Profoto Acute/D4 Vs Prohead

[Derryck]

I am currently considering purchasing a Profoto D4 pack, Acute 1200 pack and about 6 heads in the coming months and was wanting to get some user feedback as to why Pro Heads cost about double what the Acute heads cost. I have been previously hiring all my lighting but now it's time invest. I shoot mainly product, interiors and food so I don't need high speed flash or quick recycling times. My experience with the Acute heads is that their modeling lights tend to blow more frequently than the Proheads. But apart from that is there any reason that I should spent an extra $6000 on the Pro heads? Also is anyone here using 500w modeling lights in their Acute heads or just 250w?

Thanks,

Derryck.

[paul_jones]

I am currently considering purchasing a Profoto D4 pack, Acute 1200 pack and about 6 heads in the coming months and was wanting to get some user feedback as to why Pro Heads cost about double what the Acute heads cost. I have been previously hiring all my lighting but now it's time invest. I shoot mainly product, interiors and food so I don't need high speed flash or quick recycling times. My experience with the Acute heads is that their modeling lights tend to blow more frequently than the Proheads. But apart from that is there any reason that I should spent an extra $6000 on the Pro heads? Also is anyone here using 500w modeling lights in their Acute heads or just 250w?

Thanks,

Derryck.

the only reason to get pro heads IMO is if you plan to upgrade to pro packs later on. the heads are almost identical, but its profotos way of making lots more money on the "pro" series.
i can shoot acute heads all day with acute heads at 2400ws and they havnt missed a beat.

also, you cant use pro heads on your acute pack, only the d4s can use both types of heads.

paul

[Derryck]

Hi Paul,

thanks for the feedback. It's something I had suspected as well although I'm sure a Profoto agent will have a different story. Yes getting the Acute heads will be much more convenient with regards to being able to use them on both packs. On the jobs that I do need more firepower I can just hire as required.

Derryck.

[mcfoto]

We use the Acute 1200 & they are a great power pack. We have rented the D4 pack which I think is fantastic. Where the Acute/D4 do lack is flash duration. The pro series is better & is used more in the rental departments. The Acute/D4 series is very good for location as well as studio work. The D4 being heavier but acts like 4 mono blocks. What is nice about the Profoto series is that you can rent the Pro series when required & your speed rings, etra will fit.
Denis

[Snook]

Do not forget that the Acutes have Shitty Flash duration!! In case you need to freeze...:+}
I have and still have an Acute Alfa (one of the first ones) and it is still kicking. Never even been serviced in 11 years
STAY AWAY from the Monolights.. Got to be the worst buy I have ever done in 25 years shooting, Nothing but trouble.
Let's hope the new Airs are better!
Snook
The acutes are great.
Snook

[AnthonyAdachi]

My experience with the Acute heads is that their modeling lights tend to blow more frequently than the Proheads. But apart from that is there any reason that I should spent an extra $6000 on the Pro heads?

Apparently, the the Pro heads a have built-in thermostat which theoretically would result in the fans coming on only when needed thus less fan noise compared to the Acute/D4 heads.

Also, Profoto specs state about a 1/3 more light out out of the Pro Heads than the Acute/D4 heads.
http://www.profoto.com/products/profoto/he...roheads/prohead

I haven't compared them side by side to verify that though.

Whether that's worth the extra cost is another question?


Although, regardless of price differences, the Pro heads have shorter cables which means one could more likely need to reach for a head extension.


I agree with the others who brought up having Pro heads would offer compatibility with Pro series packs if that's a direction you might go in the future.

For instance, if you buy or rent a Pro-7b/B2 later having all Pro heads now would mean fewer heads to rent/buy/transport/store. As well as, avoiding potential headaches of having two different sets of heads on location.  Also, since the Pro B2 pack can run a 250 watt modeling light you could run a standard pro head off it and have a brighter focusing light or see it easier in daylight as well.

-Anthony

[Derryck]

Thanks for all the great feedback. Since I don't need to freeze action and I'm not going to treat my gear like a rental house the Acute heads might be the way to go. I've been using a D4 pack for a number of years at the studio I share and it's the best tool for product work. The Acute 1200 is perfect for location work. Given that most of the time I'm working with 35mm and 200iso is the new 100iso I don't need as much light as I used to. I think if I was to expand my equipment list I would probably end up buying a second D4 pack.


