The ELB 500 TTL Dual To Go Set was put together by the esteemed lighting manufacturer Elinchrom for photographers who require a small form factor, light weight, and superlative performance backed by the convenience of TTL exposure control. The kit includes a 500Ws ELB500 TTL pack with a lithium-ion battery, charger, and sync cord. Two ELB 500 flash heads with 2.5m cables, a 18cm Q-Reflector, a 13.5cm wide reflector, Snappy Carrying Bag with shoulder strap, and a sturdy, nylon ProTec Location Bag with protective rain cover are also included.
ELB 500 TTL
Elinchrom steps into the TTL arena with the introduction of the ELB 500 TTL battery-powered pack. Measuring 162 x 180 x 90mm and weighing just 2.5Kg with its separately sold battery, the ELB 500 is ideal for the traveling or location photographer shooting fashion, portraits, or editorial work. Using an optional Elinchrom Skyport Pro or the Phottix Odin II transmitter, the ELB 500 TTL greatly reduces setup delays, shortening the time between inspiration and execution by using your camera's flash exposure system. With asymmetrical power distribution over 7 stops to 2 ELB flash heads, photographers can make TTL power adjustments at distances from 100m depending on the transmitter they use. There's also a Manual Lock mode that allows you to get a TTL initial exposure “lock”, and subsequently switch to manual mode to fine-tune exposure.
While the ELB 500 TTL outputs about 10 times the power as a speedlite, it has features that you'd only find on an advanced on-camera flash. The pack is High Speed Sync compatible, for example, allowing you to trigger it at shutter speeds as short as 1/8000 sec to control background brightness, freeze action, or to use wide lens apertures.
These advanced exposure features are backed by solid performance specs. Recycling is a very fast 0.05 to 2 seconds and flash duration is 1/3400 sec in Normal mode. There's also an Action mode with flash durations as short as a lightning-fast 1/20,000 sec – ideal for freezing water spray, splashes, and other effects.
The ELB 500 is powered by a separately sold removable lithium-ion battery that will give you 400 full-power flashes and an impressive 28,000 minimum-power flashes on a full charge. Convenience features include Active Charging, which allows you to charge the battery while shooting with AC power for an uninterrupted workflow. Power, performance, and TTL exposure control make the ELB 500 TTL hard to beat.
The Speed and Simplicity of TTL
The ELB 500 TTL is ideal for photographers in time sensitive shooting situations where the speed of TTL lets them capture fast-breaking images or for those who simply prefer the convenience of TTL. The pack's Manual Lock functionality allows photographers to get an initial “lock” on their exposure in TTL and then switch to manual mode to further adjust their exposure as they need or to explore different creative effects.
Wireless Convenience and Control of Skyport and Phottix Odin II
The ELB 500 TTL features a built-in Skyport receiver, Elinchrom's reliable and easy to use wireless system. Existing Skyport Plus HS for Canon and Nikon owners will be able to upgrade their transmitters to work with the ELB 500 TTL via a firmware upgrade with more brands to follow. Via their ongoing technology alliance, the ELB 500 is also compatible with the Phottix Odin II protocol. This lets a photographer trigger and control virtually any light or combination of lights in their collection with either Elinchrom or Phottix transmitters right from their camera.
Power and Performance
The ELB 500 TTL is powerful enough to overpower the sun, delivers 400 full-power flashes on a single charge and has a fast recycling time of 2 seconds at maximum power. The ELB 500 head is smaller than a speedlite yet delivers 10 times more power. It is lightweight enough to be mounted on a camera bracket or boom arm while on location.
High Speed Sync, Asymmetry and Active Charging
- High Speed Sync lets photographers freeze motion with impressive sharpness, create a shallow depth of field, or control or darken bright backgrounds using shutter speeds as short as 1/8000 sec
- Full asymmetry across two flash head connections provides a broad range of creative control
- Active Charging provides the freedom to charge the battery while actively shooting in studio, making possible uninterrupted workflow
Photographer-Friendly Interface
The large OLED display and intuitive controls of the ELB 500 TTL makes using the pack a pleasure.