Profoto’s New $4,000 Pro-D3 1250 Monolight Packs a Serious Punch

Studio photography lighting equipment, profoto pro-2 flash head, positioned against a dark background, highlighting its sleek, black cylindrical design.

Profoto has introduced the Professional-D3 monolight, a professional-grade gentle designed to be sturdy and performant sufficient for even essentially the most demanding, high-volume photographers.

Accessible in two variations, with 750Ws or 1,250Ws, the Professional-D3 is a “relentless work horse,” per Profoto. Each fashions characteristic “high-grade parts” all through the design. The Professional-D3 guarantees a powerful 11 f-stop flash energy adjustment vary, with energy dialed in inside 0.1 f-stops.

The Professional-D3 options three totally different flash modes. The default “Eco” mode caters to typical, environment friendly use, with flash parameters optimized for colour consistency and maximized tools lifetime — lights don’t final perpetually, in any case. A “Increase” mode provides additional energy, whereas the “Freeze” setting delivers the shortest attainable flash length to seize high-speed motion.

A person adjusts a large profoto pro-11 studio flash mounted on a stand against a dark background, focusing the device with their hands.

As anticipated, flash length varies by output mode and mode. Wanting first on the Professional-D3 750, when utilizing Freeze mode, the shortest attainable flash length is 1/7,000s and 1/75,000s at t0.1 and t0.5 energy ranges, respectively. That may be very quick.

One thing value noting is that the colour temperature is 6,100K, plus or minus 100K, within the Eco and Increase modes throughout all energy ranges. Nevertheless, to attain the shortest flash length within the Freeze mode, which requires dipping the output energy fairly a bit, the colour temperature can get as heat as 9,000 Ok.

A professional studio setting showing a close-up of a profoto studio light with a digital display reading "2.3" and a photographer working with a model blurred in the background.

The Professional-D3 1250 has the identical colour temperature efficiency because the lower-power 750 model however a barely totally different flash length efficiency. In Freeze mode, the D3 1250 can get as quick as 1/62,000s, so photographers needing to maintain tempo with the quickest shutter speeds on a digicam just like the Sony a9 III could need to go for the 750 model.

The 2 monolights additionally differ when it comes to recycling efficiency. The Professional-D3 750 recycles as quick as 0.01 to 0.5 seconds when utilizing 230V energy and 0.01 to 0.8 seconds with 100V. The Professional-D3 1250, alternatively, recycles a bit slower, starting from 0.01 to 0.8 seconds at 230V to 0.01 to 1.5 seconds at 100V. In both case, and with any energy supply, the Profoto Professional-D3 may be very quick.

A person in a beige cardigan adjusts a professional studio light, focusing on its angling. details are visible in a dimly lit photography studio setting.

Each variations additionally embody a steady LED modeling gentle. The modeling gentle is adjustable from 1% to 100% output, and its max energy is 56W. The modeling gentle’s colour rendering index (CRI) is over 92, and its fastened daylight-balanced colour temperature is 5,600K, plus or minus 100K. Profoto remarks that the LED modeling gentle is brighter than a 400-watt halogen lamp whereas utilizing solely 15% of the facility.

A profoto light meter against a dark background showing a digital readout of 6.4 and model number 100a.

The Professional-D3 options built-in Profoto AirX wi-fi connectivity, which communicates over 2.4GHz frequencies. With Profoto Air, photographers can use sync, TTL, HSS, and distant management features. The sunshine additionally has Bluetooth and works alongside the Profoto Digicam and Profoto Management apps for cellular units. Wi-fi working vary utilizing 2.4GHz is as much as 100 meters (330 ft) in typical situations, though as much as 300 meters (1,000 ft) in optimum situations. Bluetooth vary is as much as 30 meters (90 ft).

The Profoto Professional-D3 is powered over AC (100-240V 50/60Hz) and it requires a 10-amp primary fuse.

“We’re excited to introduce the Professional-D3, a strobe that not solely meets however exceeds the evolving necessities of our clients within the high-end industrial picture content material creation trade,” says Göran Marén, Product Supervisor at Profoto. “The Professional-D3’s revolutionary options collectively contribute to improved power effectivity, lowered upkeep prices, and an prolonged fixture lifetime, making it the go-to selection for professionals engaged in every day high-end picture content material creation.”

The Profoto Professional-D3 are high-end, highly effective monolights constructed for demanding studio photographers. They don’t seem to be Profoto’s supreme resolution for photographers in search of one thing extra cellular — that’s the place one thing just like the Profoto B10 and B10X are available.

For hybrid shooters who could choose steady lights and LED options, Profoto is listening. The corporate lately introduced that it’s developing cinema lights.

Nevertheless, for many who want lights finest described as “relentless,” the Profoto Professional-D3 is accessible now. The Pro-D3 750 is $2,995, whereas the Profoto Pro-D3 1250 is $3,995.


Picture credit: Profoto

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