"Although, regardless of price differences, the Pro heads have shorter cables which means one could more likely need to reach for a head extension."

We had one of the guys from Profoto Sweden visit the studio and he said they were planning to make the leads to the heads even shorter. As it is you already need to use a head extension if the light's on a boom.


I'm still interested to see if anyone has installed 500w modeling lights in their Acute heads and if this has caused them any problems.

Cheers,

Derryck.

[gwhitf]

I'm still interested to see if anyone has installed 500w modeling lights in their Acute heads and if this has caused them any problems.

Cheers,

Derryck.

I have used only Acute2's for years. I have many packs and many heads, and they fly regularly in Tenba cases. They are rock solid. One of the nice things is the long cable; rarely the hassle of having to reach for a head extension. I don't abuse them, but they've held up incredibly well, even the modeling lamps. Rarely blow. I use the 1200r's and the 2400r's. I can't imagine putting a 500w modeling lamp in that small space though; the 250's seem more than enough. I just wish the packs trimmed down way more though; I always have too much power; always wanting to trim smaller to shoot at f4 or 2.8. Maybe the D4 pack offers that. The only thing that happens to me is that the top plate of the packs seem too weak, and they get pushed in, over time, with lots of airport travel. Need reinforcing. If the Acutes are that good, I'm sure the other ones are even better. Either way, great investment. Solid as a rock, except for the R pocket wizard feature, which is touch and go at times. Need to dangle a manual PW off them often, even the R's.

[julius0377]

I'm still interested to see if anyone has installed 500w modeling lights in their Acute heads and if this has caused them any problems.

I run a D4r 2400 with a 500w bulb in my main light, and 250ws in the three other. The 500w upgrade is a huge plus when I'm focusing with the Linhof on a f5.6 lens and the dim (compared to DSLR's) groundglass. The cover glass needs to be replaced with a longer one together with the bulb, but there seems to be no heat issues, and I have pushed the back through its paces on fashion shoots from time to time. Absolutely no issues with either pack or heads!

If you plan on a batterypowered AcuteB 600r at some point, you can use one of your Acute2 heads with an adapter and a modeling light change... no need for the AcuteB head. If you plan on upgrading to even faster and more rugged packs, I'd go for ProHeads with the D4, then you can use them in a mixed D4, ProB2 and Pro8 environment in the future.

I also run a Pro7b with the small heads, an AcuteB 600r with small head, and none of the packs or heads ever, ever, ever display problems. My old 7b is now in its eight year, with at least a 150000 pops or more, this is my location pack and the heads have hit the ground pretty hard a lot of times being blown over by wind from a couple of metres up, never a problem except a broken modeling light once!

The compacts are a disaster, I hope they have fixed this with the new Profoto D1's. I used four of these for a couple of years in light studio use, and had:

[blockquote]1 motherboard failure.
5 fuse failures.
3 "issues due to dust" (my studio is like everyone elses, reasonably clean, reasonably industrial.)
1 burnt internal cable
3 modeling light failures
1 flash tube failure[/blockquote]

Stay away from the compacts if you shoot regularly and at a pace is my advice to anyone reading this thread wondering about what way to go in the profoto world, and this is the same I hear from two fellow photographers having used these... having being an operative word.

[Snook]

I also run my acute2's 1200 watt packs with 500 watt bulbs from the Bulbman. Had to buy from them for 240V version.
I have never had any problems except a couple ones were longer than normal and the Glass would not fit over them.
But they have never over heated or anything like that.
Stay away from the compact monolights. the Acutes are awesome and the new AIRs are supposed to be sweet!
Snook

[Derryck]

This is great advice. Since I already have a set of Pocket Wizards I won't bother buying the "R" version. Also having a heads up about the glass cover needing to be bigger in some cases to fit the 500w lamp. I had almost 200 shoot days last year so it's definitely worth investing in the most durable gear I can buy.

Thanks again,

Derryck.

[BJNY]

Makes me wonder how much longer before the Acute power packs will get the digital upgrade,

now that their Compacts have been superceded by the D1 series.