Up until now, HSS solutions have been either consistent but lacking in speed and power, or fast and powerful but inconsistent. Today, we release Profoto HSS – a new solution that has all of the benefits and none of the limitations.
High-Speed Sync (HSS) is the technical term for syncing flash with shutter speeds shorter than the so-called x-sync, typically 1/250 of a second. It is a useful tool for controlling ambient light and for freezing action. But there used to be limitations.
Current solutions for speedlights give you a fairly even exposure. But it does so at the expense of speed and power. Previous solutions for larger flashes were faster and more powerful. But the exposure could differ as much as 2 f-stops in a single shot.
Profoto’s new solution for the B1 Off-Camera Flash has all of the benefits and none of the limitations. The B1 itself is about ten times as powerful as the average speedlight and fast enough to keep up with your camera. With the new Profoto HSS upgrade installed, you switch to HSS Mode with a simple button-press. You will then be able to shoot at shutter as fast as 1/8000 of a second.
But it does not stop there. Profoto HSS is a unique, patent-pending technology, providing an extremely fast series of flash pulses. What this means in practice is that you get an extremely consistent exposure with no measurable variation over the image.
In other words, Profoto HSS is fast, powerful and consistent. This will open up a whole new world of light shaping possibilities for you. For instance, you can now shoot with a large aperture in bright conditions to get a shallow depth of field and get that perfect deep blue sky. Or capture super crisp action in mixed light conditions without getting motion blur from ambient light. Etcetera, etcetera.
Needless to say, Profoto HSS works for both Canon and Nikon and has been tested for all common camera models.
Also note that you can use Profoto HSS both with and without TTL. Or do both! Shoot with TTL first to get a technically perfect exposure, and then switch to Manual Mode with the same readings and settings and do whatever creative adjustments you feel like doing. It is a huge time saver. Plus you can leave that light meter at home!
Profoto HSS is available through a simple firmware upgrade.
Click here and download it for free.
Note that you will need to do download separate upgrades for the B1 Off-Camera Flash and the Air Remote TTL-C and Air Remote TTL-N, and then upgrade both flash and remote.
Once installed, HSS Mode is activated with a simple button-press. There is no need to change the flash bulb or messy stuff like that.
We have done our best to make the entire process as easy and user friendly as possible. But if you have any questions whatsoever, leave a comment below or send an email to info@profoto.com and we will replay as fast as we can.
Have fun with it!