Profoto AirX | Studio Lighting for your iPhone
Profoto is the first company to bring full power studio flash to mobile photography. Compatible with the B10, B10 Plus, B10X, B10X Plus and Connect, the AirX makes on-location shooting even easier and allows professional photographers, for the first time in history, to use the full power of their flashes no matter the capturing device.
Why Profoto AirX?
This is a revolutionary innovation. Marking professional flash available from smartphones has the potential to be ground-breaking, just like how the transition from analogue to digital cameras once changed everything.”
Profoto CEO Anders Hedebark
Previously the difference in synchronizing an external flash to a mobile device, compared to a DSLR or Mirrorless camera, was that smartphone cameras required a much more flexible flash-length on different shutter speeds. This makes it more difficult to fire the flash at the exact time and length to light the image. Now, Profoto has fixed where other companies have fallen short, with Profoto AirX you can connect the B10 to iPhone and Android devices, making them the world’s first company to bring the full power of professional flashes to smartphones.
Profoto AirX puts the power in the camera that is always in your pocket. Pair it with the B10 flash series; the preferred light for on-location photographers globally. Use the Profoto B10 with the iPhone or other Profoto lights to gain full manual control of your light.
We believe freedom of connectivity is the next step for professional photography. No matter what kind of photographer you are, it’s all about the light. And we want to set that light free, so you can create great images regardless of your capturing device.”
Profoto CEO Anders Hedebark
For some photographers, the idea of using a smartphone professionally might seem a bit hard to digest. This is not, however, the first time Profoto challenges industry conventions. The brand has a history of making brave leaps into the unexpected. For instance, they were the first professional lighting brand to introduce TTL for off-camera strobes. Initially, the TTL was criticized for not being professional, but eventually, this move revolutionized the flash industry and now saves setup time for thousands of professional photographers worldwide.
In a rapidly changing industry with smartphone image creators and more progressive professionals approaching photography in radically different ways, this innovation brings opportunities to all. It means that new types of image creators can start shaping the light in their images but also makes the smartphone an exciting addition to any photographer’s toolbox. The need to create engaging images for social media and other digital uses will only increase, and the smartphone will often be a natural tool for this way of light shaping.
I don’t compromise with my gear. The idea of using a smartphone instead of a “real” camera, of course, my initial thought was ‘it’s going to limit my vision’. But it didn’t. It actually amplified the possibilities, creating new income streams for me as a high-end professional photographer, not replacing the existing ones, but adding to them.
Andrea Belluso, Aware-Winning Fashion Photographer
The smartphone connectivity for the Profoto B10 flash series is available today for iPhone and Android users, and B10 owners can upgrade their firmware for free to connect and get the full power of professional flash for their smartphone. This only requires the Profoto app, which is free to download from the App Store.
How do I set up the Profoto AirX?
To set up Profoto for iPhone or Android smartphones follow these instructions.
The requirement: up to three Profoto B10 Series Lights along with the Profoto Camera App. The Profoto Camera App can be downloaded free of charge from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Please ensure that firmware on the B10 or B10 Plus is upgraded to the latest version (B1). This firmware update is available to download, free of charge, at MyProfoto.
- Download the Profoto Camera app, follow the steps and allow the necessary permissions (camera, library, etc) or if you already have the Camera App installed, update to the latest firmware (A10), the firmware update is automatically prompted when the app connects to the B10.
- Create an account or log in to MyProfoto.
- Turn on your B10 and make sure Bluetooth is turned on. Click on "Connect".
- Enjoy the new experience.