Powerful Portable Monolight

Review by Dave Williams

When I first saw the Profoto A2, a monolight the size of a soda can, I was skeptical of its abilities, but this all went away when I saw the results of this powerful little light. That soda-can size, when combined with its impressive performance, makes your studio more portable than ever. The Profoto A2 packs 100 W and 10 f-stops when using its rechargeable batteries to squeeze 400 flashes per charge, each firing at 5800K and taking between 0.1–1.6 sec. to recycle, depending on the power. The user can adjust the energy of the flash in increments of 0.1 f-stops, providing full creative control. 

As it’s 2022 and built-in smartphone-camera technology has made some serious moves, the Profoto A2 is keeping pace by offering built-in Profoto AirX connectivity. With this mobile app, you can shoot while controlling up to four lights (A10, A2, B10 series, C1 series, and Pro-11), and achieve great results on your smartphone, or you can invest $399 in the Profoto Connect Pro for ultimate connectivity via the hot-shoe mount. 

Back to the topic of power, the Profoto A2 has enough energy (Watt output) to light a scene in daylight. Combining the power and portability with the professional and sturdy build quality of this light, it’s truly a remarkable light that’s just as capable out on the road as it is in the studio. 

With the A2’s magnetic mount or an optional OCF adapter, the range of available light modifiers from Profoto can step things up a notch. With the OCF adapter, you’re able to use any of the Profoto OCF light-shaping tools, and with the magnetic mount you can take advantage of the magnetic attaching “Clic” accessories and modifiers.

In summary, the Profoto A2 is something I can envision that any photographer who requires lighting can use to lighten his load and boost his creative capacity. This monolight’s small size and weight make it ideal for weddings, schools, proms, and the like, while the power and consistency means that you can also use it in the great outdoors for portraits in the sun, and indoors for serious fashion and beauty shoots. I cannot find fault with the Profoto A2 monolight. (I even tried to break it [and the app], but failed.) Well done, Profoto! ■