The Elinchrom ONE tested in the field

When Anthony receives a new flash, he is like a child receiving a new toy. Nothing else matters; the only thing to do is play with it immediately. The urge to test the ONE right out of the box is just too strong.

Two rings to rule them all.

Before we start, you should know the Elinchrom ONE is Elinchrom’s first unit with the OCF mount instead of the standard Elinchrom mount. This new mount is also compatible with some of your favorite Elinchrom light shapers, as the OCF Adapter is included with each ONE.

The OCF Adapter is designed to carry light shapers up to 1 kg (2.2 lbs.). It offers a simple solution for smaller accessories that work well with the ONE, such as the Rotalux Deep Octa 70cm, Umbrella Shallow or Deep 105cm, Reflectors, etc.).

Larger light shapers such as the Rotalux Octa Softbox 135cm (53”) should be used with the EL-Profoto Adapter (EL26345), which provides a sturdier solution.

If you already have Profoto light shapers, you will be happy to know that the new OCF mount of the ONE is also compatible with them.

ONE way or another

Immediately after receiving the ONE, I was able to test it in the field, and the least we can say is that I gave this little unit a hard time! During an outdoor shooting, my rule was to use only the ONE, at the risk of not countering the sun, especially in the middle of August. An intense day, which resulted in stunning images. 

The discovery of this unit in almost extreme conditions (torrential rain -> sun -> torrential rain -> sun, etc.) was incredible, and the ONE responded throughout the day.

With its 725 full-power flashes in stock, I was able to last the entire day without even touching my backup PowerBank.
Yes, the ONE has a USB-C port, which allows you to plug the included charger into it or use any additional external battery. Thanks to its Active Charge feature, you can maintain the shoot while charging.

At full power, I was able to make images against the sun, even at f/11, and in bright weather. I was pleasantly surprised by the return of a power that I thought was limited to use.
Obviously, more power would have helped, but I wanted to push it to its limits.

By removing the diffusion cloth of the Umbrella, I was able to make correctly exposed images from the environment to the subject. The sun was present without any fear of lack of flash power.

ONE more time

The second test, this time on a real summer day with intense sun.
The conditions were different from my first test and countering the sun was another matter, forcing this time to use the potential of the ONE without any light shaper. The goal was just to unblock the model’s face with a strong backlight, and again, the ONE came through, allowing me to have a visible face despite a very pronounced flare.

A pleasant surprise once again! 

At the very end of the day, I did the ultimate test; with only 15 minutes of sun left, I brought the model to a field with a very low sun.
It was quite powerful despite the decreasing light. Still, with the white Elinchrom Umbrella (and its diffusor), I had a correct exposure to the environment and the model for a powerful portrait!

A conclusive test for the Elinchrom ONE Off-camera flash.