Stella Pro Reflex vs Profoto A1X: They Aren’t Interchangeable

Light and Motion made some lofty promises when it announced the Reflex LED lighting system. Designed to be both a still and video light, it can certainly do both, but we wanted to see if it truly could replace standalone classic strobe systems like the Profoto A1X.

As noted in the initial news coverage of the hybrid light, the Reflex retails for $849 and the Profoto A1X (when not on sale) retails for $895, making them pretty much identical as far as a wallet is concerned. Where things start to differ is with what they can do.

Editor’s note: The following evaluation is meant to be viewed after reading the full review of the Stella Pro Reflex, as most of the information below focuses on showing how the LED performs in comparison to those results and is written from the assumption that readers have familiarized themselves with the same assessment of the LED Light.

What's the Difference?

Comparing the Reflex light to any existing Speedlight or strobe is kind of like comparing apples to oranges. While both systems provide light for photos, they are incredibly different in design, form factor, and "flavor." The Profoto A1X is designed to be used as an off or on-camera flash system with the ability to be used in both a hot shoe of a camera, commanding other Profoto lights, or remotely triggered via the Air-TTL system.

The Reflex system is both a constant light for video as well as a strobe for stills combined into one body and designed to be mounted in a variety of ways. It also works well with a plethora of strobe-like modifiers using the mini-Elinchrom mount, and that includes the softbox in the image above. The thing that makes the Reflex light stand out from other LED hybrids is it is much more powerful a strobe than other systems of its like on the market, and the fact it can shoot up to 20 frames per second in a burst with absolutely zero downtime to refresh. This performance includes shooting in high-speed sync mode and in extensive testing it has never once had any issue with overheating. Effectively, you will most likely run into a buffering situation with your camera before you run into any sort of issue with the Reflex.

As impressive as the Profoto A1X is, even it has to deal with recycling times on its battery, and that translates to a situation where it will sometimes miss a frame when it is trying to light a burst of shots.

Another added perk or difference with the Stella Pro Reflex light, when compared to the Profoto A1X, is that the Reflex can be triggered by most existing strobe triggers including Elinchrom and Godox/Flashpoint. The company says soon Profoto Air TTL triggers will also be able to connect and command them as well. While this is a small detail, it at least helps to save most end users a little money by helping them avoid having to purchase additional triggers for a new light, as well as making it easier for them to simply add the reflex lights to their already existing light kits.

Portrait taken with the Stella Reflex Pro.

While the Reflex is not meant to be connected directly to a camera's hot shoe mount, it is rather versatile in its design. The battery can be disconnected from the main light making it easy to swap and charge, and with the variety of connection points, it is possible to mount the light in multiple ways to light stands.

Performance and Power: Strobe

It is in a comparison of strobe power that things get interesting. While the Reflex system is quite useful for a hybrid shooter, it just does not have the power to compete with a Profoto A1X (or even a standard Godox speedlight) in terms of raw "pop" power. The Reflex uses a strobing LED while traditional speedlights still use a flash tube or bulb. During the course of my testing with the Reflex at max power, shooting a portrait at ISO 100, f/4 to 5.6, and a shutter speed of 1/160 (standard flash sync speed), I could get a pretty decent image out of it. However, keeping the same camera settings and using the Profoto A1X at full power returned results that could probably be seen coming from a mile away.

As you can see, the A1X is overwhelmingly brighter than the Reflex when it comes to its strobe power. But more than that, the light spread is significantly different between the two lights. With the Reflex system, regardless of the power level, the spread of light is very tight and contained, making it easy to control and adapt with modifiers.

The Profoto A1X has a much wider spread and it is also worth noting that the A1X has a slightly different tone (straight out of camera) when compared to the Reflex system. To get the A1X to provide the same spread as the Reflex would require adding a grid or two.

Below are a few samples to illustrate the differences between the two lights.

Reflex Lighting

A1X Lighting

Performance and Power: Constant Lighting

The Profoto A1X does have a modeling light like every other professional strobe under the Profoto umbrella, but while it is enough light to help focus a camera, it is not enough to be functionally useful for anything else. This is where the Reflex stands apart from conventional speedlights, as the power available as a video light is fantastic and makes it an ideal solution for video shooters who need to take stills from time to time. As I have said in discussion with some industry colleagues about this light, arguably the Profoto A1X is worse at being a video light than the Reflex is at being a strobe.

A Final Observation

Something that stood out to me when comparing these light systems is how most new off-camera flash systems can now be controlled via their respective remote triggers. Adjusting the zoom, power output, and sync modes can be done remotely in many cases. The Stella Pro Reflex system will likely get there eventually through the use of the mobile app, but in its current state, making changes to the light channel, power, sync modes, and continuous or strobe modes all have to be done manually on the back of the light. It might be a minor detail, but it can be a frustrating one given how small the screen and menu are on the back of the Reflex light, especially if it is positioned in an awkward or on a high reaching light stand.

