Elinchrom has entered the world of LED lights, debuting the ELM8, a continuous light source compatible with the variety of Elinchrom’s light shapers.
If you have been working with Elinchrom’s flash system, you are probably familiar with their modifiers that also happen to work with their previous generation of continuous lights: Scanlite, a halogen hot light. It’s great to hear that their newest child, the ELM8 LED, is compatible with their current modifiers. But, enough about compatibility. Let’s jump onto the tech specifications.
Dimensions and Weight
The light is very small with dimensions of 7.87 x 3.78 x 3.78 inches and weighs 2.645 lbs. These measurements are of the unit with the battery.
Build Quality
The ELM8 is said to be rugged and built like a tank. It is water-resistant with an IP54 rating and shockproof, being able to survive an impact if dropped from up to three feet.
Light Quality and Output
The unit is daylight-balanced with a color temperature of 56,00 K with a CRI 93 and TLCI of 94. As with their flash system, that light is consistent throughout all power levels. It is also flicker-free, which makes it perfect not only for photography, but for video too. Its native beam angle is 120 degrees, but that can be narrowed with accessories such as their 50-degree Focus Optic DM, Fresnel 25-degree, and Barn Doors that are sold separately. The light output is 8,000 lumens. Its LUX rating is 16,320 at three feet with a Fresnel 25-degree adapter.
Power and Run Time
The ELM8 It is battery operated with an integrated Li-Ion battery, but can run on AC as well. Its maximum charge time is estimated at two hours. It can run continuously between 50 and 245 min, depending on the power level.
Cooling
An integrated fan turns on at low speed when light output exceeds 5,100 lumens, and switches to high speed above 6,400 lumens.
Remote Control
The ELM8 has a built-in Skyport receiver that can work on 20 different frequencies and can be used in up to four groups. Elinchrom provides a remote control that is sold separately. It can be controlled via the Elinchrom’s Skyport radio protocol and is compatible with the Phottix Odin II transmitter.
Light Shapers and Accessories
The light is directly compatible with all Q-mount accessories, which means the mount is the same as their Quadra heads. You may need an EL Adapter MKII if you want to use it with all other Elinchrom’s light shapers.
Pricing and Availability
The Elinchrom ELM8 is available as of August 5, 2019 and is priced at 1,699 USD and 1,379 EUR for those that are purchasing from dealers in Europe.