In the commercial imaging world, the line between photography and video has completely blurred. Photographers are regularly expected to capture high-resolution stills and high-quality motion during the exact same session. While industry trends previously saw studio strobes adding stronger continuous modelling lights for video use, Profoto has approached the challenge from the opposite direction with the 2000W ProPanel 3x2 (Model LP2000C).
The new ProPanel enters a competitive continuous lighting market alongside established brands like Godox, Aputure, Westcott, SmallRig, and ARRI. However, Profoto has interestingly tailored this panel to bridge the gap between traditional photographic workflows and modern video production.
Insanely bright lights
The panel delivers a substantial 2,000 watts of continuous 'soft' light. With this much volume, photographers might wonder if they even need traditional strobe lighting anymore, as 2,000W provides ample illumination for still photography, even when working on location or competing with daylight.
Despite its high output, the fixture is designed for straightforward handling. It weighs 27kg including the mounting yoke and features a built-in power supply, eliminating the need for heavy external ballast boxes and extra power supply cabling. This self-contained design allows a single operator to safely rig and reposition the 112 x 66 x 20 cm unit.
Familiarity for photographic workflows
The ProPanel 3x2 integrates directly into the existing Profoto photography ecosystem:
- Hybrid Flash and HSS: The panel includes High-Speed Sync (HSS) flash capability. This allows photographers to use it as a ‘traditional’ flash to freeze fast movement or control ambient light at fast shutter speeds.
- Familiar Remote Control: The unit links with standard camera-mounted Profoto triggers, such as the Connect Pro or Air Remote TTL. Settings can be adjusted directly from the camera or via a smartphone app. For video crews, standard wireless and wired broadcast control options are also built in.
- Efficient Multi-Media Shooting: Because the continuous light is completely flicker-free at all shutter speeds, creators can switch instantly from high-speed burst photography to slow-motion video without altering the lighting setup or worrying about ugly, dreaded banding.
Adjustable colour accuracy and modifiers
The light uses an advanced RGBWW colour engine that is adjustable from a luxuriously warm 2,000K – to an icy cool 15,000K. For extreme shallow depth-of-field work, the 2000W light dims smoothly down to 0.1% without changing colour.
The light features an IP65-rated weather-resistant housing and quiet cooling fans for sound-sensitive environments. It can be mounted horizontally or vertically, with the vertical alignment offering a column of soft light for full-length fashion frames and portraits. For shaping the light, a specialized clamping system allows for quick attachment of accessories, including wheels, barn doors, and snap-on softboxes.
Available for order at AU$28,950, the Profoto ProPanel 3x2 offers a versatile, dual-purpose solution for commercial professionals managing the demands of both stills and motion.
Profoto has also recently ventured into the constant lighting market last year with the monolight styled Profoto L600C and L600D, as well as the Profoto L1600D.
You can find out more about the ProPanel 3x2 on the Profoto website.