Conversely, as a hybrid shooter flipping between constant light for video and still shots with the strobe, the system does remember whatever power setting you left it on between mode switching so it is possible to swap back and forth quickly without having to reset it every time.

Different Tools for Different Tasks

Given how reliable the Reflex light is for shooting action (granted your ISO will have to be bumped up a notch to ensure everything is exposed correctly) and high-speed shooting, it truly is a groundbreaking light system that can be a very useful addition to a hybrid shooters kit. The Stella Reflex Light can eliminate recycle times and overheating from a photographer's list of worries and is a great step at changing a creative's view of what a light can or should be able to do.

However, for still photographers, it will take several Reflex LED lights to provide the same power output as a single Profoto A1X. If the goal is to create bright, clean, and sharp images at a low ISO, then in that scenario the Profoto A1X wins hands down.

But if the plan is to capture and freeze high-speed action in multiple bursts as well as use it to creatively light multiple video scenes, the Reflex system is worth your consideration, especially since the company says many functional updates are a simple firmware update away. I just wish that the burst power was close to what is achievable from a flash tube. Once that happens, you can count on me swapping out all of my lights. It's just not clear how far away that magnificent future is.

A lot of people are going to stand on either side of the aisle and claim one choice is definitively better than the other, but the truth is somewhere in the middle.

#comparisons #equipment #reviews #a1x #burst #comparison #constantlight #led #profoto #profotoa1x #reflex #speedlight #stellapro #strobe #versus #videolight #vs

StellaPro Reflex S Review: One Light to Rule Them All?

There have been a lot of interesting light solutions for creatives released in the last few years, but were either a slight improvement over a previous generation (like the Profoto A1 to A1X) or something to serve a niche corner like the Lumee from Spiffy Gear. Nothing has been really groundbreaking… except perhaps for the [StellaPro Reflex](https://www.adorama.com/lm85522a.html?kbid=67085” rel=“norewrite sponsored”) from Light and Motion.

Released earlier this fall, the StellaPro Reflex is a 100-watt equivalent hybrid LED monolight and strobe that was designed to be useful for both photographers and videographers at the same time through a single high-powered source.

The system is modular, very portable, and capable of putting out light continuously for up to 10 hours (or 15,000 full-power flashes) on a single charge, and can capture up to 20 frames per second (fps) with the Reflex S as a strobe without missing a single frame. While it is not the most powerful light of its size on the market, it definitely has some of the most variable and versatile uses, arguably making it one of the most well-rounded light solutions for sports, action, events, and weddings since it can be used as a one-light setup for both video and photo situations, swapping between both use cases quickly and seamlessly.

Design & Build Quality

The new Reflex and Reflex S lights are impressively small and lightweight which makes them ideal to travel with. The light head itself can fit in the palm of your hand and just needs a USB-C connection to power it up. Below the light head is a sort of cold-shoe mount that can be adapted in several ways for a variety of different mounting solutions, from a camera hotshoe, to a variety of lightstand combinations.

It works well, but the only thing that concerns me with the design is it is pretty much entirely plastic. While this keeps the weight of the product down, the mounts require a perfect fit to ensure it has "clicked" and is locked in, and in more extreme temperatures (hot or cold), this could prove to be problematic. Especially with heavier modifiers attached to the system, it feels as though the system is a bit precarious and could come tumbling down.

That said, the company promises that the light is incredibly durable, capable of withstanding drops of up to one meter without incident. While I did not want to personally test this feature, it is a bit reassuring to know that if there ever was an issue it would likely survive the fall in most situations. And while I had fears of collapse, none ever presented themselves in real-world use cases.

Another element that I was less of a fan of in the product design is the way the adapter works for mounting the light onto a light stand. You have to put the system together and then screw it on using a supplied hex tool. My issue isn't the stability or security, but with the workflow. Ensuring the battery is securely mounted to the light stand isn't exactly fast, so if you have to make quick changes, this will pull you out of your zone for a moment -- especially since the screw can be easily dropped and lost.

The company also states that the lights are IP65 rated for weatherproofing, meaning you could potentially use these lights in a heavy rain or snow situation. This is something I was unable to test, but it does have me wondering how accurate this is and I'd love to see some actual footage from people using it in wet scenes. The light has exposed grates for a fan and cooling, and while my initial thought is to hide these lights from anything weather-related because of them, Light and Motion's promise of weatherproofing has me wondering if the way they work is akin to air conditioners, which have external fans that sit in the weather without issue despite all the electronics.

