First test
PRICE: £1179
ELINCHROM.COM
Elinchrom ELC 125/500 TTL To Go These lightweight and full-featured studio flash heads promise to combine plenty of power with simple handling
SPECS › Price £1179
› What’s in the box 1x ELC 125 TTLhead, 1x ELC 500TTLhead, 2x 16cm reflector, 1x carrying bag › Modes TTL, HSS (with Transmitter Pro) andmanual; Action On /Action Off › Power output 7-131Ws / 7-522Ws › Power output range 5 stops / 7 stops › Power increments (Manual / TTLmode) 0.1 or 0.3 f/stop › Colour stability +/-150K / +/-200K › Best flash duration (t0.1) 1/7751sec / 1/9433sec › Recycling time 230V 0.06-0.45sec / 0.06-1.1sec › Recycling time 120V 0.1-0.8sec / 0.09-1.9sec › Auto power dumping Yes, adjusts power settings automatically in real time › Fan cooled Yes › Groups/channels 4 groups/20 frequencies › Modelling lamp Yes, daylight balanced LED 20W92 CRI, equivalent to 120W › Power supply Multi-voltage: AC 100-240V › Umbrella fitting Yes, centred 7-8mm › Dimensions (LxWxH)
ISO 64 wemeasured at f/4. The ELC 500 adds two stops of power to the top end, so while the 125’s 131Ws gave f/16, the 500’s 522Ws output gave f/32. Power is consistent between the models, which is always useful, so a setting of 2.0 gives the same energy on each. Flash duration and colour consistency depends on action or standard mode, and in the case of the latter not by much, which is good, as it means little if any correction is required. The ELCs promise a shift of +/-150 or +/-200K for the ELC 500, and this was borne out in testing, with colour only slightly warmer at the top end. We saw about double the difference in the Action mode, which is to be expected, so power is better kept consistent there is possible. The bright and adjustable modelling light is also handy for continuous work. Flash duration, which is displayed on the ELCs’ monitors, is as fast as 1/9433sec, when using the ELC 500 at its lowest setting. On the ELC 125 it’s 1/7751sec. Both plenty fast enough for razor sharp images, though you need to be in Action mode to get them. The Standard mode equivalents are 1/2500sec and 1/1666sec. The ELC 500
the arrows do it in full stops. It takes a while to scroll through power, so the arrows are welcome. I found the dial a little light, and it made menu navigation fiddly until I got used to it. The ELCs’ display is large and clear when it comes to the main power setting. Menus and icons are small, but still readable at arms length. Build is very good. Despite being light, the ELCs are solid and lock securely. There’s lots of metal in the construction, including the accessory mount, so it can take larger softboxes. 7mm or 8mm brollies mount close to the bulb, which makes illumination even, and while the power cable that attaches vertically felt a little insecure, it never lost its battle with gravity. A nice touch is that menus and the Elinchrom logo change colour when lights are set to different groups. The ready tone and volume and be changed too. Shooting in TTL, exposures were very accurate, and when bias was needed it was simple to use flash exposure compensation. TTL settings are remembered when you move to manual, so adjustment was easy there, too. When you push the camera beyond sync speed Hi-Sync (HS) mode is automatically applied, so shooting is uninterrupted, and it’s possible to work with natural light easily. Surprisingly, the lower powered ELC 125 doesn’t mean a change in output at the low end. Both start at 7Ws, which, using the standard reflectors, at 1m and
The ELC 125 and ELC 500 are mains powered monolight studio flash heads, and can be bought in kits, or individually. We tested a dual-head ‘To Go’ kit with the 125, 500, a case, and standard reflectors. The ELC 500 head is larger and heavier, with more top- end power, and faster flash duration, but it’s identical in modes. There’s manual, TTL and High Speed Sync up to 1/8000sec. On top of that, the lights can be fired in action or standard mode, which affects flash duration. A wireless receiver is built in, and syncing is easy, though you need the optional Elinchrom Skyport Pro transmitter (£209-229) to get the full range of features. We had the Pro transmitter supplied and this automatically scans for heads, and found ours every time. Via the transmitter you can control almost every feature on the lights, for instance toggling manual or TTL, controlling power or flash exposure individually or together, and the strength of the modelling light. The only thing I couldn’t find was a way to set action/ standard from the trigger. Instead, the customisable ‘star’ button on the ELC does it, and a small icon on the light shows you’re in that mode. On-head controls are grouped around a large dial, which sets power and tests flash when pushed. It also navigates menus. Power can also be set using the arrow buttons and while the dial adjusts in 0.1EV steps in manual,
also has a faster duration than the 125 at 131Ws – 1/1869sec versus 1/625sec. Of course there’s a drop off in achievable power inHSmode as shutter speed increases. Shooting at full power on the ELC 500 we metered f/4 at 1m, ISO 64 and 1/1000sec, so there’s good scope for working with wide apertures. Recycle times range from 0.06sec to 0.45sec and 1.1sec, which meant no real disruption in working. There’s no dedicated stroboscopic mode, but the flash kept up with my D850’s 9fps until the recycle time was exceeded. KS
23x16.7x26.3cm/ 28x16.7x26.3cm › Weight 2.0kg/2.5kg › Contact elinchrom.com
IMAGES The ‘To Go’ kit we tested comes with two heads, a case and standard reflectors, and we also had the optional Skyport Pro Transmitter (from £209)
This ElinchromELC 125/500To Go Set kit provides great scope in features and power. Pretty much everything you need is onboard – bar the trigger which needs to be bought separately – and the TTL functionmakes it easy to use, so it’s perfect for upgraders from speedlights or novices. The main advantage of the ELC 125 seems to be in size and weight alone, but the 500 is only 500g heavier, gives more power and faster durations. At £1399, you can get a twin 500/500 kit, which would be my pick. Oh, and the carry bag is decent quality, too. PROS Size and weight, good power range, lots of options and easy handling CONS Mains only, budget for Skyport Pro trigger
Issue 75 | Photography News 85
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