I finally got my hands on the new Elinchrom LED C100, expecting a standard bi-colour LED—something every videographer has in their kit. But wow, this light is so much more than that! It’s built like Elinchrom’s ONE and THREE battery strobes, with a solid design, a bright touchscreen and an easy-to-use interface. The LED C100 exceeded my expectations with its versatility, robust build, and advanced lighting features.
Build Quality and Interface
The LED C100 shares a design aesthetic with Elinchrom’s ONE and THREE battery strobes, featuring a similarly durable housing with added ventilation slots. The high-contrast, full-colour RGB display offers both touch and button-based navigation, making it intuitive and easy to use. An EL-Profoto adapter is included, allowing compatibility with a variety of Elinchrom and Profoto OCF light shapers.
In bi-colour mode, the left dial controls power output, while the right dial adjusts colour temperature, ranging from 2700K to 6500K in 100K increments, with fine-tuned 1% power adjustments. Delivering 100W output with 95+ CRI and 98+ TLCI, the LED C100 is a powerful tool for videographers, food photographers, and product photographers, ensuring accurate and flicker-free lighting.
2700K
6500K
Portability and Battery Performance
A standout feature of the LED C100 is its integrated 72Wh battery, providing up to 40 minutes of continuous full-power output. The ability to charge via USB-C Power Delivery (up to 100W) extends its usability, eliminating the need for cumbersome power cables and allowing greater flexibility in positioning the light.
Performance in Use
Traditionally, continuous lights have not been my first choice for portrait photography due to their brightness limitations and potential discomfort for subjects. However, for videographers who also capture portraits, the LED C100 is a viable option. Used with a 16cm wide reflector and a Sunbounce Sun-Mover White/Silver reflector, it produced crisp, contrasty light with pleasing fill.
No Reflector
Sun-Bounce Sun-Mover White Side Up
Where the LED C100 truly shines is in creative long-exposure photography. With 15 special effects and full RGB lighting, it opens up new artistic possibilities. In RGB mode, power output is reduced to 50W, similar to using a gel on a strobe.
Creative Applications and Effects
I experimented with long-exposure techniques using the LED C100’s special effects modes, tethering my camera to Capture One for real-time feedback. Some standout effects included:
- “Strobe” mode: Achieved a double exposure effect in a single frame by shifting positions between flashes.
- “Lightning” mode: Produced a multi-exposure blur, capturing motion with dynamic lighting.
- “Party” mode: Random RGB colour shifts, allowing for creative portrait lighting.
- “Cop Car” mode: Alternating red and blue flashes, symbolizing inner conflict and duality.
One of the most compelling results came from combining “Cop Car” mode with an Elinchrom FIVE strobe with Wide Angle Reflector and Sun-Mover. Using rear curtain sync, I balanced the RGB exposure with the strobe’s main illumination, creating a dramatic portrait I titled “The Conflict Within.”
What story does this image tell you? What do you feel when you look at this portrait? Suggestions for new portraits like this?
Conclusion
The Elinchrom LED C100 is a compact, versatile, and user-friendly lighting solution that caters to videographers, photographers, and content creators. Its high output, portability, and innovative features make it a valuable addition to any lighting setup. Profoto users seeking a reliable, cost-effective continuous light will also find it an excellent alternative.
The Elinchrom LED C100 is available at leading photography retailers and Elinchrom.ca.
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Author: Will Prentice
A portrait, fine art and commercial photographer for 30 plus years, Will Prentice is not just a contributor to PHOTONews magazine, but also host of PHOTONewsTV, owner of Captura Photography+Imaging and Technical Support/Brand Manager for Amplis Foto, Canada’s largest distributor of photographic equipment.
Will teaches photographers of all skill levels how to improve their craft – from creative photo projects to picking the right gear for their needs to flattering lighting to getting the best expressions to creating final images for screen and print. His unique style of highly detailed images with perfect tonality, wide dynamic range and stunning colour is instantly recognizable. Commercial clients rely on Will’s creative eye and mastery of lighting.
When he’s not behind the camera or in front of a class, you’ll find Will outdoors in any weather – usually on one of his bikes or enjoying time with his grandchildren.