The Reflex and Reflex S are designed to be used with a variety of modifiers and accessories, and are capable of working with nearly any shooting scenario. For this review, I simply used the light bare-bulbed or with a Chimera Beauty Dish that was provided by Light and Motion. In my testing, I found that mounting and adapting these accessories was very fast and easy perform.

One thing to keep in mind is no matter what setup you plan to use, ensure the magnifier (fresnel) accessory is placed back on the light once you've attached whatever modifier you plan to use. The lens is critically important when it comes to overall light power, so it's a must. The instructions do not explicitly say to do this, so in my first tests with the beauty dish I left the magnifier off and the light output was surprisingly low.

The last major concern I had with the Reflex light is the size and positioning of the power switch and menu buttons. The power button on the battery pack is small and positioned very close to the cold-shoe mount which I found makes it awkward to get to when the whole setup is mounted on a light stand. Additionally, the dial/button for making changes to the strobe or continuous power levels is somewhat awkwardly placed and can therefore be cumbersome to make quick adjustments to the power levels.

All these quibbles are relatively minor, but still worth pointing out.

Color Temperature and Brightness

As a moonlight, the Reflex S can output about 86,000 lux at a one-meter distance while using the spot optic with a color temperature of approximately 5,600 Kelvin. The light (when used as a continuous source) can be dimmed all the way down to 100 lumens making it useful for controlled ambient light sources in the video as well. Especially when paired with gels to recreate daylight temperatures or certain mood colors for the theme of a video. That is a good point to make: the light's color temperature is not adjustable.

Continuous Light Strobe

Gratefully, I did not notice the color temperature of the light change with variations in power. If there is any change either warmer or cooler, it's to such a minor degree that it doesn't affect real-world use.

Performance

As mentioned above, the StellaPro Reflex and Reflex S can hit speeds of 10 and 20 frames per second respectively. The system is capable of firing continuously without any dips in power even in high-speed sync, which ensures that during action moments, you'll never miss the shot.

To test this, I left the Reflex in strobe mode and started firing in high-speed burst for about 70 frames with my Nikon Z6 (see gif above) and not once did the Reflex miss a shot. Seriously, not one single frame dropped. While the light may not be as bright (on its own) as some other systems on the market, it is wildly impressive in its consistency in burst fire. This is performance that no other brand of lights I have tested so far have been able to do.

Using the Reflex S, it is possible to get over 15,000 full power strobes on a single battery charge, or up to ten hours of continuous light. Additionally, the lights can be powered with any 100W USB-C power source meaning that if the supplied battery happens to run out, you can keep going by using another USB-C source.

Another feature of the new Reflex system that had me very impressed was its ability to work well with other brands of lighting, including Godox and Elinchrom (we expect support for Profoto in the future as well). Meaning, it is possible to set the light to be triggered using any of these brands of RF remotes and have the light work in tandem with those respective brands. This makes it extremely easy for creatives to expand their already existing light kits with the Reflex and avoid the issue of feeling as though they have to start over from scratch.

It is also worth noting that when operating the light in the 4,000 lumens and above, the cooling fan will kick in and it is surprisingly loud for such a small system. It is comparable to a gaming laptop fan when kicked into high gear, and the high-pitched "whirr" can sometimes be difficult to ignore, especially indoors. This is not really an issue for photographers, but videographers might find it annoying to work around when filming in a quiet environment.

Below are a few images I captured using the Reflex S as the light source.

Jack of All Trades: A True Hybrid Light

Light and Motion have managed to make a pretty impressive light that does a lot of things very well, but doesn't quite excel as the best in the category. Its strobe performance is really good and offers incredible reliability, but is underpowered compared to high-end strobes or speedlights that rely on a classic flash tube. Conversely, the light output for video is great, but the sound of the fan can be a hindrance.

It's the classic jack of all trades, master of none situation, and for many that's is going to be more than ok. What makes the Reflex system so desirable is that it's both a stills and video lighting system in one. No continuous light that gets as bright as the Reflex also offers the ability to strobe and stop action like it does, and no speedlight or strobe offers the ability to assist video productions to the level it does. Usually, a hybrid shooter has to carry a system for both situations, but the Reflex is really the first time a product effectively solves that problem without making too many sacrifices to get there.

All the issues I had with this light centered around minor issues with the build quality, but I don't think these should deter anyone who wants the performance that these lights provide. Perhaps Light and Motion will make some hardware adjustments in the future to address my concerns, but it's hard to argue with what the lights let hybrid shooters do. From that perspective, these are a win.

