Handling and performance
larger and heavier than a standard studio flash. Light modifiers are also available, including barn doors, which I used, and a softbox to further soften the light. A battery pack is available for location work where no power supply is available or to reduce the number of cables running across the floor. Setting up the Anova PRO 2 Bi- Colour Standard 50° is very easy. It has a sturdy frame around the main body for attaching the light to a regular lighting stand, that allows you to angle the light up or down. A separate power pack attaches to the light, which then connects to a standard mains socket.
Once plugged in and switched on, the main controls are accessed through a pair of dials on the back which rotate through the various modes. The dials also have push-button functions to set the selected mode. This process is where you would need to refer to the manual – the sheer array of options goes far beyond those for a traditional strobe.
The transmitter attaches to the camera’s hotshoe and again, you will need to closely follow the instructions. This isn’t as intuitive as the standard Elinchrom transmitter, with far more options, including the ability to adjust the PRO 2 directly from the HSS unit. I rarely had issues with the controls of the transmitter but I did lose communication a couple of times and lost synchronisation. Luckily my models noticed this as I was shooting, as spotting when a flash fails is less obvious than using a standard strobe, especially with no recycling time. In continuous mode, the light worked well, though I would still prefer more output if I wanted to use smaller apertures, so more lights will be needed if I ever decide to invest in the system.
In both continuous and flash modes I never experienced any issues balancing the light output with the ambient light using a combination of shutter speed and Anova output settings. Anyone with lighting experience should be able to balance the lighting quickly, whether using the light as a main or a fill light. Unfortunately I was unable to try the same outdoors as rain stopped play during my limited time with the lights.