The updated Profoto D2 monolights are capable of freezing action at up to 1/63,000th of a second. For context, most shutters on DSLR cameras max out at around 1/4,000th or 1/8,000th of a second.
Besides just freezing the action, the Profoto D2’s are capable of firing up to 20 times per second and firing with shutter speeds up to 1/8,000th of a second using high-speed sync.
For those unaware, high-speed sync is a technology that fixes the issue of needing to freeze motion at shutter speeds faster than the x-sync speed of various cameras and lenses — usually 1/250th of a second for DSLRs. To do this, the strobes fire off multiple times over the exposure, timing it perfectly with the shutter movement of the accompanying camera. It’s a precise technology that has enabled more creative control than ever with strobes.
The Profoto D2 lights are available in 500Ws and 1,000Ws versions, both of which come with a 10 stop power range and extremely consistent color reproduction. More than 120 of Profoto’s lighting accessories can be used with the strobes to shape the light in seemingly infinite possibilities.
“The speed [of the Profoto D2] is not a gimmick,” says Johan Wiberg, Product Manager at Profoto. “We truly believe that more speed allows you to be more creative and consistently take better images regardless of what challenge you face — with the D2, you’re always up to speed.”
As is to be expected for some of the best in the business, the price is where it stings a little. The 500Ws D2 monolights cost $1,495 apiece, while the 1,000Ws models cost $1,995 a pop. Both models are available for pre-order at B&H.
