Pixapro Tips

CITI600 vs CITI600 PRO

CITI600 vs CITI600 PRO

Many people have been asking the question "Which Flash is better for me, the CITI600 or the new CITI600 PRO?". So, in this Blog post, we have dived into the stats and specifications and given you the run-down of the positives and negatives of both CITI600 Series models.

Obviously, with the CITI600 PRO being the newer, more advanced model, it is going to have a lot of advantages over the original CITI600, it does also have one or two drawbacks over the original CITI600 model.

New Brighter 38W LED modelling lamp

One of the biggest improvements over the Original CITI600 model, it that the CITI600 PRO now features a new 38W LED modelling lamp, which is considerably brighter than the 10w LED modelling lamp of its predecessor. Unlike the original CITI600 model where you only had three power levels to choose from, the CITI600 PRO’s modelling lamp can now be steplessly adjusted between 100% down to 5% of its maximum power. The new modelling lamp can also be set to proportional, meaning that the modelling lamp will automatically get brighter or darker, in relation to power that your flash output is set to.

New Flash Tube Design.
The CITI600 PRO now has a new flash tube design, sporting the traditional horse-shoe styled design, encased in a glass enclosure, with a frosted front to diffuse the light to prevent hotspots. The flash tube also protrudes further out into the modifier, for better light spread and efficiency.

Faster Recycle Times.
The CITI600 PRO uses a new battery with a higher voltage, allowing for considerably faster recycle times over the original CITI600 model. The Recycle times have been reduced from 2.5 seconds at maximum power, down to 0.9 seconds at maximum power, which is less than half the time it takes the original CITI600 model to recycle. This is ideal for shooting sports or action photography.

Colour Temperature consistency Improved
Another major improvement over the standard CITI600 model is the addition of the new Stable Colour mode, which locks the colour temperature within ±75°K of 5600°K over its entire power range. This makes the CITI600 PRO a good option for photography jobs where colour consistency is critical such as commercial or advertising photography.

Re-designed Angle Adjustment Mechanism.
The CITI600 PRO features a re-designed all-metal mounting bracket with a new stepless angle adjustment mechanism. This new mounting bracket enables you to smoothly and precisely adjust the angle of your CITI600 PRO head to whichever position you require, as opposed to the, notched angle adjustment mechanism of the standard CITI600 model.

The CITI600 PRO’s mounting bracket has a unique design, featuring second hole and threaded mounting hole so that you can now mount the strobe vertically onto a lightstand when using the CITI600 PROflash in conjunction with the remote head accessory. To do this, simply get a Pixapro Super Convi-Clamp with the 5/8inch spigot, and then simply mount your CITI600 PRO to it, using the secondary hole on the mounting bracket (please remember to take remove the tightening screw from its primary position, and put it the other threaded hole before attempting to mount your CITI600 PRO head vertically.

Some of The Drawbacks.
Although the CITI600 PRO is the newer, more advanced model, the original CITI600s still excel in some areas. With all the new additions and improvements added to the CITI600 PRO, the dimensions and the weight of the CITI600 PRO has increased to 250mm x 245mm x 125mm compared to the 220mm x 245mm x 125mm of the original CITI600, making the CITI600 PRO approximately 30mm longer. The original CITI600 is also slightly lighter than the PRO, weighing approximately 2.66kg in total compared to the PRO which weighs approximately 3kg. This means that the original CITI600 is both smaller and lighter than the CITI600 PRO.

Another feature in the favour of the original CITI600, is that you can get considerably more full-powered shots is at full the power per-charge. Some of the battery capacity was sacrificed due to the increased power of the modelling lamp and the faster recycling times. The CITI600 PRO can do approximately 360 full-powered shots on a single charge, as opposed to approximately 500 Full-powered shots on a single charge that the original CITI600 is capable of.

Similarties between these two lights.

There are a few similarities offered from both of these lights. For instance, they are both prodominately battery powered lights, but can also be used with an AC Adapter in the occasions when mains power is required. Both also come as part of the PIXAPRO ONE System, with built-in 2.4GHz receivers, meaning that multiple lights can be control by the same trigger, making adjusting your set-up much quicker and easier. They each also have a 2 Year UK warranty, meaning that if for any reason something were to happen with these lights, you would be able to get in contact with Pixapro during this period and they would be able to assist you with any quieres or issues you may have.

Should I Get the Original CITI600, or should I go for the CITI600 PRO?

The CITI600 PRO wasn’t designed to be a replacement for the original CITI600, it was more designed to be a higher-end version of the original CITI600. Both are very capable flashes, and either model will fit the needs of the majority of photographers out there. If you shoot a lot of commercial/advertising work, where colour consistency is critical, or if shoot a lot of fast-paced action/sports work, then the CITI600 PRO would be the better option for you. However, if you mainly shoot portraits, weddings, or just shoot for fun, then the original CITI600 models should easily satisfy your needs… Though if you have the budget for it, going of the CITI600 PRO wouldn’t hurt in those situations either.