Profoto L1600D Cinema LED Light – First Look

by Jose PradaJune 14^th, 2024

Profoto recently introduced their first light for the cinema market: the Profoto L1600D Cinema LED. Their first LED light is a compact 1600W daylight fixture with a new liquid-cooling system and without a ballast or floor unit, making it easy to carry. We were at Cine Gear 2024 and talked to Patrik Bluhme from Profoto, who was kind enough to share with us some additional information about this new fixture. Let’s take a look!

Profoto is a Swedish company well-known by photographers worldwide. Their famous Pro and A series, to name a few, are industry standards, and it was only a matter of time before the company entered the world of filmmaking. Since video content is in growing demand, many companies are expanding their catalog with LED lights suitable for video.

A high-end light fixture to enter the video market 

Launching a 1600W LED light as their first cinema light puts the brand in the high-end spectrum of the market. Profoto analyzed the situation and decided to go for the ‘no compromises, full power, full effect’ segment instead of the bi-color and full-color range of LEDs.

With a weight of 11,7kg/25,8lb, the Profoto L1600D Cinema LED light comes without a ballast or floor unit and is ready for worldwide use via its 100-240 VAC power supply. This feature reduces the setup time, making it easy to set up and carry around. According to the company, with a 5700K color temperature and a CRI of 97, the fixture has two fans inside the unit complementing the patent-pending HydroCTech liquid-cooling system. Profoto has designed the light to be quiet in order to avoid unwanted noise on set.

The fixture has a dual mounting option, shipping with a Bowens mount and an adapter to use all of Profoto’s light shapers. Users can control the unit onboard, and it offers wireless Profoto Air Radio connectivity from up to 328′ away. It is compatible with the Profoto Control, Lumenair, and Blackout apps. The fixture also features DMX 5-pin XLR connectors and integrated LumenRadio TimoTwo CRMX for more operation control. 

Finally, since the company received early feedback asking for it, they developed a new patent-pending swivel yolk that allows for tilting the light in any direction. 

Price and availability 

The Profoto L1600D Cinema LED light will ship in late October or early November for around $7,990. For more information, please visit Profoto’s website here.

What do you think of the Profoto L1600D? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!