS, but it makes a high-quality, powerful system that allows you to be more creative with exposure.