Elinchrom Five Monolight Kit (EL20960.1)

A Good Light, With More Than It’s Share of Mild Disappointments
Elinchrom can be quirky and niche, and I have become a fan (or at least ‘dedicated user’) over the past dozen years (drawn mainly by the appeal of the Quadra heads). So I hate to be critical, but there are a couple things…Nice enough light, functional, especially for those already invested in Elinchrom ‘stuff’ (Skyport triggers, EL modifiers, etc). As a long-time and current Quadra (Ranger & ELB400) user, though, I find this bulky for field work and it’s a bit much to maneuver on a standard grip arm — better to have a proper, counter-weighted boom stand with this one. The ‘Three’ is better in this respect, though a stop less light at maximum, it makes a better portable unit. I can forgive most of this, as it is obviously a more studio-oriented piece of gear, but…… Exterior design is chubby with a very ‘plastic’ feel. The body would of course be plastic (it doesn’t need to be heavier), but they could have rubberized the handle and/or other select surfaces. The ‘Three’ feels better. Why doesn’t it match the ‘Three’? It’s just kind of dry and slippery. I’m going to most likely add some grip tape, since I’m in with Elinchrom for the long haul. That all being said, it is sturdy *enough* — there are no open seams or creaking or cracking noises as it’s handled. I do like that the only open cooling vents are on the bottom, making me think a tiny bit of dust or drizzle might not be catastrophic.And there’s more to like…Replaceable battery, in addition to active charging — very usefulI like the exposed flash tube (behind a protective dome) for filling large shallow softboxes. Elinchrom tubes are crescent-shaped and lay flat but seem to radiate about 180 degrees (it isn’t listed in the specs). If you lay awake at night worrying about this, switch to umbrellas and have the opposite problem.I love the Bluetooth compatibility with the Elinchrom smartphone app. It not not only connects itself to the app but ‘bridges’ my older Quadra lights as well, when used together. Very handy. The app has a far-superior interface than the ‘pro’ transmitter and I use it most of the time.The Elinchrom logo on the side of the unit lights up with color to indicate which Skyport group it’s in: red, yellow, blue, and slightly different blue. Cool little feature; use it to entertain young children if, like me, you most often don’t care what group it’s actually in.The ‘pro’ transmitter is needed for HSS and/or TTL. If you don’t need those functions any other Skyport trigger is fine. I use the ‘plus’ and even the little ‘speed’ triggers that came with the Rangers many years ago.Elinchrom beauty dishes are compatible(!), since the ‘Five’ has a proper center umbrella receptacle (needed for the deflector dish). The ‘One’ and ‘Three’ do not offer this compatibility.The Elinchrom mount is still its quirky self, but the rotating collar (remember: “looking into light, turn right”) has been replaced by a switch, making it slightly less likely you will embarrass yourself in front of (or injure) someone important.Functional menu system; easy enough to navigate. It should match the Three, but doesn’t. It should have the Three’s touch screen, but doesn’t. So they thoughtfully designed the ‘One’ and the ‘Three’, then converted the ELB500 to use a battery and called it ‘Five’.It isn’t the best thing since sliced bread, but very usable in studio setups. For existing Elinchrom shooters it of course accepts all EL accessories and modifiers, including those (admittedly weird) Elinchrom beauty dishes. For me personally it doesn’t offer much beyond the ELB400 kit since I don’t use TTL or HSS. And the ‘Three’ is better is every way aside from watt-seconds and the lack of a replaceable battery.Non-photographer clients tend to think it looks cool, or at least big, and that does certainly make a difference.I wish they had taken design cues from the smaller lights in the range (‘One’ & ‘Three’), instead of simply converting the ELC500 to battery power. It’s a good light, but with more than it’s share of mild disappointments.