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.
The hot-shoe-mounting controller has eight channels and three groups, ensuring minimal interference with other nearby systems and equipment. Each group can be controlled independently from one another, permitting +/-2 EV adjustment of power ratios for TTL systems and nine stops of manual control. It can trigger the B10 Plus in manual mode at distances up to 1000 feet and in TTL mode up to 330 feet - the approximate length of a football field. The B10 Plus and the Air Remote TTL also support High Speed Sync with shutter speeds as quick as 1/8000 second to give the photographer complete control of background illumination or to allow use of wide apertures for creative work. There's also a Profoto Smartphone App that allows you to capture well-lit images wirelessly with your phone.
Besides this multitude of features, the B10 Plus has an LED modeling light with the equivalent power of a 150W incandescent lamp that's not only dimmable but has color temperature that's variable from 3000 to 6500K. Its high CRI of 90-96 makes it usable for video. The battery will give you 75 minutes run time on full power.
Increased power, a small form factor, battery power, remote control, photo and video compatibility, and smartphone connectivity make the B10 Plus yet another impressive entry in the OCF roster.
The Camera app syncs your iPhone with the Profoto B10 or B10 Plus over Bluetooth connection - no additional hardware attachments needed. The App enables you to precisely control B10's Xenon flash tube power, its LED modelling light, and also control all other standard camera settings: shutter speed, ISO sensitivity and white balance in 1/3 EV steps. You can take photos in different image formats: HEIF, JPG or RAW. It even has a self-timer! Instead of sending an approximation of a shot to a colleague or client, email or text an actual professionally lit image.
The Profoto Camera app is currently available for iPhone (see Compatibility) and is available at no cost at the Apple App Store (link https://apps.apple.com/us/app/profoto/id1387823564) to upgrade your Profoto B10 or B10 Plus. Necessary flash firmware update is done seamlessly within the app and all new B10/B10 Plus units will already have the latest firmware installed.
