Photography News Issue 29

Photography News Issue 29 absolutephoto.com

First tests

ElinchromELB 400 & Quadra HS Upgrade £1548

Specs

Prices ELB 400 pack, li-ion battery and charger £1049, Quadra HS head £335, Skyport HS £199, Quadra HS Upgrade kit £499 (includes HS head and Skyport Plus HS transmitter) Quadra ELB 400 pack Maximumoutput 424Ws, f/90 at 1m/ISO 100 Power range 7-424Ws, 6.9EV Recycling times 0.17-1.6secs (fast mode) Flash duration 1/1200-1/5700sec Capacity (from full charge) 350 full-power flashes, 5500- 6000 at minimum power Charging time 90mins Dimensions 15x8.5x12cm Weight 1.27kg Quadra HS head Flash duration Port A: 100% 1/550sec, Port B: 33%, 1/1100sec Modifier fitting Quadra mount, other Elinchrom modifiers can be used with a Quadra adapter Fan cooling No Modelling lamp 50W equivalent LED Dimensions 8x7.5cm Weight 280g Skyport Plus HS transmitter Channels 40 Groups 4 Range Up to 200m Sync modes

The Elinchrom Quadra is a well- established portable flash system with a big following. The ELB 400 is the latest powerpack that gives faster recycling than the previous unit, the Hybrid, and an increased power range, from seven to 424Ws. Add improved capacity (350 full- power flashes) and three new shooting modes and you have the basis for a capable portable flash system. The ELB 400 pack and li- ion battery pack costs £1049. Recently introduced to the Quadra system to enhance its outdoor shooting credentials further were the Quadra HS head and the EL-Skyport Transmitter Plus HS. The kit comprising the two new items in an Upgrade kit costs £499 so starting from scratch, a one- head portable outfit costs £1548. In normal shooting you get a lot of power from the ELB 400. With the basic reflector and full power, I was getting close to f/16.5 at 3m and f/22.5 at 2m at ISO 100. This was with the flash head plugged into the A socket. There is a 2:1 asymmetric power distribution. At full power and 2m I got f/16 from the B socket. Perhaps it is the lower power settings where the B output comes in useful. If you are shooting at a deliberately shallow depth-of-field and at minimum output you get an aperture reading of f/2.8 – this compares with f/5.6 at minimum output through the A output. These readings with the basic reflector are to give you an idea of

optimumoutput; youwill lose output with modifiers. For comparison, using a Portalite softbox through the A socket saw full power readings drop to f/11.5 and f/16 at 3m and 2m respectively. Where the real interest lies is the pack’s ability to use the Quadra HS head and EL-Skyport Transmitter as well as the use of fast shutter speeds for successful mixing of flash and bright sun. There are three different high- speed flash technologies available – High Speed Sync (HSS) Hypersync and Hi-Sync (HS) – to those who want to mix flash and bright daylight. The Elinchromwebsite has a very good explanation of the three and it is well worth a read. Naturally, Hi-Sync, the technology adopted by Elinchrom here, comes out best, but the case is well made. Essentially, Hi-Sync has the ability to allow shooting at shutter speeds up to 1/8000sec with impressive power and without any visible light gradation or uneven coverage at these speeds. Leaving theory aside, I went for practical tests. Shooting aplainwhite wall indoors shows the potential of Hi-Sync and Elinchrom’s claims are well founded. As already stated, at full power in normal mode, basic modifier and ISO 100, my meter reading from 2m was f/22.5. With the Plus HS trigger mounted on a Nikon D800 (Canon fit units are also available) set to manual mode I shot at full

shutter speeds from 1/500sec to 1/8000sec and varied the aperture. It is not possible to use a flash meter to measure the

effective output in Hi-Sync mode so the camera’s histogram was used to gauge the output. At 1/500sec, f/18 gave a good exposure and this fell to f/14 at 1/1000sec and f/11 at 1/2000sec. By 1/8000sec the best exposure was shot at f/5.6, which might not seem much but remember, I was using ISO 100. With the latest cameras delivering critical image quality at high ISOs, if more depth-of-field is needed, setting ISO 800 gives an aperture of f/16 – and that’s at 1/8000sec with minimal gradation on my white wall. Looking closely I could see some marginal darkening from the top of the frame downwards, but that is unlikely to be visible in normal situations. That gives tremendous potential for action subjects, but, of course, it is true that I was shooting indoors at a subject to flash distance of 2m with a basic reflector. Real-life shooting is unlikely to be quite so friendly. For a start, most action subjects are very likely to be a great deal more distant. Applying the Inverse Square Law means the f/16 at 2m becomes f/8 at 4m and at 8m, f/4. Consequently, you do need to think more about using something like Elinchrom’s High Performance reflector, via an adapter, to maximise and concentrate light output, and then you’re in business. Further fine-tuning possibilities are offered by Over-Drive Sync (ODS). On the HS trigger it is possible to adjust the precise moment – inmicroseconds – of when the trigger fires. With every camera

Essentially, Hi‑Sync has the ability to allow shooting at shutter speeds up to 1/8000sec with impressive power being different, ODS helps you get the best performance. In my tests, using a Nikon D800, I was getting full-frame flash coverage with ODS turned off. In other news, the ELB pack’s capacitywas impressivewithour test figure close to the 350 full-powered bursts claimed by Elinchrom. I managed the capacity test without the flash head overheating, although it did get warm. The integral modelling LED lamp proved useful to assist focusing in the dark and is a reasonable light source in itself. At ISO 400 and 2m, I got an incident light reading of 1/60sec at f/4. It is gives a daylight quality light, though, which is useful. WC

Normal, hi-sync Power source 2 AA Connection Hotshoe, mini USB, 2.5mm Contact elinchrom.com

Above The ELB 400 power pack is straightforward in use. You get 2:1 asymmetric output with the A and B outputs.

Left Portability is very much one of the ELB 400’s key strengths. Here it is shown with the li-ion battery pack in place.

Verdict

The arrival of the HS head and Plus HS trigger to the Quadra system is very welcome and has massive potential for photographers trying to balance bright sun with flash. Not only that but it brings this huge flexibility in a simple plug-and-play form and with very useful levels of output – certainly when compared with top-end speedlights. Price is competitive too for newbies to Elinchrom as well as existing system owners, because the new items mesh in with existing kit, although with varying degrees of compatibility – I was getting 1/8000sec flash sync on my own old Quadra pack with new items. All in all, the Elinchrom ELB 400 and Quadra HS Upgrade is a very exciting advance in the world of portable flash photography.

Pros Hi-Sync works with useful amounts of power, good to use, portability, Elinchrom supporting system Cons Plus HS trigger menu could be better, Quadra modifier mount not the best