Lighting


The Elinchrom FIVE—Portable and Powerful Lighting

November 14, 2022

By Theano Nikitas

The new, battery-powered Elinchrom FIVE monolight/off-camera flash is equally at home on location or in the studio thanks to its portable design and powerful output. It’s heavier than its Elinchrom ONE predecessor (6.6 vs. 3.3 pounds) and it measures 10.35 x 6.57 x 11.22 inches. But that’s no surprise given that the 522Ws FIVE delivers more power than the 131Ws ONE.

Elinchrom FIVE

When it comes to speed, the FIVE delivers. In addition to a rate of up to 450 full power flashes on a single charge, the FIVE is capable of fast recycling times: as fast as 0.01s at the minimum power setting and 1.6s at the maximum. To help ensure non-stop shooting, the FIVE offers active USB-C charging so pack one or more power banks (or other USB-C power sources) to your kit for convenient non-stop shooting. The Li-ion battery is removable, allowing for passive charging as well. With the wall charger, a totally depleted battery will charge fully in one hour 35 minutes.

[Read: Furiously Fast Flash: Strobes for Any Budget or Camera]

A full complement of flash modes include manual, TTL and High-Speed Sync (the latter with the Transmitter Pro), so you have the flexibility you need—whether you’re photographing static subjects or high-speed action. With flash duration up to 1/8080s (minimum power in Action mode), the FIVE is perfect for overpowering bright sunlight as well as stopping action.

Adjusting and double-checking settings on one or more lights is easy thanks to the FIVE’s intuitive onboard menu or, via Bluetooth, with the Elinchrom Studio App. The latter is available for iOS and Android mobile devices as well as Mac OS and Windows computers.

Its bicolor modeling light is also available with color temperature presets from 2700 K to 6500 K. The 26W modeling light is rated at 4000 lumens with a CRI of 95. The FIVE is equipped with a 3.5mm sync socket to accommodate radio triggers and has a top handle to more easily change the angle of the unit.

While the FIVE’s technical specs (visit elinchrom.com for more details) speak for themselves, I’ve interviewed photographers for whom both portability and power were critical attributes—particularly those who shoot in remote locations. Power and speed were equally important to some who were shooting action such as mountain biking or capturing portraits in heavily wooded areas with very little sunlight. Others needed the power to overcome bright sunlight, especially when they were working in desert environments. But studio photographers—particularly those with smaller spaces—will appreciate the FIVE’s cable/power cord free footprint and convenient use of a battery powered flash. I have to admit I’m a big fan of Elinchrom products in general and the FIVE’s competitive pricing and active charging makes this model even more appealing.

The FIVE is available in two configurations: a single light kit ($1,849) and a dual kit ($3,650). Both include one or two Elinchrom FIVE Monolight, Battery, wide reflector, USB-C wall charger. The former includes a hard case while the dual kit provides a storage bag.