Okay, I get excited about lighting, that is a given. But when I got a chance to use the new Elinchrom ELC Pro HD 1000, it was like Christmas had arrived. These lights are changing how I shoot! Here is the fantasy spec list:
-20 flashes per second
-able to shoot with full recycle between shots at 10 frames a second and faster (like when I shoot with my D4).
-strobic mode for multiple flash bursts over a long exposure
-intuitive digital display for quick adjustments
-built in Skyport for wireless control over an 8 stop range
-fast flash durations up to 1/1430-1/5260 to freeze action
-compact and durable units
The best metaphor I have for shooting with these lights is imagine your wildest disco moment; the ELCs pop off flashes faster than the best South Beach Disco. I have been shooting skateboarders and bikers with these lights, and you don’t miss a single frame. No more hoping the one frame you shoot your flash on is the best frame in a sequence; now you can light every frame in a fast action sequence. Here is a link to behind the scenes shooting with the ELCs on a skateboarding shoot. Incredible!
What really amazed me was shooting at 10 frames a second with my D4 and every single frame was evenly lit, time after time, for countless sequences. Not only do these light recycle fast, but they put out steady, clean light each time, no power fluctuating. They require AC power to run. I have used them at remote locations using a 2000 watt Honda generator, works just fine.
If you shoot any action subject matter…dancers, portraits (imagine throwing water on your subject and capturing every second of splash), sports, adventure…you are going to want these lights. They literally allow you to capture hundreds of beautifully lit frames on every sequence. No more one shot sequences with athletes exhausted repeating their route over and over again. You might just get the shot on the first pass.