As a reminder, there are two versions of the StellaPro Reflex: the standard and "S" versions. The standard version is able to fire at up to 10 frames per second and is [$849](https://www.adorama.com/lm85427a.html?kbid=67085” rel=“norewrite sponsored”), while the Reflex S ups that to 20 frames per second and costs [$1,096](https://www.adorama.com/lm85522a.html?kbid=67085” rel=“norewrite sponsored”).

Are There Alternatives?

The [Rotolight AEOS](https://www.adorama.com/rorlaeos2lk.html?kbid=67085” rel=“norewrite sponsored”) and [NEO 2](https://www.adorama.com/rorlneo2.html?kbid=67085” rel=“norewrite sponsored”) have been around for a while and both offering dual-use as strobe and mono lights, however, these lights require a [Rotolight Elinchrom EL-Skyport Transmitter Plus](https://www.adorama.com/rorlhsstxf.html?kbid=67085” rel=“norewrite sponsored”) that costs about $250 USD (as compared to the cheaper $69 Godox triggers that the StellaPro Reflex can use). Additionally, they aren't a single light source, they're much larger, and the power of the Rotolight offerings is a lot lower than what the Reflex offers.

Godox and Profoto also have sort of similar offerings with the [Godex FV200](https://www.adorama.com/fplcffv200.html?kbid=67085” rel=“norewrite sponsored”) that retails for $299 and the [FV150](https://www.adorama.com/fplcffv150.html?kbid=67085” rel=“norewrite sponsored”) for $259. The [Profoto A1X AirTTL](https://www.adorama.com/pp901205.html?kbid=67085” rel=“norewrite sponsored”) costs about $695 USD. The Profoto A1X is a more powerful on-camera flash that does not offer the continuous light power the Reflex and Reflex S can, but it does keep up and "outshine" the light in strobe power and brightness. You'll have to decide what is more important to you.

Should You Buy It?

If you are a hybrid shooter who needs to be able to swap between photo and video applications quickly and often, absolutely yes. Anyone looking to perfectly solve the lighting needs of either a photo or video set will find things they don't like about the Reflex system, but those who need the flexibility it offers will want to work with nothing else.

#equipment #reviews #hybrid #led #light #lighting #monolight #photography #reflex #review #stellapro #strobe #video

The StellaPro Reflex is the First Combined LED Light and Digital Strobe

Light & Motion has announced the StellaPro Reflex and Reflex S, the world's first hybrid light system that offers both a continuous LED light and a digital strobe that the company claims allows photographers to switch between photo and video seamlessly without a compromise in performance or power.

Light & Motion has been producing continuous lights for various industries for the last 30 years, but has made a variety of lights for video and photo purposes for the last several years under the StellaPro brand.

The company says that the Reflex is a new type of light that it calls the Continuous Strobe Hybrid, or CSH thanks to its ability to swap seamlessly between both video and still photo applications. The technology in the Reflex system mixes that continuous light heritage with what the company is calling a "Digital Burst."

The company says that its Digital Burst is a patented technology that allows the StellaPro Reflex to capture up to 20 frames per second in full-power strobes at any shutter speed (thanks to High Speed Sync) without misfiring or overheating. Further, Light & Motion says that the Reflex's ability to instantly switch from continuous to strobe enables creators to focus on making photos and videos, not on if their gear works for them.

Reflex’s swappable, high-performance battery can produce 15,000 full-power, five-millisecond (ms) bursts on a single charge. A note on the battery: it is the "handle" that is seen below the flash head. In all product photos shown here, the Reflex head and battery are shown together. Designed as an off-camera light controlled remotely by Godox or Elinchrom triggers, Reflex also can be powered by 100W USB-C sources.

The Reflex accepts a large number of light shaping tools like a custom-designed Chimera speed ring that supports a range of softboxes and bayonet-mounted optics that the company says can deliver up to 43,000 lux at one meter. In strobe form, again what StellaPro calls Digital Burst, the flash output should be in the ballpark of speedlights operating in HSS. Light & Motion says it outperforms speedlights in its ability to fire at up to 20 frames a second for extended periods without overheating while also offering the benefit of an extremely bright continuous light.

The Reflex and Reflex S both offer the same battery life and power, but differ in flashes per second and flash duration. The Reflex offers 10 flashes per second and a flash duration of 5 milliseconds, while the more expensive Reflex S earns that price by increasing the flashes per second to 20 and reducing the flash duration to between 400 microseconds and 5 milliseconds.

The StellaPro Reflex is available for $850 while the Reflex S is available for $1,096.

#equipment #news #continuouslight #digitalburst #digitalstrobe #flash #led #lightmotion #lightandmotion #offcameraflash #speedlight #stellapro #stellaproreflex #stellaproreflexs