Joanne Maly: Elinchrom unveils the ELB 500 TTL: The world’s most powerful portable TTL flash system

Flash manufacturer Elinchrom has launched what it is calling "the world’s most powerful portable TTL light ever designed," the ELB 500 TTL. The new strobe was designed "for adventurous portrait photographers shooting both in studio and on location," and offers 500Ws of power from a power pack capable of running up to two heads in an asymmetric arrangement.

The system consists of a 2.48kg power pack with removable battery, and either one or two ELB 500 heads. The lithium ion battery has a capacity of 72W/h and can manage up to 400 flash bursts at full power. The battery can be charged in or out of the pack, and can even be charged while it is being used.

After a full power burst the flash takes two seconds to recycle, and high speed sync allows shutter speeds as short as 1/8000sec. The shortest flash duration is 1/20,000sec which still delivers up to 7W/s of power. The pack has built-in Skyport and Odin ll radio receivers so it can be triggered and controlled using either the Elinchrom or the Phottix system, and the heads can be mixed with existing flash units from either manufacturer.

Here's a quick introduction to adventure shooting with the new ELB 500 TTL:

The Elinchrom ELB 500 TTL is available now in either a one or two-head kit which cost $1900/€1700/£1500 or $2125/€1950/£1750, respectively. For more information, visit the Elinchrom website.

Press Release

Elinchrom Introduces the ELB 500 TTL, The Most Powerful Portable TTL Light Ever.

The new ELB 500 TTL is the most powerful and portable TTL light ever designed for adventurous portrait photographers shooting both in studio and on location.

Today, Elinchrom introduces the ELB 500 TTL, an incredibly portable and powerful battery pack combining 500Ws of power with a feature set including TTL, High Speed Sync, Active Charging, Full Asymmetry with built-in Skyport designed to empower the workflow of portrait photographers both in studio and on location.

Speed & Simplicity with TTL

The ELB 500 TTL is ideal for photographers who find themselves in time sensitive shooting environments where the inherent speed of TTL lets them capture images at the speed of life or for those who simply prefer the convenience of TTL.

The “Manual Lock” functionality allows photographers to get an initial “lock” on their exposure in TTL and then switch to manual mode to further adjust their exposure as they need or to explore different creative effects.

500 Ws Power & Performance in an incredibly portable package

The ELB 500 TTL is powerful enough to overpower the sun, delivers 400 full power flashes on a single charge and has a fast recycling time of 2 seconds at max power, ensuring you won’t miss an important moment.

The ELB 500 TTL head is smaller than speedlites yet delivers 10 times more power. It is lightweight enough to be mounted on a camera bracket or boom arm while on location.

“We created the ELB 500TTL for portrait photographers looking to take their work to more adventurous places with what we believe to be the perfect combination of power, features and value.”

Simon Whittle, CEO - Elinchrom

The Versatility of HSS, Asymmetry & Active Charging

High Speed Sync lets photographers freeze motion with incredible sharpness, create a narrow depth of field, or darken overly bright backgrounds using a high shutter speed (up to 1/8000sec). With the new ELB 500 TTL, not having to worry about flash sync limitations or the time of day makes for a very liberating creative experience.

Full asymmetry across two lamp connections provides a broader range of creative control.
Active Charging provides the freedom to charge the battery while actively shooting in studio, making it perfect for an uninterrupted workflow.

The ELB 500 TTL’s native Q-Mount (Quadra Mount) is seamlessly compatible with Elinchrom’s super-portable “Portalite” series of softboxes and can work with any of your favorite full-sized Elinchrom light modifiers.

Convenience & Control with Skyport® and Phottix ODIN II

The ELB 500 TTL features built-in Skyport, Elinchrom’s reliable and easy to use wireless system as well as Odin II functionality from Phottix. This lets a photographer trigger and control virtually any light or combination of lights in their collection with either Elinchrom or Phottix transmitters right from their camera.

Ease & Intuitiveness of a Brilliant User Interface

When the pressure is on to get the shot, no one ever wants to fumble with controls. The large OLED display and intuitive controls of the ELB 500 TTL makes using the pack a pleasure.

The Heritage, Quality & Value of Elinchrom

The ELB 500 TTL is the newest compact flash solution in a long line of innovative and ultra-reliable Elinchrom products that represent a decades-long commitment to crafting the highest quality lighting tools while providing superb value to their customers.

The Skyport Plus HS becomes an Elinchrom Transmitter Pro with TTL

Elinchrom is also pleased to announce a firmware update adding TTL control to the Skyport Plus HS for Canon and Nikon, other brands will follow. This new firmware update is available now.

The ELB 500 TTL is the most powerful and portable TTL light ever for portrait photographers looking to take their work to more adventurous places.

The ELB 500 TTL represents an optimal feature set for portrait photographers and is ideal for those looking to trade up to a more powerful option to their speedlights, trading over from less full- featured options or searching for the very best value in the category.

ELB 500 TTL Prices & Availability

The ELB 500 TTL is available starting today.

Street Price:

ELB 500 TTL To Go – $1899 USD €1699 EUR £1499 GBP

ELB 500 TTL Dual To Go – $2124 USD €1949 EUR £1749 GBP

ELB 500 TTL To Go Set Content

ELB 500 TTL To Go

N° 10309.1

1x ELB 500 TTL – Unit
1x ELB 500 TTL – Battery
Li-Ion battery
1x ELB 500 – Head
With 2.5 m flash cable and protective cap
1x ELB 500 – Charger 1x ELB 500 – Snappy
Carrying option with shoulder strap
1x Q-Reflector 18 cm 1x ProTec Location Bag

ELB 500 TTL Dual To Go

N° 10310.1

1x ELB 500 TTL – Unit
1x ELB 500 TTL – Battery
Li-Ion battery
2x ELB 500 – Heads
With 2.5 m flash cable and protective cap
1x ELB 500 – Charger 1x ELB 500 – Snappy
Carrying option with shoulder strap
1x Q-Reflector 18 cm
1x Q-Wide Reflector 13.5 cm 1x ProTec Location Bag

ELB 500 TTL Specifications

Flash Power – 500 Ws/J
Power Distribution – Full Asymmetry
Power Range – 7 F-stops
Best Flash Duration – Action: 1/20000s - Normal: 1/3400s
Recycling Time – 0.05 - 2 seconds
Dimensions (Unit + Battery) (LxWxH) – 16.3 x 9.0 x 18.1 cm
Weight (Unit + Battery) – 2.48 kg
Weight of Battery – 0.73 kg
Battery – Removable - Li-Ion 14,4 V - 72 W/h
Battery Capacity – 400 / 28000 flashes (full power/min. power)
Compatibility – For Skyport: Elinchrom Transmitter Pro For Phottix: Phottix Odin II Transmitter
ELB 500 TTL Unit Supplied With – Battery, Charger, Snappy, Location Bag, Sync Cable